John Irving shares secrets of 'My Movie Business'

Irving

March 6, 2000
Web posted at: 3:14 p.m. EST (2014 GMT)

(CNN) -- One of the films up for a best picture Oscar this year is Miramax's "The Cider House Rules," which was nominated for seven Academy Awards overall. It's based on John Irving's book by the same name.

Irving wrote the screenplay for the film version and has written "My Movie Business," detailing the differences between writing a book and a screenplay. In addition to "The Cider House Rules," three previous Irving novels have been transformed into big-screen feature films: "The World According to Garp" (1982), "The Hotel New Hampshire" (1984), and "A Prayer for Owen Meany," which released as "Simon Birch" in 1998.

In a visit to CNN's New York studios, Irving talked with anchor Kyra Phillips about his latest movie and book projects, and about the controversial topic of his sixth novel.

CNN: Let's begin with the inspiration for "The Cider House Rules."

IRVING: Well, I went to the Yale Medical Historical Library 20 years ago and started reading about orphanage medicine, the lives of orphanage physicians, the abortion subject which, of course, was illegal then. That procedure was illegal then. The incidence of the number of orphans who didn't get adopted. So this has been 20 years in the making, this story.

CNN: That makes a lot of powerful messages. Mr. Rose, one of the main characters in the film, and I'm quoting, says, "Sometimes you've got to break the rules to make things right." There (are) a lot of references to rules, even in the title. What's wrong with having rules in our (lives)?

IRVING: Well, there's nothing wrong with rules, but in the case of this story, I wanted to have the abortion argument take place in a historical time. I wanted to ask the question, "Do you really want to go back to those times when orphanages existed and when many orphans were not adopted?"

Everything in this story happens because abortion is illegal. If abortion were legal, no story, no orphanage. That old doctor who performs those abortions, he has a different job. That young girl who's impregnated by her own father, she can take care of that on her own.

CNN: Yeah, a lot of characters do break the rules, for example, the doctor, and he still performs those abortions. Sometimes rules seem to isolate us. Don't you agree?

Irving drew on his filmmaking experience to pen the memoir "My Movie Business"

IRVING: Well, I think that we've become too enamored of the existence of these rules and we lose sight of who they're for. I think that it's a tragedy for this country, and a very divisive one, that the abortion subject continues to divide us today. If you don't approve of abortions, don't have one. But don't presume to make such a deeply private, a deeply personal decision, don't presume to make that decision for someone else.

CNN: Turning to your book, John, "My Movie Business: A Memoir," how did you break the rules to make this movie happen? You had a tough time selling it, didn't you?

IRVING: Well, it took 14 years but when I found the right people, the producer, Richard Gladstein, the director, Lasse Hallstrom, and Miramax, who never interfered with us creatively in the making of this film, the last three years have really been pretty smooth. And so you can't complain too much about all the years before then.

Contrary to the way most people think, it wasn't the abortion subject that made it so difficult to make this film. It was more the fact that I insisted that I have director approval, cast approval and that the final cut of the picture be entirely the director's decisions. A writer having those kind of approvals is not altogether common and I think that's what took the time, not the abortion subject.

Book excerpt: 'The Cider House Rules' by John Irving
February 7, 2000
Review: Film 'The Cider House Rules' both hard and sweet
January 3, 2000
Book excerpt: 'A Widow for One Year' by John Irving
May 13, 1998

Random House author biography: John Irving
Random House: 'My Movie Business' by John Irving
Official 'The Cider House Rules' film site

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