For many people, their first exposure to A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, was amidst the controversy that led to a now infamous appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show, where it turns out his autobiographical account of his time spent in rehab, was embellished for dramatic purposes. Well now the book has been adapted into a movie, and we had the pleasure of sitting down with director Sam Taylor-Johnson, alongside her husband and the film’s leading role, Aaron Taylor-Johnson – who is of course playing Frey.
The pair addressed this controversy, and tell us whether they treated the source material as a honest account of what happened, or as a piece of fiction – as the director explains that in some ways, the ambiguity about the book’s authenticity actually gave them more creative free-licence when telling their tale.
We also discuss what it was like for them both to collaborate for the first time since meeting on the set of Nowhere Boy, and whether they had to leave work behind, or if they brought it home with them in the evenings. Finally we try our very best to get something out of Aaron on his ongoing work with Chris Nolan. The only thing we can determine, is that his character obviously has a beard. The plot thickens.
Watch the full interview below:
Synopsis
A young drug-addled writer approaching the bottom of his descent submits to two months of agonising detox at a treatment centre in Minnesota. Whilst at the centre, he meets an array of interesting characters.
A Million Little Pieces is released in cinemas on August 30th
