Bryce Dallas Howard is a big old nerd.
I had no idea until we sat down to talk about her work in “Jurassic World.” Right now, there's a conversation happening online about the gender politics of the film, and while I think the larger conversation about how Hollywood approaches representation for anyone is a valuable one, I think “Jurassic World” is a very strange film to pick as a battleground on this subject.
Ultimately, these are thinly drawn characters, given just enough definition at the beginning to give us something to recognize as they run and jump and wrassle the various dinos raising hell. I've seen a fair amount of outrage about the heels that Howard's character wears even after they start running around the jungle, and while it's not remotely progressive or even logical, it can be read as a character choice. After all, this is someone who works in a corporate environment every day and has never even anticipated the idea of running around in a jungle being chased by giant carnivorous creatures.
But whatever your reaction to the film, check out this interview and especially the ending. We're gearing up to do a whole week of coverage about great film scores and great film songs, and so we're asking people to name some of their favorites in interviews. When I asked Howard, I was expecting something fun, but not something quite this in-depth. My favorite part is when she actually names her favorite track to write to from the “Little Women” score. That's how you know someone means it, and I think I might have fallen in love just a wee little bit thanks to how enthusiastic she was.
“Jurassic World” is in theaters on Friday.