Panettiere co-stars as Jane, the teenage aunt to Michael Waecther (played in their '80s era flashbacks by Cayden Boyd, who grows up into Reynolds's disaffected present-day romance novelist). Gone to stay with her older sister Lisa (Roberts) and her domineering husband Charlie (Dafoe) one summer, she and Michael form a bond that carries over to the tense aftermath of Lisa's sudden death.
Movieline spoke with Panettiere recently about Fireflies's scenic route to the screen, how both she and the film have changed along the way, plotting her own careful path forward, and her latest thoughts on Amanda Knox, the American student (and TV biopic subject, played by Panettiere) recently released from custody in Italy after her conviction for murdering her roommate.
Wow, you look great. Are you off to somewhere after this?
No, I just didn't learn until I got here that it wasn't going to be on camera!
I see. I can totally get my camera if you'd like. Where's my phone?
I feel more relaxed not on camera.
Do you really?
I do! I do with these interviews. For some reason when the camera comes up, I've been doing it for so long that you have this internal instinct to "turn it on." And when you're just chatting with someone, you don't feel as much of a need to do that.
That's interesting. You have spent most of your life working in front of the camera; it seems like it would be natural for you. But you'd say you feel more apprehensive?
I have as I've gotten older. It's not that I'm uncomfortable, but I noticed when I was younger that there such an innocence and freedom; you just don't examine yourself quite as much. I didn't have myself under quite as much of a microscope. I wasn't concerned with the things that would come out of my mouth or the way they would sound or the expression on my face, which are all things that you're not supposed to pay attention to when you're acting. As I've gotten older, I've found myself paying a little more attention to it and second-guessing myself and questioning myself. You just have this freedom when you're younger -- this lack of concern to fail or do anything wrong. It comes with an ease that I've found has kind of deteriorated over time. I have my moments where I feel really good about it, but it's all a mindset. If I'm thinking of it that way, then I'm tripping myself out.
Fireflies in the Garden has been in limbo for a while. How many times have you actually talked about this film before today?
None. Well, you're the fifth today, but it's only been today.
It shot over four years ago. What's your remembrance of the film from those days, and how is talking about it today affecting your perspective of it?
Well, I rewatched the film last night. It's interesting, because while I was filming it, there are certain things my character was going through that the audience is not aware of. So it's interesting to try to describe exactly what my character was going through and the problems she was having in overcoming this big obstacle in her life and why she was at her sister's house when it's not something that the audience can see in the film. And I was closer to a teenager back then as well; I was a lot closer to the actual age that this girl was, and that teenage angst, and that feeling of showing up to a house and being handed a list of rules and thinking, "Is this a joke? You're not my parents. I've never had rules like this." And there's this odd relationship between her and the family because she holds the title, almost, of an adult, but she's young. She's the aunt of this kid and the sister of [Julia Roberts's character], where it feels like she should be the cousin of, or the daughter of, or something like that.
Was your character's background actually shot, and it's just not in there?
That's what I was trying to remember. I was trying to remember back to whether or not it was ever mentioned in the film, or whether it was just an underlying issue that the character was going through but the audience wasn't ever supposed to really know. Or if they were supposed to know that something was going on but were not sure what, or the slim chance of somebody in the audience putting two and two together and going, "OK, I think I understand what's going on." Originally I was sent to my sister's house because I had gotten pregnant.
Ooohhhh. Now I get it.
That's what they did back then: send them away to a family member's house so that they would get an abortion and take care of the kid. There are a couple scenes toward the end where you can see she's kind of sitting tenderly in this kind of robe, and that's the inner turmoil that's going on with her. She's not in a good place when she gets there, and frankly, neither is anybody else. She takes this kid under her wing -- this nephew of hers, who's more like a best friend -- and comes to his rescue and promises that she won't let anything happen to him.
You've had roles in several films that have had bumpy post-production/pre-release processes -- Scream 4 comes to mind, too, but this is obviously the big one. Is that frustrating for you -- someone who wants the work out there, but wants it out there right?
The frustrating part of it is that you're generally known for what you did last. I've had the privilege of doing some very cool independent films that, a lot of the time, the general public doesn't see unless you're at a film festival or you're into that kind of movie. So people have this perception of what kind of actor you are and the kinds of roles you're interesting in playing, and you don't get to show them all those things that you're really proud of. It is unfortunate that a lot of people don't know or don't see that. But at the same time when growing up in this industry, one of the things you definitely have to learn is how to handle disappointment. I just don't expect anything, because you never know what's going to happen at the end of the day. My mom used to joke that you never know that you've done a film until you're sitting in the movie theater watching it. Because anything can happen up to that point, and I learned pretty early on to let things just roll off and not bother me -- to not let my hopes get up too high so that I'm super-disappointed. If it did happen, then it can be nothing but exciting. If it didn't, then it's just onward and upward. Keep on moving, and be excited with whatever comes next.
What's your relationship with the legacy of Heroes? Is that a genre you'd shy away from in the future -- enough of a shadow you wouldn't want to revisit?
That was such a specific, huge production, and it was so individual and so different from anything that's been done before. It was such a huge part of my life -- four years, and sometime we shot 10 months out of the year, 12 to 20-hour days, sometimes six days a week. I had the most amazing experience, but it did monopolize my life, and I didn't get to go off and do certain things. I'm very happy to have the chance to do that now.
It's hard to say, though, because in that genre, things can change so much. If it's good material and good people and a character, then you never know what you're going to do at the end of the day. Which, as I always say, is what's exhilarating and exciting about this industry, and what's [also] absolutely terrifying and unsure and unsteady. But you never know. I'm definitely concentrating on doing different things, though, and playing different characters. Playing such a specific role -- young, female, all-American cheerleader -- you definitely tend to get typecast.
Well, that's the other thing. You do play a lot of younger, high-school-age women. I saw you're attached to Downer's Grove--
I'm not doing that.
Oh. IMDB fail! Sorry about that.
No worries! It's hard to get that stuff off there.
OK, well, as you mention, the type is always there. At what point do you say, "You know what? I'm not doing these anymore?"
That's a good question. It's always been up for discussion and up for debate. As much as there's a part of me that wants to grow up and explore different things, once I'm out of this age group and this kind of movie, you can't really go back. So there's part of me that says, "Well, if I'm going to do it, this is the only time I'm going to be able to do it." I have all the time in the world -- well, hopefully all the time in the world -- to do those other projects. It's a rare case when you can go back.
How, if at all, does that approach apply to voice work?
It's so character-y. I've completely changed my voice for certain characters. In animated films you rarely run into cases where you feel like you're playing the same character.
I guess what I'm getting at is if typecasting can possibly exist in voice work.
I've not found so, considering I've played a bug, a lemur, a Japanese girl...
Little Red Riding Hood.
Little Red Riding Hood. There isn't too much typecasting there. I've played Tinkerbell in one of the Scooby-Doos. And actually... [To publicist] What is going on with that show that's like Family Guy that I went in and recorded?
American Dad?
Not that, but...
PUBLICIST: We don't know.
Yeah. I didn't know if I could say anything about it. But I have gotten to play completely different characters.
Is that why you focus so much on that part of your career? For those broader opportunities?
Yeah! Absolutely. They're fun, they're easy in a lot of ways, comparatively. They're nowhere near as time-consuming. It actually becomes funny: You'll go in for one session, and it could be six months, and you go into another session, and you're like, "Wait a second; when is this movie supposed to be coming out?" They take so long to do the animation and the voice-work, and that come together over such a long period of time, but it's such an easy thing to do. I don't mean that it's not work and challenging, but it's just one of those things where you can say, "Sure! I can come do that. I'd love to!" -- as opposed to blocking out months for something.
And you don't have to get all dressed up!
And you don't have to get all dressed up! And you can do it from anywhere. I was over in Germany once, and they were like, "Oh, we need you to record. We're going to get you a studio over there." And they'll just do it over the phone. It's pretty wild.
What's your take on the recent developments with Amanda Knox -- and I guess your relationship with the legacy of that project?
It's... [Pauses] It's really surreal. Having played this girl and, if you will, having walked a mile in her shoes in a certain way, it would be very hard for me not to feel some sort of joy for a young girl to have a second chance at life, regardless of what happened. It's such a complicated case, and there are so many things that were just done really improperly. It's horrific. It's really horrifying, some of the things that they did. But I'm no expert, and I'm not in any position to say one way or another. But I will say that she's gotten a second chance at life, and I hope that she makes the best of it.
"One way or another" in terms of her guilt or innocence?
Guilt or innocence. I don't think anyone will ever know exactly what happened. It's such a confusing case. I hope no one gets mad at me for saying that there's a certain gift to be taken out of an experience like that, but it's kind of human nature to have your sense of appreciation for things dulled over time. People can't help but become jaded, and the simple things that made them so excited and that they appreciated so much when they were younger, as they get older, that excitement can be very difficult to find or hold on to. I'm sure it's been a nightmare for this girl, and I'd never try to imagine what she's been through and how she feels, but there's something to be said for getting that second chance. You can't re-teach that appreciation for being able to walk down the street, or being able to lie down on grass. And as much as you try to stay appreciative of everything, it's a very difficult thing. It doesn't make you a bad person, but it does tend to drift away. So even though she's been through such a horrific thing, it must be an amazing feeling to look at everything in perspective and appreciate every single thing you have.
Since I was totally misinformed on one film, what is coming up for you that you're looking forward to?
I was supposed to go do a film this month called Over the Wall, which has been moved to next year. It's myself and Melissa Leo and Freddy Rodriguez, and it's a very dark independent film. I play Freddy's wife -- speaking of trying to get out of that age group. It'll be a really new character for me to play. And I'm nervous! But I've been told over and over again, when you're nervous, that's when those moments of brilliance come out -- when you don't quite trust yourself. And I'm excited about it.