"My key interest in choosing scripts is character-driven stories, because there are so many stories that sacrifice character for plot"
About this Quote
Lasse Hallstrom is staking out an artistic stance: stories live or die by the people at their center. Character-driven filmmaking does not reject plot; it insists that plot should grow out of the believable desires, flaws, and decisions of specific individuals. When films prioritize twists, spectacle, or mechanical complication at the expense of human depth, the result may entertain briefly but often fails to linger, because the audience never truly knows or cares about the people on screen.
Hallstroms career bears this credo out. My Life as a Dog, the film that brought him international attention, tracks a boys coming-of-age with small observations that accumulate into something profound; the narrative turns are modest, but the emotional arc is indelible. In Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, external events matter less than the way Gilbert navigates duty, restlessness, and love in a constricting town. The Cider House Rules and Chocolat similarly hinge on moral choice and empathy, producing plots that feel inevitable precisely because they arise from who the characters are. It is no accident that actors under Hallstroms direction, from Leonardo DiCaprio to Michael Caine and Juliette Binoche, have delivered award-recognized performances; he builds films as homes for complex inner lives.
The context is a film industry that often chases high-concept premises and franchise beats. Hallstroms emphasis counters that momentum, arguing for scripts where the engine is interior conflict rather than external contrivance. Character-first storytelling also honors the viewers experience: audiences invest when they recognize themselves, even in unfamiliar settings, and that recognition gives weight to every stake and resolution.
At its core, the statement is both a personal compass and a gentle critique. The most enduring stories rarely announce their importance through plot fireworks. They draw us in through intimate attention to how people change, and then let the plot unfold as the natural consequence of that transformation.
Hallstroms career bears this credo out. My Life as a Dog, the film that brought him international attention, tracks a boys coming-of-age with small observations that accumulate into something profound; the narrative turns are modest, but the emotional arc is indelible. In Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, external events matter less than the way Gilbert navigates duty, restlessness, and love in a constricting town. The Cider House Rules and Chocolat similarly hinge on moral choice and empathy, producing plots that feel inevitable precisely because they arise from who the characters are. It is no accident that actors under Hallstroms direction, from Leonardo DiCaprio to Michael Caine and Juliette Binoche, have delivered award-recognized performances; he builds films as homes for complex inner lives.
The context is a film industry that often chases high-concept premises and franchise beats. Hallstroms emphasis counters that momentum, arguing for scripts where the engine is interior conflict rather than external contrivance. Character-first storytelling also honors the viewers experience: audiences invest when they recognize themselves, even in unfamiliar settings, and that recognition gives weight to every stake and resolution.
At its core, the statement is both a personal compass and a gentle critique. The most enduring stories rarely announce their importance through plot fireworks. They draw us in through intimate attention to how people change, and then let the plot unfold as the natural consequence of that transformation.
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