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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit 10 things to know for Friday Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Arthur I. Cyr: The legacy of Singapore’s leader Lee Kwan Yew Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Columns Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Arthur I. Cyr: The legacy of Singapore’s leader Lee Kwan Yew The rest of the story Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall ... Ticket availability ... UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit ... New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall ... Ticket availability ... UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit ... Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more Comment By Ed Symkus More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Ed Symkus More Content Now Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 12:44 PM Updated Mar 26, 2015 at 12:45 PM By Ed Symkus More Content Now Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 12:44 PM Updated Mar 26, 2015 at 12:45 PM » Social News Writer-director Noah Baumbach became a darling of the indie cinema world a decade ago with the release of the art house hit “The Squid and the Whale.” That and his follow-ups – “Margot at the Wedding,” “Greenberg,” and “Frances Ha” gave Baumbach a reputation for making small, personal films that delve into recognizable and both comfortable and uncomfortable areas of the human condition. His films are packed with solid actors who deliver believable dialogue. Some critics and even some fans have labeled Baumbach and his movies eccentric. Let’s just say that they’re true originals. His newest comedy, “While We’re Young,” reteams him with Ben Stiller, who starred in “Greenberg,” here playing a documentary filmmaker who’s a bit lost in life, who, along with his wife (Naomi Watts), wonders how they got so close to middle age so quickly. Things turn around, seemingly for the better, when they meet and start hanging around with a much younger couple (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried), resulting in all sorts of changes for everyone. Baumbach, a youthful-looking 45, recently visited Boston to chat about making this and other movies. Q. Your parents (Jonathan Baumbach and Georgia Brown) both worked as film critics. Did that give you any pause about becoming a filmmaker? A. I never thought of my parents as [film] critics. My dad was a creative writing teacher and a novelist and short story writer. My mom had written short stories. My dad reviewed as a sort of side thing when I was younger, and I wasn’t even aware of it. My mother started reviewing when I was going into college. That said, critical thought and creative thought were all part of the same discussion in the house, which was great. My love for movies came from my parents. Q. You’ve had critical and financial success with your films. What was the genesis of “While We’re Young?” A. I’d had an idea about couples, which I actually started writing shortly after “Squid.” But I ended up just kind of putting it away. I never went back to it. But I kept thinking there was something about couples I wanted to do, and I didn’t know what it was. In some ways it kind of resurfaced in the form of doing a comedy about marriage, about the notions of middle age, and looking forward and looking backward. That found its way into this story. For whatever reason, when I did start writing it this time around – which was before “Frances Ha” – I knew that there was a movie here I had to find, and the various things seemed to come together. Q. This is your second time out with Ben Stiller. What happens when you direct him, since he’s also a writer-director as well as an actor? Does he make many suggestions? A. He’ll have opinions about things, of course, and sure, he’ll make suggestions. But they’re as an actor, not as a director. I’ve never acted in anybody else’s thing, but when you’re the writer-director, there’s a major control factor to the job. I think that when you’re not doing that, it can be a relief to turn it over to somebody else. I think for Ben, it’s pleasurable for him to give over to somebody else. Q. Do you have a specific rehearsal process that you run your actors through? A. I usually can get as much time for rehearsal as I need. I’ve actually rehearsed less on the last few movies than I used to. But I do like to hear the actors say [the script] a couple of times before we shoot. I want to hear the words, make sure everybody’s in the ballpark. But the script is really a blueprint. Some are maybe more specific than others. But mine are pretty specific in that I don’t veer from the dialogue. I’m shooting the script and I don’t improvise. For me that allows a lot of creativity. If you know the script is solid, then the actors can do a lot with it. I think it frees actors up. They bring something to it that I can’t bring to it: their interpretations. Q. So many comedies made today are aimed at young audiences who are looking for off-color humor and slapstick sight gags. Are you comfortable with me calling “While We’re Young” an adult comedy? A. It’s certainly in the tradition of that. I feel that there used to be adult comedies all the time. When I was a teenager in the ’80s, there were many of them every year. There were comedies that were character based but were also broad and funny and hopeful. Like movies by James L. Brooks or Mike Nichols or Sydney Pollack or Woody Allen. They were things that studios used to make, but they generally don’t anymore. But I still do. “While We’re Young” opens in select theaters April 3. Ed Symkus covers movies for More Content Now. By Ed Symkus More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Ed Symkus More Content Now Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 12:44 PM Updated Mar 26, 2015 at 12:45 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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