June 17th, 1998
"I don't like those Sandra Bullock kind of characters. You know, girl-next-door... I hate that crap."
No longer a cherubic child star, Christina Ricci is suddenly open to a new world of edgy roles. Best known for her work in The Addams Family, Addams Family Values, and Casper, Ricci recently turned heads as a mixed-up latch-key kid in Ang Lee's acclaimed The Ice Storm. Now Ricci plays a 16-year-old hellion who uses sex as a weapon in screenwriter Don Roos' directorial debut The Opposite Of Sex. The Onion recently spoke to Ricci about growing up on screen and playing second banana to a CGI ghost, while Roos chimed in about his films' strong characters and the caustic nature of Ricci's performance.
The Onion: How come Lolita has a problem getting a distributor, but you guys don't have trouble making a movie about an underaged sexual predator?
Christina Ricci: Well, I think in Lolita the girl is being taken advantage of, while in this movie, it's the girl who takes advantage of others.
Don Roos: There's also nothing sexually explicit in our movie. I mean, the language is terrible, but so what?
CR: I hear the new Lolita is really explicit. I know someone who saw it in France, and they said there were so many points that just made you [makes wincing noise].
DR: I think it's disturbing... You know, sexuality with a young teen...
CR: And Jeremy Irons.
DR: Yeah, it's a little creepy. Our movie isn't the least bit creepy. I mean, the language is crude.
CR: And I'm having sex with people around my age.
O: In some respects, you go out on a limb with this movie, considering that even something like In & Out can attract protesters.
DR: Yeah, from losers.
CR: Christian Rights Coalition.
O: I was thinking more of gay-rights groups who were upset.
DR: Well, maybe they were upset because [Kevin Kline] was no gay man that anybody recognized. He has no sexual history, than suddenly thinks at age 40 that maybe he's gay. That was the first time it occurred to him?
O: The Opposite Of Sex has drawn some criticism for implying that a gay man can be converted back to heterosexuality.
DR: But in the real world, gay people go through periods where they convince themselves that they're straight. At least they have in my experience. A lot of gay people in the '80s were suddenly bisexual. I think America is at once obsessed with and repelled by sex. In L.A., there are these ads for a beeper company, and there are all these bimbos posing with beepers between their legs. So, on the one hand, we're a culture that feels the need to sexualize beepers, but on the other hand, we're a culture that can't talk about it in an honest or responsible way. It's kind of split, madonna/whore. It's odd.
CR: I like it. I kind of like the prudishness of America.
O: This is a movie of firsts for both of you. [To Roos] This is the first movie you've directed, and [to Ricci] this is your first starring role.
CR: [Glares.]
O: Unless you want to include Casper.
CR: That doesn't count?
O: Well, the ghost is kind of the star, right?
DR: [To Ricci] This is your first adult starring role, isn't it? She looks pissed off. There's something going on here that's quite horrifying and scary...
CR: No, no. I was just getting a little insecure, thinking that I would never, ever star in a movie. And now I know it's true!
DR: Take it in and think about it for a while, then move on.
CR: But it hurts!
DR: I know, it does smart. But honey, you're only 18.
O: You've got a long career ahead of you. Back to the question at hand, though: Did you both feel like you were tackling new challenges?
DR: I don't know about Christina, but I was. I didn't know anything about direction, but I knew the script really well. And I loved the actors. I think if you love the actors, and you're a nice person, and you know the script, there'll be a nice atmosphere on the set, and people will be relaxed and do their best work.
CR: [Still dwelling on her career] I starred in That Darn Cat!
O: Wasn't the cat the star?
CR: The cat was not the star! That cat didn't even have any lines! I wasn't even on screen that much in [The Opposite Of Sex]. My voice was there.
DR: Your presence is there. That's what everybody's reacting to, so you're definitely the star. Just check the one-sheet and you can confirm it. But wasn't this your first film on your own?
CR: I think it was Buffalo 66.
DR: But it was during the same period...
CR: ...because my life was changing.
DR: Her mom was no longer managing her career. So this was the fully adult version of Christina Ricci that was unleashed upon the world last summer.
O: In The Opposite Of Sex and The Ice Storm, your characters are sexually aggressive, almost predatory, while in your scene in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, your character is a sexual victim. Are you intentionally trying to make your transition from child actor to adult actor really apparent?
CR: No, I just happened to get these parts. I auditioned for both of them and took what I got. I really wanted to be in this movie, though. It's not conscious at all. It just sort of happens.
DR: Is "sexual predator" a good thing or a bad thing?
O: Well, in The Opposite Of Sex, her character does bad things to people.
CR: Not on purpose, though.
DR: I don't think she's trying to hurt anybody. I think she's just trying to provide for her child.
CR: Though I don't know why she just didn't get an abortion.
DR: Hmm, I didn't deal with that. Maybe she just couldn't get the money. Or the date passed and she thought, "Well, fuck it, I'll just have the kid."
CR: Maybe she wanted someone to love her. That's actually the most clichéd thought. Why do teenagers have babies? They just want someone to love them!
DR: I think when some people think of Christina's character as just a dumb little bitch, they say that admiringly. You know, she's fun. She's fun to watch. But [Ricci and I] see her vulnerability.
O: [To Roos] The films you've written—Single White Female, Boys On The Side, Diabolique—all feature strong female characters.
DR: I don't like those other, Sandra Bullock kind of characters. You know, girl-next-door, I'm not going to hurt you. I hate that crap.
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