This evening, the film crew is on the Santa Monica Pier Carousel filming a scene where Bullock is trying to escape from her nemesis. The Carousel, built in 1906, serves as an excellent backdrop to the discussion of technology in the 90's and where it is headed. We sit together on a beautifully restored Carousel sled to speak with Bullock.
Bullock is excited about coming live on-line with eWorld in the next months. Tonight, we wanted to find out more about this exciting movie that deals with a subject on everyone's lips these days - the internet.
APPLE: Tell us about "The Net".
SANDRA BULLOCK: Everybody has a different point of view as to what this film is about. One side of it could be the technical side which is how computers have infiltrated our lives almost like any other appliance, like the telephone. It is no longer a surprise when someone says I have a whole home computer system. It is going to be at our fingertips all the time. Just now, everyone is finding an aspect of it that benefits their lives.
And, as with anything, there is bad along with the good. Anything highly technical can, and is going to be, used and abused in some way. There is the side of the film that shows the point of view that a computer can take over your life.
The girl that I play, Angela Bennett, has had a couple of bad things happen in her life and she has sort of found a place where she is at peace, with her computer. She communicates with the computer, her job is with the computer - all from her home; she does not need to leave it. Everything is right there for her and that makes her feel confident. She has total control from her computer. It is very personal in a very non-threatening way. And, you know, that is the great thing about on-line. Initially, I could never pinpoint what is was about on-line that allowed people to get so personal. It is because it does not have to do with how you look or who you are - it is what you "say". And people take what you say, or write, at face value. You can't read into it by tone or inflection.
APPLE: You can also take more time to compose your thoughts, not stumble...
SANDRA BULLOCK: Absolutely! You can spell check. I LOVE spell check! So, Angela is someone who has been able, by using her computer, to remove herself from society because of unfortunate things that have happened to her. You can see how someone can become so isolated in our society, even though it is filled with millions of people. But now, nobody knows who you are.
When Angela stumbles onto information about a group of people who have taken over almost every major network, her life is thrown into chaos.
By the time she realizes she is in danger and needs help, she finds out her identity has been taken away; her name has been changed; and she now has a criminal record. Nobody can vouch for her... not even her neighbors, she doesn't know her neighbors. The only two people who can identify her are her mother, who has Alzheimer's, and her former boyfriend (played by Dennis Miller). He is the only person she can run to.
APPLE: Do you like the character of Angela, as a person?
SANDRA BULLOCK: You know, I can relate to her in a lot of ways. I am incredibly gregarious, out there. Only because if I don't throw myself into the fire, I won't leave my house. I get overly sensitive sometimes as to what is going on in the world. I can't save it, I can't fix it, what do I do? I just avoid it? The world is not going to change unless you help to fix it. But, when your feelings are hurt enough times, you think to yourself "I am just staying home. I just don't want to be around it so I don't get upset." I can relate to Angela in that way. There is a side to my personality that is very private.
I also like Angela in the sense that although she has nothing to go on, she has to find a human side to herself in order to beat these people at their own game. And how she goes about doing this is not always the right way, she does not know what she is doing, BUT she doesn't stop. Or, she is going to die. So I like the fact that here is somebody, who is like a baby in the world, having to communicate, to use her brain to survive. I really like that.
APPLE: What has been the most challenging part of this role for you?
SANDRA BULLOCK: Allowing myself to sit in that dark side.... where I do get frightened in large spaces. I do get afraid being around large groups of people myself. Usually I can overcome it because I am fairly strong. It is allowing that side to not overtake you. It's like going into a public place where everyone is watching you and you feel like everyone wants to touch you...it's scary.
The film takes Angela into a very interesting and dark place. It is a difficult place to have to tap into, and one that most people will never have to deal with. It is a frightening subject matter. Every time I think about it, and go over a scene again, I think "Oh my God! This is even worse than what we did yesterday." Finding that gradual building, where the panic increases, and staying on top of that has been really difficult. Thinking all the time that, at some point, this girl is just going to lose it. She is just going to break. And being honest about it. That is really hard if you have never gone through something like that before. Staying on top of that is what I am trying to do.
APPLE: After "Speed", and this, are you looking for something a little quieter to do? Maybe a nice romantic comedy!
SANDRA BULLOCK: After this is a New York-style comedy with Dennis Leary. It is a real relationship film. What has been great about my career is I have always been afforded balance. I'll do one film like this and then another that is different. I have been lucky enough after "Speed" to choose what will make my life balance. I have been very lucky.
APPLE: I read recently the following quote about you: "Sandra Bullock is fast edging out Marisa Tomei as the working man's female love interest." What do you think about that?
SANDRA BULLOCK: You know, that is one of the most flattering comments because, if you think about it, everybody is a "working man". There is only a very small percentage of the nation lucky enough to be born into money so they do not need to work!
I have always wanted to be somebody who wants to know how to do everything. My Mom is German, and an opera singer, and my father is a voice coach who worked his way up as a blacksmith to get to where he is. As a result, I want to know how to hang with the guys and build things, AND how to get dressed up and put on make up - explore both sides of my personality. I have always been that way. I have never wanted to go into a group and not be able to identify with that group. Or fit in with that group. I just want to be eclectic. I come from this family that is meshed - that European flavor with "down home American" flavor. So that comment is a great compliment to me. Where women can look at me and say "I admire what she is standing up for, I like what she is doing, I like how she is representing a strong female" and still I can get depressed and cry and need someone to take care of me. Although I always say I can take care of myself! I know there is that side of me where I just want to be wrapped into a blanket and tucked into bed. I am not going to deny that side, though I have a hard time admitting that it is there.
But that is the greatest compliment. Those are the kind of women I like. My friends are girlfriends that are just great on both sides. That makes me feel more comfortable. I like looking at people in films that look normal. That have worked their way to get where they are and make me feel like I have a chance. We have so many great actresses today who do that. Like Julia Roberts, Marisa Tomei, Bridget Fonda, Angela Bassett. Look at the amount of women (in film) today, all different types, as opposed the stereotype of the delicate female. I always thought I wanted to be that [delicate female]... but I never felt I had it in me. I always questioned myself. Now I have the greatest example of strong, sexy, witty, smart, rugged women. And I am starting to like myself a little more, because now what I have to live up to are people who are more like me.
It takes a lot to come around to that. Only in the past year, year and half, have I started to come to that. When I get neurotic and start to think "I am not good enough, I am not a good enough person, I am not giving enough...." I have to stop myself and say "Wait a minute. You've worked hard." It takes a lot to get calm. It comes with age. It comes with beating yourself up enough times where you finally realize you don't need anyone "hitting you upside the head" anymore. I like who I am, to some degree. That comfort zone I am welcoming. I am now saying bring it on. I have been so lucky some of these women have paved the way for the strong female.
APPLE: So two years from now, where is all this going to be for you? For example, do you want to produce, direct?
SANDRA BULLOCK: I'd like to do just a little bit of everything. I'd like to have my priorities change a little. My whole life has been driven to get to this point. I feel like I have accomplished a great deal. At the same time, my craft could always improve; it is not good enough. Not to do four films in one year, maybe do one or two. Then go off and travel some place and explore my personality. Maybe it will be something else, where my priority will be a person instead of a career. And that will balance with something else. I am doing a lot right now. I feel really filled up...
APPLE: Your film While You Were Sleeping opens April 21st, now you are here, and then off the next project...
SANDRA BULLOCK: When you have no other responsibilities, you have all the energy in the world. I don't have a family to look after. One day I will, and my priorities will shift. But I will conquer this great demon that I have of why do I feel compelled to be so driven. Who knows? We all do what we do for a very good reason. Some things you need to get out of your system. I am realizing things that were really important yesterday are really trivial today. It's youth. Spend your youth, enjoy it, get it out of your system. So when you are ready to have a family, you can concentrate on them. You've done all the selfish things and you don't need to do them anymore. So that is what I am doing. Getting rid of all the selfish things that I am entitled to play with, to enjoy, but that won't take over the rest of my life because I never did them. I am playing right now. It is a year of playing and doing it all. I am sure next year I'll say something completely different - "Well, remember what I said last year...?"
APPLE: We all have experiences where we look back to our thoughts and behavior even just a few years ago and realize now how drastically differen we have become...
SANDRA BULLOCK: Exactly. I just want to return the good. People in this industry get a lot. Once you get successful, you get a lot. Don't get used to it, it does not excuse you from being a decent human being and returning it. Return it, do something good. It is like the saying "leave it better than when you found it". And that is what I would like to do. Leave it better than how I found it, in whatever area it is in. We've got to go back and do some good or we are just going to downhill.
APPLE: So word has it that you are a computer fan yourself...?
SANDRA BULLOCK: Yes, I am. My computer has taken over a large part of my life. It really has with me - I have a PowerBook. My modem finally broke down because I am on-line ALL the time! It got to be a little too much. Everything in moderation....
APPLE: I read that you had to limit your on-line time.
SANDRA BULLOCK: Yes! I had to limit myself to 1/2 an hour in the morning before work and at night I gave myself an hour to respond to mail. All my friends working have laptops and it makes it easier to keep up with each other when we are all over the place on location. I hate the phone. I am not good on the phone. You just...well, you read into it (conversations). I am good at writing letters and expressing how I feel in writing. So when I get home and I have mail, it is the greatest thing in the world to me. I can respond, really say what I feel, pages and pages about how I feel, what I am doing.
APPLE: What else do you use your computer for?
SANDRA BULLOCK: Word processing - fool around with different fonts. Make stationery when I am bored. Scheduling - all kinds. I love to make lists. I love to be organized. In terms of that, I use it all the time. With the computer, I have everything together in one place where I can be organized. Also, finances... I keep records there. But only things that if I lost, I wouldn't be TOO upset about it. I mean, you are given a brain for a reason. Use it to store some of the stuff that is very personal to you. So I don't have to worry about people hacking into my computer getting access to personal letters or anything that I do not want other people to know.
APPLE: Sandra, thanks for your time tonight. We'd would like to get you in an on-line live chat soon.
SANDRA BULLOCK: I would love to. I think that would be great fun! Thanks so much!
- end interview
Stay tuned to eWorld for continued exclusive on-line coverage of The Net, including photos and clips from the filming and interviews with the cast.