Edward Burns is an underrated and prolific auteur filmmaker born out of the early '90s indie school. Bursting onto the scene in 1995 with The Brothers McMullen, Burns took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance that year, as well as the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. Since then, Burns has written, produced, and directed a grand total of fourteen feature films. His latest, Millers in Marriage, had its world premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
Millers in Marriage weaves a tale of three middle-aged couples struggling with their marriages and the conviction of fidelity, their professional ambitions, and carving out a path for themselves in this new phase of life. The film is inspired by Burns' desire to make a movie for midlife adults who could recognize themselves on screen via characters played by Patrick Wilson, Minnie Driver, Julianna Margulies, Benjamin Bratt, Morena Baccarin, Gretchen Mol, and more.
Producer, writer, director, and co-star Burns stopped by the Collider interview studio at the Cinema Center at MARBL to talk with Perri Nemiroff about the nature of the business and art as he and his peer group reach their 50s. They also discuss the challenges and benefits of microbudget films, the cast's moving performances, and the personal importance of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Burns' time on Saving Private Ryan. You can watch the full interview from TIFF in the video above or read the conversation transcript below.
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