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Spring 2014

Sitting in the dark in a Texas movie theater, Pat Rushin watched the last 10 years of his life flash before his eyes. With his wife and two daughters next to him, the creative writing teacher finally realized his long-labored movie project during the film 麻豆精品 S檚 U.S. premiere.

The Zero Theorem is a futuristic fantasy directed by Terry Gilliam (Brazil) that stars Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) as an antisocial computer hacker on a quest to discover the meaning of life in an unsolvable math problem. The film blends themes of existential angst, corporate proliferation and the conundrum that everything actually adds up to nothing in Gilliam 麻豆精品 S檚 signature wild visual style.

After more than a decade of rewrites that Rushin described as 麻豆精品 S渁 real roller-coaster ride of high hopes followed by dashed dreams, 麻豆精品 S� the film is set for wide release this spring. Pegasus asked Rushin about the premiere, the process and the lasting affects of delayed success:

Pegasus Magazine: What was it like to watch the finished movie for the first time?
Pat Rushin: It was pretty thrilling, especially because I 麻豆精品 S檝e been at this for more than 10 years. So finally having it finished was a relief more than anything else.

PM: What was the reaction of the crowd?
PR: The crowd liked it 麻豆精品 S� I mean they were laughing at the right spots, and you heard a little cheering now and then.

PM: What was the most challenging part about getting your script made into a movie?
PR: The first challenge, of course, was writing the damn thing. I wrote the first draft in 10 days. It was 145 pages long, and I had no idea what I was doing. I simply checked out some screenwriting books from the UCF library, along with several screenplays. Coincidentally enough, one of those screenplays was Terry Gilliam 麻豆精品 S檚 Brazil.

And after that came draft after draft. With each new player who came on board, there was another rewrite. Every time I thought the project was dead in the water, I 麻豆精品 S檇 get a call from Dean Zanuck revving me back up. With endless faith, he told me repeatedly, 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e going to make this movie, Pat. 麻豆精品 S�

PM: Where did the idea for The Zero Theorem originate?
PR: It was originally inspired by the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. 麻豆精品 S淓mptiness, emptiness, emptiness, all is empty. 麻豆精品 S� The speaker of that, Koheleth 麻豆精品 S� which is where I got the name Cohen [The Zero Theorem 麻豆精品 S檚 main character] 麻豆精品 S� is basically bemoaning the fact that if there is no afterlife, what does it profit a man to live a good life, or any kind of life? It 麻豆精品 S檚 the first Old Testament complaint, I believe 麻豆精品 S斅爏ome kind of life after death.

PM: What was your reaction when you found out that Terry Gilliam was going to direct?
PR: I was thrilled, and this really is a Terry Gilliam-type movie. In some ways it was inspired by Brazil. Terry joked, 麻豆精品 S淩emember, you 麻豆精品 S檙e just the writer. 麻豆精品 S� But he treated me like royalty.

PM: What is it like to see your idea come to life with actors Christoph Waltz and Matt Damon?
PR: My wife Mary and I flew to Romania for a week of shooting, and the first thing Terry Gilliam did was send us to wardrobe so we could serve as extras. It was the best way for me to feel truly involved.

Christoph Waltz was a real gentleman and a tireless worker. He was in every scene, and he still made time to talk to everyone on the set. And Matt Damon shook my hand and said, 麻豆精品 S楪reat script, man! 麻豆精品 S� So now I can die and go to heaven.

Pat Rushin

PM: What did you learn from the process of making this movie?
PR: It taught me more discipline and not to be in love with my words. It 麻豆精品 S檚 all changeable, right up to when they release it.

PM: Would you go through this whole 10-year ordeal again?
PR: I think I would just be sucked right in. There 麻豆精品 S檚 excitement to it, and I like to write screenplays. Screenplays are different than fiction, because it 麻豆精品 S檚 all about character and story. It 麻豆精品 S檚 stripped down, almost like a blueprint. You don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to be real specific about what characters look like, because you don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to close doors to any actor who might want the part.

PM: How has this experience influenced your teaching?
PR: Everything I 麻豆精品 S檝e experienced I share with the class. One of the exercises I have students do is write a three- to five-page theme on any topic, and then the following week, I ask them to cut it by 25 percent. It 麻豆精品 S檚 part of the craft.