An interview with Kevin Costner from McFarland, USA

If you're following along with me on social media, you probably already know that I got to interview Kevin Costner for his new film McFarland, USA, while on a press trip to Los Angeles with Disney and ABC. You're probably aware because I posted about it about every 5 minutes or so... but really, when you have the opportunity to meet and talk with KEVIN COSTNER, wouldn't you be shouting it from the rooftops too? The man is a legend.

I'd already been posting about McFarland, USA and following the trailers when I got the (SUPER) thrilling email that I was invited to Los Angeles for the press junket for this film, and I couldn't wait to screen the film before our interviews. We got see the movie on the night of our arrival in LA and although it was way past my bedtime on the east coast, the movie kept me glued to the screen. Based on the 1987 true story, “McFarland, USA” follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (played by Mr. Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the boys have a lot to learn about each other, and you get to follow along every step of the way as they become much more than just high school athletes and a coach. They form a deep respect for one another and end up overcoming the odds to win the state title for cross-country, while going on to achieve their own kind of American dream.

Since this movie is so fantastically inspiring (really, just wait until you see it!), you'd figure it must have been such a rewarding experience to make a film like this. Our first question to Mr. Costner was, "What was the most rewarding part about making this movie?"  He told us how he's had such a journey in the filmmaking industry. When he was younger and found movies, he thought it was like recess. When that ball rang and he could make up his own life and do whatever he wanted - well, that's kind of what he wanted in life. Although it sounded a bit reminiscent of Peter Pan, that's what he wanted and that's what ultimately happened in his career. He began moving forward with making films but he said he doesn't plan his life so much to the point that he misses something like McFarland, a little story about Latinos and a community that he actually participated against in high school (fun fact: Costner was on the baseball team for Visalia and played against McFarland!). He was glad to be able to be a part of this movie and highlight a culture that is seen all the time driving down the highways in California. Costner said that making movies has been a joy for him and to be able to highlight this little town, and there are McFarlands everywhere in America, is a very important part of his filmography.

photo courtesy of Disney

This movie is going to make you want to take up running - just be forewarned. We asked Mr. Costner, "What kind of training did you have to do for the movie?"  Funny enough, he said he hates running (oh yes, me too!) and that's why he enjoyed being the coach. Luckily, he didn't have to do much running in the film (just once really and you'll see how that ended), but he did have to educate himself since he wasn't really familiar with cross country as a sport. He knew that in the film it would be a situation where he'd have to coach without the facilities that the schools they'd be competing against had. So, he knew he had to try to be resourceful, and the script given to him had those opportunities to be that. The only thing he had to prepare for was being heavily involved in the young men's lives.

Costner went on to tell us:

There was so much more about the movie than the finish line. The finish line is for them. You can give young people something to shoot for and what we realize watching this movie is that when we do, they can somehow exceed beyond their own expectations... We realize that’s actually in front of all our children. And if you really want to get specific about it, it’s actually in front of us, too. Wherever you’re at in your life, there is a chance to do something else... we’re not done,  you know, we’re not done at all... we’re here, you’re doing your job but what you want to be in your life is still in front of you. The same things that we offer our children, we shouldn’t be so ignorant to not offer up to ourselves.

photo courtesy of Disney

We were all pretty amazed that Kevin Costner played against McFarland in high school so we wanted to know, "How did that affect your attitude going into the film?". He explained that he'd grown up around migrant farm workers and that a lot of the kids he competed with had fathers who were pickers. He competed with, fought with, and laughed with Mexican kids pretty much his entire life.

In the film you'll see how Coach White went to the fields with his runners to experience picking first hard. It was brutal and gave him new insight into the lives of his students and what they and their families were going through.

As you've probably figured out, Kevin Costner has starred in quite a few epic sports films (Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, For Love of the Game, Tin Cup - just to name a few). We wanted to know, "What is it about sports films that you find so appealing?"  He told us that a lot of sports films come to him that he never does because they're so not very appealing. They're either too much about sports or they're too obvious. He said the best ones are about people, and there's less sports than you would imagine.

He added:

It’s really, we always are wanting to see ourselves in the movies. I think that, if you saw yourself as being Maria Bello... you saw how honest her portrayal was of being shipped around because of her husband into a community that maybe didn’t look like it was gonna be so much fun. But, you know, the women in our lives, you know, are, you the ones that kind of almost make everything possible to come home to. For as impossible as everything it outside, to be able to come home and have your partner stand for you.. I know my wife stood for me when I decided that I would make "Black or White".

Speaking of "Black and White" - this is where things get funny. Costner asked us if any of us had seen the film yet, and was flabbergasted when none of us had (he might have even dropped an expletive!).... to our defense, the film had just opened and we were traveling to Los Angeles to come and meet him, so many of us hadn't gotten the chance yet. According to reports, Costner spent $9 million dollars of his own money to ensure the film would be made since no studio wanted to fully back it. Costner simply put it, "I made it for you. And, I don’t mean that in a trivial sense at all. I made that movie for you because we’re living in this time where we don’t understand how to talk with each other, and things get said in that movie that are things that I think after you watch that movie, that you’ll wish you would’ve said... So I do hope that you go see Black or White."

photo courtesy of Mama Latina Tips

Mr. Costner assumes the role of Jim White, a high school teacher and coach that gets into a bit of trouble at his previous jobs because of his temper. Costner seemed like a natural choice for this film according to director Niki Caro, but we wanted to know what it was like working with the group of 7 boys. We posted this question: "What was it like working with the boys? Mr. White in real life is like a father figure to them. Were you kind of like a father figure to the boys on set?"

He replied:

I didn’t try to be. I think that, you understand that I’m in that position where that could happen, so it’s better to let that happen than to just go in and, and be Yoda and be able to... have all this stuff that you can tell them. It’s more... authentic when they actually come to you, and you’re not just spouting off. You know, nothing was off limits when they would come to me to talk to me. And they began to understand that and I think hopefully appreciate that. And it was important for me, for them to be good. It was mportant for me to let them know that they needed to be even more prepared for Niki [the film's director], that’s who gave them a big shot in their life. And they owe it to be as prepared as they can, every day. And so I would talk to them a lot about professionalism, about what you do because there’s plenty of fun, right? Suddenly the bell rang for them too, right? It’s recess. They’re out playing too, and they’re getting paid for it. You can get carried away with that and forget that you have a job. And so we talked about that. And then the more comfortable they began, they wanted to know about all the girls I kissed... of course I told them if you want to keep kissing girls, the best way to do that is to not talk about it.

When you see McFarland, USA you might be surprised at the range of emotions you're going to experience. From sadness, nervousness, extreme pride - you're going to feel it all. You might just find yourself shouting "Go Danny!" at the end too. We asked Mr. Costner, "What was the most emotional part of the movie for you?"

The most emotional part? The movie was filled with a lot, so to drill down on a single moment, but one of the highlights of the movie is where it’s supposed to be. It’s before the last race. They’ve gone from not knowing anything about what was possible to sensing that everything was suddenly possible, and what happened? They found themselves in the last race, and they saw the buses drive up that were bigger than their bus, shinier. They saw kids come out of the buses in uniforms that were better. The kids were bigger. So all of a sudden they started to shrink back. They started to go back in their minds to McFarland. They suddenly weren’t gonna be able to maybe compete at this level. And that’s where men, older men and older women, will always be at their most useful... to look at them and see the fear in somebody’s eyes, the doubt in somebody’s eyes and to say 'no, you belong here'. When you make someone feel like they belong, they start to feel like giants. And what happened? They won. And they continued to win, and it was all because somebody said it’s possible if you’re willing to work at it. So an emotional thing for me always is... I hope somebody talks to my sons or daughters that way, should I not be around, about what’s possible. And I think that’s what we all want for even ourselves, and more importantly, we always want it for our children. So that was the most emotional.

McFarland, USA will be in theaters February 20th!
Check out the trailer here:

Disclosure: I was part of this interview on a press trip funded by Disney and ABC. All opinions are my own. Photos courtesy of Disney and Mama Latina Tips. Thanks!