>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK. IN THIS WEEK'S MOM AT THE
MOVIES WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE
UNLIKELY BOND BETWEEN A MOTHER
OF TWO AND A MAN ON DEATH ROW.
THE MOVIE IS CALLED TRIAL BY
FIRE AND STARTS LAURA DERN AND
IT'S DIRECTED BY AN ACADEMY
AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR.
AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR. >> IT IS A VERY SAD STORY THAT
TOOK PLACE IN TEXAS IN THE
EARLY 90s ABOUT A MAN WHO'S
HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE AND HIS THREE
CHILDREN WERE KILLED.
HE WAS UNJUSTLY PUT ON TRIAL
FOR ARSON.
FOR ARSON. HE SPENT A GOOD DEAL OF TIME ON
DEATH WAR HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR
THE EFFORTS OF A WOMAN IN
HOUSTON IT'S A REMARKABLE STORY
OF TWO PEOPLE WHO COME TOGETHER
IN AN EMOTIONAL WAY.
>> AND THE WOMAN IN HOUSTON IS
PLAYED BY LAURA DERN.
>> LAURA DERN IS ONE OF THE
GREAT ACTRESSES OF OUR TIME.
>> WHAT IS IT LIKE GETTING ALL
OF THESE EXCELLENT ACTORS ONSET
TO TELL A REAL LIFE STORY, AND
ALSO THE PAIN THAT COMES ALONG
WITH BEING ON DEATH ROW?
>> FIRST OF ALL, LAURA SPENT A
GOOD DEAL OF TIME WITH THE
WOMAN ON WHOM THE STORY'S BASE.
SHE READ ALL THE LETTERS AND
THEN IT'S ABOUT THIS REMARKABLE
THING CALLED CHEMISTRY BETWEEN
BRILLIANT ACTORS.
BRILLIANT ACTORS. I KEPT THEM APART IN THE
BEGINNING BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT
MET.
MET.
MET. I
MET. I WANTED THE SPONTANEITY OF
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE TWO OF
THEM CAME TOGETHER.
IT WAS QUITE MAGIC.
>> YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF MAGIC
ON THE SCREEN.
>> OH, STOP.
>> YOU WON THE OSCAR FOR
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.
YOU WERE DIRECTOR OF GLORY THAT
RECEIVED THE GOLDEN GLOVE
NOMINATION.
NOMINATION. LEGENDS OF THE FALL.
YOU HAVE A KNACK FOR TAKING
THESE VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECTS
AND MAKING ART OUT OF THEM.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE STORY
BEHIND TRIAL BY FIRE?
>> THIS STORY HAS TO HAVE THE
INTRINSIC DRAMATIC AND I DO NOT
BELIEVE IN CHANGING TRUE
STORIES.
STORIES.
STORIES. I THINK MOVIES BECOME PART OF
THE PERMANENT RECORD.
THERE WAS SOMETHING SO MOVING
AND SO REMARKABLE IN THIS STORY
OF THIS MAN WHAT HAPPENED TO
THESE PEOPLE.
THESE PEOPLE. BUT ALSO JUSTICE.
I THINK THESE DAYS WE HAVE A
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WE ARE
REALIZING IS VERY BROKEN AND
THIS IS THE EPITOME OF THAT.
IT'S ALMOST A CATALOG OF
EVERYTHING WRONG.
EVERYTHING WRONG. >> YOU SAY WE ARE AT A TIPPING
POINT WITH THE WAY AMERICANS
POLITICALLY LOOK AT THE DEATH
PENALTY.
PENALTY.
PENALTY. >> I THINK WERE LOOKING AT THE
WHOLE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS FINALLY
WITH THE CLARITY WE HAVEN'T HAD
BEFORE AND ONE OF THE ISSUES
THAT'S BIPARTISAN IN CONGRESS.
I HOPE IT WILL GET THE REAL
REFORM THAT IT NEEDS.
>> TRIAL BY FIRE IS A TEST OF
ONE'S ABILITY TO FUNCTION UNDER
PRESSURE.
PRESSURE.
PRESSURE. WHEN DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE
BEEN IN A TRIAL BY FIRE?
>> LOOK, EVERY DAY TO BE A
DIRECTOR WITH A LOT OF PRESSURE
IS SOMETHING YOU COME TO
EXPECT.
EXPECT.
EXPECT. YOU HOPE THAT YOU RICE TO WITH
AND THAT ANXIETY IS PART OF IT.
NOTHING WE DO IN THE MOVIES CAN
COMPARE TO THE TRUE STORIES WE
ARE TELLING.
ARE TELLING. WE ARE TRYING TO HONOR THE
PEOPLE WHO REALLY DID IT.
I THINK THAT MAKES YOU RISE AND
RAISES YOUR GAME.
THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE.
I DO NOT THINK THAT I HAVE BEEN
AND BATTLED FOR MY LIFE.
I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS
TYPE OF INJUSTICE.
WE HAVE ALL HAD CERTAIN THINGS
HAPPEN TO US THAT WERE UNFAIR.
UNFAIRNESS IS SOMETHING THAT'S
INCREASING IN THIS COUNTRY FOR