I'm more than open to hope, but I think men and women have a difficult time dealing with each other and often take the low road.

I would be more frightened as a writer if people thought my movies were like science fiction.

I will say that the idea of a woman being deceptive came from that original discussion with critics and reporters about if woman could do that kind of thing. Evelyn, herself, grew out of the discussions about how capable women are of deceit and lying and manipulation.

I was very careful to cast guys who were very good-looking and very fit and who had a certain sense of privilege about them, because with that sense of privilege comes contempt.

I wanted to make these people real, not like they were in a painting. Like these are people who don't know they're in a period movie. Those concerns are incredibly immediate.

I think Christine and Chad are on the opposite extremes of the spectrum. Christine is a model victim, and Chad is a model perpetrator, and Howard is closer to the middle.

I make movies I want to see.

I have a healthy view of what one can do with art.

If we put the camera on ourselves, our friends and neighbors, we'll come up with some scary stuff.

Unrequited love is always a great thing.

I think the more the actor lets you know what he thinks of the character, the less the audience cares - like a comedian who laughs at his own jokes.

There is a lot of absurdity sometimes, not just in Mormonism but often in other religions that want to pretend that no bad happens in their church, rather than taking care of what bad does happen.

Just in the past few years - since I've been making movies, which isn't a very long time - you now have a culture that is fascinated and informed about the box office in a way that sometimes filmmakers weren't even.

My best male friend is my best friend until he crosses me. We're all protective of the self.

My business is can I create a world that's possible and could happen? I think that's the only thing that I have to do, and I think that I have done that each time.