Pride And Glory - BEHIND THE SCENES

"Pride And Glory"
BEHIND THE SCENES
by Tim Nasson
October 8, 2008

THE BLUE WALL

The sons of a New York City cop, director and screenwriter Gavin O'Connor and his twin brother, producer Gregory O'Connor, possess a special understanding of the family ties--both personal and professional--that bind police officers. In creating "Pride and Glory," Gavin O'Connor offers, "I wanted to tell a story about the New York City Police Department and examine the alternative universe in which they exist. I also wanted to tell a story about family. As the son of a cop who had a deep sense of loyalty to his fellow police officers, I understood the internal conflicts my father struggled with. It was one way or the other; there was no in-between."

Gregory O'Connor adds, "On some level, we've always wanted to be part of that world, maybe because a lot of sons of cops become cops and, obviously, we never did. But we grew up with it and it's a part of who we are, so maybe this was a way for us to live in it vicariously for a time."

Edward Norton stars in the film as NYPD Detective Ray Tierney, whose investigation of a police homicide involving his own family becomes a serious test of loyalty. There are no easy answers and whatever choice he makes will inevitably hurt the people Ray loves most. "I thought the story had an interesting morality tale at its heart," Norton says. "It is about people confronting the necessity of telling the truth, and the difficulty of doing that at times. Ray's core dilemma was a compelling one--having to decide between family loyalties and institutional loyalties, between the law and a kind of higher law. Without offering any judgments, it's a fascinating dilemma for someone to have to confront. The main question that is raised is what is the tipping point? When is he no longer going to stand for things he knows are not right? When does he reach that moment when the scales tip in favor of telling the truth, despite the cost and the pain to his own family?"

Colin Farrell stars as Ray's brother-in-law, Jimmy Egan, who straddles a dangerous line as a cop working both sides of the law and whose actions set the story in motion. The actor says he can understand the frustration of cops who "are fighting an uphill battle. There's always going to be drugs, there's always going to be violent crimes, and there's always going to be criminals. And there's always going to be police who are getting paid not a lot of money to put their lives on the line every day. I would imagine that if I were a police officer, it would get very frustrating to bust someone one day, and a week later they're out on the street doing the same damn thing. That is part of the reason Jimmy does what he does."

"There are many examples of good people who do really terrible things in the name of an institution," Greg O'Connor asserts. "The institution itself is not evil, but by virtue of trying to protect its own, the people within are capable of bad things, even if it is ostensibly for the right reasons."

Gavin O'Connor emphasizes that, despite the characters and setting of "Pride and Glory," the police have no monopoly on closing ranks against those on the outside, especially in the face of corruption. He notes there have been many examples in major institutions apart from law enforcement, including those in governments and big business. "Institutions often define their own rules. I wanted to use the police department as a metaphor to explore that idea," he explains. "Growing up, we always heard about the 'blue wall of silence.' I wanted to explore the idea of that impenetrable code of honor between cops, and how words like pride and glory can be used to co-opt a good cop into participating in things he knows aren't right. They say 'cops bleed blue,' because they have their own blood ties. But outside of that blue wall, within their own families, they bleed red. If those two entities clashed, what would happen? Where would your loyalties lie? That was the genesis of the story."

The O'Connor brothers worked with retired New York City Detective Robert Hopes to craft the story of "Pride and Glory." Hopes also served as an associate producer and technical consultant on the film, noting, "Gavin wanted it to be authentic. He wanted the terminology and the look to be right on the mark."

Gavin then collaborated with his friend Joe Carnahan, the writer/director of such films as "Narc" and "Smokin' Aces," to write the screenplay about a multi-generational cop family who become embroiled in a murder/corruption scandal that rocks the entire New York City Police Department.

BEHIND THE BADGE

The first actor cast in "Pride and Glory" was Edward Norton. "Gavin and I have always thought that Edward is among the finest actors in the world, so he was always at the top of our list to play Ray," Greg says.

Gavin adds that Norton was integrally involved in the development of his role. "We did a lot of biographical work on the character of Ray, who was a rising star in the NYPD until an earlier incident compromised his integrity and sent him into a kind of self-imposed exile, working in Missing Persons. For a detective in the NYPD, Missing Persons is like being banished to Siberia. A cop on the rise doesn't go to Missing Persons."

Ray's voluntary banishment comes to an end when his father, the Chief of Manhattan Detectives, comes to him on a volatile narcotics/homicide investigation involving the murder of four NYPD officers, including Ray's onetime partner and best friend. Knowing it could have far-reaching ramifications for his department, the Chief practically begs Ray to take over the case and, reluctantly, Ray agrees.

Norton says, "I think Ray's father, brothers and colleagues all think that Ray wants to get back into the game, but Ray's secret is that he's more than ready to leave it all behind. I don't think anybody realizes the degree of his disillusionment because of the burden of another incident in his past. Ray's dilemma is different from anything I've ever played. It's a conflict between his own interests and his internal sense of right and wrong, between his loyalty to his comrades in arms and his loyalty to his family.

"It was an interesting challenge for me as an actor," Norton continues, "because at first you're wondering, 'What's with this guy?' And then there's a slow peeling away of the layers leading to the truth."

The truth hits a lot closer to home than Ray ever imagined when the evidence begins to implicate members of his own department, including his brother-in-law, Jimmy Egan. Colin Farrell plays Jimmy, a cop who has allowed frustration and greed to chip away at the things he most valued, causing him to compromise both his career and his family, which are inextricably linked. Farrell relates, "Jimmy is a cop who married into a family of cops--his wife's father and her two brothers are all cops. But somewhere along the way, he took a step over to the wrong side of the law. Just a little bit at first, but then he took another step, and another...and before he knew it, the line he crossed was completely out of his view. In many ways, he is a contradiction: with his family, there is a softness to him and a great ability to love, but he also has a great deal of anger and fear."

"I've always been a big fan of Colin's," says Gavin. "I met with him and we talked at length about the story and what we were going for with the character of Jimmy. Our goal was how to convey the humanity in him and help the audience see what drove him over the line. After so many times of arresting guys and then seeing them right back on the streets, it kind of beat Jimmy up inside. When you've been bumping up against criminals for so long, you can go one way or the other. Jimmy finally came to this huge rationalization about how he could take advantage of his job in order to survive."

"The way Jimmy has run his life outside the house starts pervading through the walls of his home and touching his family. That's when it all really hits the fan," Farrell states. "There are absolute consequences for his actions; everyone involved has so much to lose."

The far-reaching consequences of Jimmy's actions go all the way up to the highest ranks of the police department and to the head of his family. For Jimmy, both are embodied in the same person: his father-in-law, Francis Tierney, Sr., who is the Chief of Manhattan Detectives.

Jon Voight, who plays Chief Tierney, observes, "He's a man who loves his family and is also fiercely proud of the police heritage that he has passed down to his two sons, as well as his daughter, who married a cop. But now he has to deal with the fact that his own family may be involved in something that goes against everything he has stood for all his life--the idea of having pride in this vocation that is, by definition, self-sacrificing.

"We depend on the police to protect and take care of us, to keep our streets safe for our families," Voight adds, "and they sometimes have to wade into very dangerous territory to do this work. It's very important that they have ideals and are strong enough to hold onto those ideals under tremendous pressures."

"Jon really felt the spirit and energy of this movie and understood what we were trying to say," Gavin says. "It was a joy and honor to work with him, and I think he gave a beautiful performance."

"Every one of us was excited about working with him," Greg affirms. "Let's start with the fact that Jon is a legend. He brings a certain dignity and presence with him when he walks into the room; you believe he is the patriarch of this family. He represents a certain ethic of what it means to be a cop, and he taught that ethic to his sons."

Noah Emmerich plays the elder of the Tierney sons, Francis Tierney, Jr., a police inspector who is dealing with crises on two fronts. The tragic murder of four of New York's finest is exploding into a scandal that could destroy his career and his family, and, all the while, his beloved wife, Abby, is in the end stages of cancer. "This guy is such a tortured character," says Emmerich. "His wife is dying, his career is falling apart, and he is being forced to come to terms with the choices he's made, which could lead to his own fall from grace. There is so much pain in this character, but there is also growth; he really changes over the course of the film. That's always interesting to navigate as an actor."

"Pride and Glory" marks Emmerich's third movie with the O'Connor brothers, following "Tumbleweeds" and "Miracle." "We kind of feel like Noah is part of our acting troupe," Greg laughs. "He's just a great actor and, from the beginning, Gavin always had him in mind for the role of Francis Jr."

The director offers, "In some ways, Francis Jr. is the most difficult part in the movie because he has two internal conflicts going on that he has to somehow find a way to reconcile. He has the war going on at home to cope with his wife's illness, and he has the war going on in his precinct, which is imploding. That made it a very complicated role to play, which is why I wanted Noah."

Abby Tierney's illness turns out to be not only a crucible but also a catalyst for her husband. "One of the ironies about Abby is that even though she has cancer and is in the last stage of her life, in my opinion she is the strongest and most grounded character in the movie," says Emmerich. "In fact, her strength resonates so palpably that it transforms Francis and gives him the strength to be a better man. Their relationship is so beautiful; it's a true love."

Abby is played by award-winning stage actress Jennifer Ehle, who comments that in coming to terms with her own approaching death, "Abby reminds her husband of his own moral code and lets him know that the most loving thing he can do for her now is to be the man she married and trusts with the lives of their children."

"Jennifer is an incredibly gifted actress," says Gavin. "She was totally committed to the role. I hope I have the opportunity to work with her again; she's one of the greats."

Jimmy Egan's wife, Megan, at first has no idea of the depth of her husband's involvement in the police department scandal that is making headlines and driving a wedge between her brothers and her husband. But as the situation deteriorates, she can't help but become aware. Lake Bell, who plays the role of Megan, notes, "She represents for Jimmy the ultimate consequences of his actions. He prides himself on being a wonderful husband and father, but he's starting to realize that what he's done could cost him his wife and children."

Gavin recalls, "The second Lake walked in, I knew she was Megan. She is a wonderful actress, and she embodied the character exactly as I had pictured her in my mind. I could also imagine her opposite Colin Farrell."

The main cast ensemble of "Pride and Glory" also includes John Ortiz, Frank Grillo and Shea Whigham as, respectively, Ruben Santiago, Eddie Carbone and Kenny Dugan, three cops who, together with Jimmy Egan, have been working both sides of the law. Manny Perez plays Coco Dominguez, who, unfortunately for him, is holding information Jimmy wants and will do anything to get. Ramon Rodriguez plays Angel Tezo, a drug dealer and cop killer who is the target of a citywide manhunt, and Rick Gonzalez is Eladio Casado, a rival drug dealer, who is using the cops as much as they are using him.

"Every member of the cast brought so much to their roles," states Gavin. "My attitude has always been that even if an actor is in only one scene, that character has as much value to the story as any of the leads. Every piece of the puzzle means so much because all those pieces accumulate to complete the story. I was so proud of all the actors in the movie because they truly poured themselves into their characters."

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

Weeks prior to the start of principal photography, members of the cast began preparing for their roles, in both an emotional and practical sense. Authenticity was vital to Gavin O'Connor, which applied to the actors playing a family, as well as portraying cops.

"The central characters are a family with a shared history going back decades," the director explains. "It is not just in the dialogue; it's in the subtext. You have to feel it in their behavior and the way they relate to one another. So how do you create that feeling of familiarity in a relatively short amount of time? You do it by putting people in situations where they have to rub elbows day in and day out. We engaged in a workshop, where we created the back stories of the family and did a lot of improvisational work. Most importantly, it was all of us just hanging out and breaking bread together."

The actors all agree that the workshop period greatly contributed to their family dynamic. Edward Norton confirms, "The time spent together translated into a level of comfort and the kind of shorthand that families have. Scenes as a family are very challenging because it's not about things being articulated; it's about energy and flow."

Emmerich recalls, "It was a rolling continuum of exploration, improvisation and discussion. We really dove into the script, scene by scene, line by line. And we were able to come at it from different angles, which is hard for a writer alone in a room to do. Gavin encouraged us to question anything and everything and to feel free to speak up about any problems or ideas we had. We all responded to that pretty enthusiastically. It was very collaborative."

A screenwriter and director in his own right, Norton says that kind of collaboration called for an uncommon commitment and generosity on the part of Gavin O'Connor because "it was not just about directing; there was authorship, too. Gavin's level of passion for this project was really high. He was willing to have the material tested by everyone involved and handled it with an impressive amount of equanimity. I don't think he ever put the brakes on anyone. But that kind of rigor is also really good for a film because generally something really interesting comes out of the process. Even within the best laid plans, you have to embrace surprise and discovery."

"Gavin loves working with actors, and he wants them to be as fully invested in the movie as he is," Greg O'Connor states. "He also wants to get every detail right, both aesthetically and emotionally, beginning with the cast spending time together. In the case of our actors playing cops, he had them spend time with real cops, driving around with them, training where they train. It was all about getting into the skin of a cop, speaking the way they speak and understanding how they think."

"We tried to have all the guys hang out with cops who were representative of who they were playing," Gavin reveals. "Edward was hanging out with homicide detectives, Colin was riding with guys in the Special Narcotics Enforcement Unit, and Noah was with deputy inspectors. Our senior technical advisor Rick Tirelli was extremely helpful on that, as was our technical advisor, Tom Pilkington, and, of course, Robert Hopes." Tirelli, Pilkington and Hopes were also instrumental in recruiting several NYPD veterans to play police officers in the film, so many of the policemen in the opening crime scene investigation are actually retired cops.

Several of the main cast members also traveled to the NYPD's training facility in the Bronx, where, Norton relates, "We did a certain amount of weapons and tactical training because you want to try to move the way these guys are trained to move. That was really interesting, but in large measure, my preparation involved just talking to cops, hearing how they do what they do, and also drawing them out on how they would respond emotionally in these types of situations. I always find that aspect fascinating because, in a way, the best part of being an actor is what I call the 'classroom'--learning everything you can about being a New York City police officer in four months. It was amazing."

"What was most impressive to me was the great camaraderie the police have," relates Colin Farrell, who was in a special position to observe their unique bond while training with the actual NYPD football team--The Finest--for the film's opening scenes. "You hear about the camaraderie between cops, but when you spend time with them, you really feel the vibe. We shot for a week in freezing cold on Coney Island. It was tough on those guys because they were still working their regular shifts as police officers. They gave me a hard time--as they should since I was the 'rookie' in the group--but it was great fun. I loved it."

"Pride and Glory" is set in the winter and was filmed in the winter. But despite the cold weather and the challenges that came with it, Gavin chose to film "Pride and Glory" on location on the streets of New York City. The director asserts, "It goes without saying that the elements, the textures and the ambiance are different on location than they are on a soundstage. It obviously looks more authentic to film in the actual locations, but it also feels more authentic to the entire cast and crew. So, despite having to deal with any obstacles, filming in New York was an important decision we made early on, and we stayed committed to it."

In capturing the gritty atmosphere of the streets and bringing it to the screen, Gavin worked closely with his creative team, including director of photography Declan Quinn, production designer Dan Leigh, and costume designer Abigail Murray.

"I spent a lot of time with Declan even before we began pre-production," says Gavin. "He and I broke down every beat of the script and developed a very distinct visual style. One of the first things I said to him was that I wanted the audience to feel like they were inside the movie...like the story is swirling around them. From there, we started working with Dan and Abigail on the production design and costume design because we had come up with a very specific color palette."

In post-production, Gavin's attention turned to editing, working primarily with editor John Gilroy, and scoring the film, collaborating with composer Mark Isham.

Gavin reflects, "The process of making this movie with such talented people brought me so much joy and satisfaction. Everyone on the cast and crew was working together as a family to push the story forward and squeeze as much emotion and truth out of it as we could. That's the magic--knowing you worked hard and gave it everything you could. After that, all any filmmaker can do is let it go and hope for the best," he smiles.