It’s been just under a two decades since since Zach Braff's directorial debut Garden State, which, Braff tells Collider’s Steve Weintraub, still “comes up every day in [his] life, to this day.” Returning with a style unique to the actor-writer-director, A Good Person stars Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, and Molly Shannon in a hopeful film about overcoming guilt and addiction, and learning forgiveness for yourself and others.
During their discussion ahead of the movie’s theatrical premiere, Braff opened up about why A Good Person is “the best thing [he’s] made,” and how he took great measures to ensure the film depicted its heavier elements appropriately and accurately. Braff shares how his experience directing television like Ted Lasso and Shrinking have helped hone his filmmaking skills, the difficulties of leaving footage on the cutting room floor, and why Pugh’s choice to cut her own hair for the movie provided a challenge during production. He also discusses his relationship with Oscar-winning cinematographer, Mauro Fiore, and where the custom-made trainset in A Good Person ended up after filming.
You can watch the interview in the player above, or read the full conversation below. For even more on A Good Person, check out Ross Bonaime’s review saying Braff’s latest feature, “makes one wish that he’d write and direct his own films more than just once a decade.”
23