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Interview: An Uncooperative Amanda Seyfried Explains What Went So Horribly Wrong with Her New Movie Gone

By Dustin Rowles | Film | February 24, 2012 |

By Dustin Rowles | Film | February 24, 2012 |


(Publisher’s Note: I met with Amanda in a coffee shop to discuss her latest movie. I should note ahead of the interview that she spent most of the time playing with her phone while answering my questions. She also revealed the entire plot of the movie. So, spoilers ahead.)

Pajiba — Good afternoon, Amanda. Thanks for sitting down to talk with us about your new movie, Gone.

Amanda Seyfried — (stares blankly)

Pajiba — Okay. So, I only just saw the movie today. Gone wasn’t screened in advance for critics. Any reason why?

Amanda — Did you see the movie?

Pajiba — Yes.

Amanda — Then you know why.

Pajiba — Fair point. What happened there?

Amanda — Dunno.

Pajiba — OK. Can you tell us a little about the movie?

Amanda — It’s about this woman who is on pills because she was abducted. She walks around. Then she drives. Then she does a little running. And then she walks. And then there’s a little skirmish in the end. Then it’s over.

Pajiba — That about sums up my experience. Was there more to the script?

Amanda — There wasn’t a script.

Pajiba — What do you mean?

Amanda — Somebody wrote an outline but nobody got around to filling it in. We were supposed to improvise.

Pajiba — Are you good at improvising?

Amanda — I don’t improvise.

Pajiba — So, how did you manage?

Amanda — I just walked around. And drove. And one time I ran. And they filmed it.

Pajiba — I’m pretty sure there were two running scenes.

Amanda — Same scene, filmed from a different angle.

Pajiba — Ah, I see. So, what was in this plot outline?

Amanda — I dunno. It just said the character was kind of crazy. And she was looking for a man who abducted her sister. It was the same man who abducted her.

Pajiba — Right.

Amanda — And there were a few clues. There was like a matchbook, and a red car, and a phone number. And I just walked around until I found them.

Pajiba — Allison Burnett wrote the script. Did you have a good relationship with him?

Amanda — Allison is a him?

Pajiba — Yes. He wrote Untraceable and the Fame remake.

Amanda — Wouldn’t know. Never met him. Sounds like a woman’s name.

Pajiba — Nope. Definitely a man. Was it a difficult shoot?

Amanda — Not really. A lot of those scenes were just me walking out to my car, and going to the hardware store. I didn’t even know they were filming half the time.

Pajiba — So, you played a crazy person that walked and drove around looking for the guy who abducted your sister. How did your character find him?

Amanda — I called him.

Pajiba — And he told you where he was?

Amanda — Yeah. He gave me directions.

Pajiba — Then what happened?

Amanda — I killed him.

Pajiba — Then what?

Amanda — That’s it. Then the movie ends.

Pajiba — That’s it?

Amanda — Pretty much.

Pajiba — But what about the other actors? There was the good-looking guy from “Rescue Me” and Dexter’s sister, and the old guy from “Justified” and the boyish lesbian from “The L Word.” Oh, and the older brother from “Weeds.” What was their function in the movie?

Amanda — Dunno. Familiar faces for the movie poster, I guess.

Pajiba — I see. Maybe I’m missing something. I fell asleep for a few minutes, maybe you could tell me what happened before …

Amanda — I walked around. Maybe I was driving.

Pajiba — I haven’t even told you which part. It was right before you went into the hardware store.

Amanda — Oh, that scene. I was definitely driving. That’s how I got to the hardware store.

Pajiba — …

Amanda — …

Pajiba — We still have a few minutes. Umm, how was your working relationship with the director?

Amanda — Never saw him.

Pajiba — You never saw the director?

Amanda — Nope. There were just a couple of camera men who followed me around while I walked. And drove.

Pajiba — Did you at least talk to the director?

Amanda — Once. On the phone.

Pajiba — What’d he say?

Amanda — He told me to make sure to make my eyes big.

Pajiba — Your eyes are already kind of big.

Amanda — Yeah.

Pajiba — …

Amanda — …

Pajiba — ?

Amanda — Are we done?

Pajiba — Uh, sure.