We are not playing these people with parody or satire. We are playing these people dead earnest. I'm a guy who's trying to do the right thing by his family and by his God. ... That's what really guided me in the role.

It's very liberating to be naked in front of a hundred people, but there's nothing sexual about lovemaking on a movie set.

It's easy to get jaded. It's easy to get lazy. It's easy to get too self-centric, like, 'Why me? What about my needs?' It has nothing to do with that. But you see, you are the thing you are selling whether you are a director or an actor in this business. It's very tough. The town doesn't realize that its greatest resource is its people.

I grew up in Texas, but that was 20 years ago. Last year, in Fort Worth, they had hail the size of softballs. We're seeing more and more powerful storms, of all types, almost on a biblical level.

What's been nice is that I've been able to direct from a very idealistic place. I've never had to make my living as a director, which gave me a chance to choose material I feel passionate about. The directing allows me to not have to grab any acting role that comes along. I can pick and choose a little bit.

It's always good to have no expectations when you see a film. Then you can be pleasantly disappointed or surprised.