Promising young actress stars in new drama

Saoirse Ronan has been receiving a respected amount of Oscar recognition for her role as Susie Salmon in “The Lovely Bones.”The film is based on the novel by Alice Sebold with the screenplay adaptation done by director Peter Jackson along with co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.   The film focuses on Susie’s experience after she has been murdered. She watches over her family and her murderer from what is referred to as “the in between,” which is really her journey from life to death in a heaven-like world. Susies family has trouble accepting that Susie has been killed. Her father Jack, played by Mark Wahlberg, battles with the guilt of not being able to protect his daughter. Working alongside actors Mark Wahlberg and Susan Sarandon, Ronan proves her potential as a face to be reckoned with.

Question: Did you read the book before you became involved in the production? If so, what was your initial reaction to the book when you first read it?

Saoirse Ronan: Well, I actually waited to read it after I had made the movie. I just really wanted to focus on the screenplay version, and also I felt like I was a little bit too young to read it at the time, I was 13. As you know, the book is little bit more visual and a bit more violent than the film, so it just made sense. But I read the book this year for the first time and I absolutely loved it. I felt every emotion possible. And I think because I had been through the whole experience of making the movie and living through the story, I think that helps me to really connect with the book and to understand the book fully.

Q: Are there any similarities between you and the character Susie Salmon?
SR: Yeah, there’s a few. I mean, Susie’s a typical teenage girl, so I think that hopefully when girls go and see this movie, they’re going to connect with her in some way. But, yeah, I mean, she’s interested in photography and fashion, and things like that and boys of course, so I’m interested in all those things.

Q: How have your roles in “Atonement” and “The Lovely Bones” influenced your outlook on life?

SR: With “Atonement” it wasn’t that influential because it was a bitter girl who’s very in on herself. I mean, I suppose that it would make you think more before you speak, if anything, but “The Lovely Bones” in particular, just made me appreciate what I have. I’m lucky to be here, I’m lucky to have the amazing family that I have. It’s also made me more aware of things that go on in the world, these awful crimes that are committed every day. So, yeah, so it’s boosted my awareness.

Q: Susie Salmon’s character, she goes through a very serious, traumatic experience. Did you find this role challenging? How did you prepare for a role that dealt with such heavy issues?

SR: Yeah, it was challenging. As you said, it’s a very serious subject matter and it was always going to be a challenge for me because I hadn’t done anything quite that deep before. But, it’s also very light and it’s full of hope. So in that way, it was easy. But, when we dealt with very emotional, intense scenes, there would be a lot of discussion between me and Pete and Fran and Philippa who are the writers, as well. We just talked a lot about it and just made sure that we were going in the same direction and we were on the same page.

Q: In both “Atonement” and “The Lovely Bones” there are a lot of very dark themes in the movie and your character always seems to be right in the middle of the gloom. Given that you’re kind of a cheerful person in real life, how do you place yourself in the dark situations that these movies portray?

SR: I find sometimes it’s quite easy to be the opposite to how you are in real life. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s just because it’s not somewhere that I go very often. The door is always open for me to go there. It just takes a lot of thinking and I really understood Susie and Peter who’s obviously involved. We were on the same page and we have the same outlook on what she was going to be like and everything.

Q: What was it like to film the heaven scenes?

SR: It was kind of a little bit surreal at first because it was all blue screen and I hadn’t worked with that much blue screen before. Only a little bit. And most of heaven was going to be put in afterwards. It was sometimes difficult to try and imagine what it was going to be like; what it was going to look like. We obviously had an idea in out head of what the basic picture of it was going to be. But, it was great and I saw the movie a few days ago and it was a lovely surprise to finally see heaven.

Q: What should viewers learn and take away from this film?

SR: Well, I think that the message of this movie, although it may not seem like it to people who haven’t seen it yet, is ultimately hope, and how you get there. When Susie arrives in the in-between, she doesn’t want to go forward, which would mean accepting her death. She wants to be back on Earth with her family and she knows she can’t do that. And to get there, you know, it’s about her love for her family and not the hate and vengeance that she has for her murder.

“The Lovely Bones” hits theaters Jan. 15. If you’re looking for a film to end the year with a cold thrill in your bones, “The Lovely Bones” will not disappoint.