Miguel Arteta on his 'feel-weird movie'

Jake Gyllenhaal and Jennifer Aniston arrive at a screening of their new movie "The Good Girl."

(CNN) -- "The Scoop" recently talked with Miguel Arteta about directing "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston in the new indie film "The Good Girl."

DAVIS: So in this film, Jennifer Aniston plays a small-town girl who you might say has an unfulfilled life. Aniston had a great quote, she called it "the feel-weird movie of the year." Tell me how you would describe "The Good Girl."

ARTETA: Yeah, it's a dark comedy about a woman who works at a discount store. She is kind of bored and starts to hate her life, and she does some funny and weird things to escape. She starts having an affair with a younger man and things get really complicated.

DAVIS: You have a great cast in this film: Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, and John C. Reilly. What was it like working with Jennifer and getting this performance out of her? In the film she's an unhappy person. It's very different from the performance we see from her every week as Rachel on "Friends."

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ARTETA: Well, she worked really hard. She was really ready to do this. She is a very happy person in real life. Her hands go up when you talk to her. And in this film she had to play someone who hated life and was kind of depressed. She prepared physically: She wore wrist weights and ankle weights for a month before the film. She is a physical performer, and she really transformed her body for the role.

DAVIS: Did you ever have to tell her, "Jennifer you need to be more depressed."

ARTETA: Yeah, there were times where the hands are going up, and I had to say, "Sit on your hands!"

DAVIS: You directed the indie films "Chuck and Buck" and "Star Maps," and you've also directed a few episodes of "Freaks and Geeks" and HBO's hit "Six Feet Under." You seem drawn to dark material or characters who are outsiders.

ARTETA: Yeah, I like movies about people who are struggling with life and who have a lot of flaws. I like to bring humor and compassion to that. I like it when we can laugh at or own problems. I guess I like the unlikely heroes.

"The Good Girl," starring Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly, is in selected theaters this weekend. It opens nationwide later this month.