On the current business: The process is very much like getting a Bill through congress...unfortunately by the time the Bill gets through you've had all these people with their hands on it, making amendments and then it's all watered down and it's no good.

There are eight-thousand nine-hundred and ninety-nine other people in this town trying to make a movie and they all have the same list of actors for hire.

It's so rare in this business to get a commercial hit and a great critical hit in the same picture. People can try for it their entire career and end up with nothing. Finally getting Ray (2004) off the ground and financed was personally satisfying for us.

For a movie to have a shot at being any good, it has to be someone's passion.