In “Little Children,” Kate Winslet plays Sarah, an unhappy young mother who embarks on a journey of self-discovery that involves an extramarital affair and a host of questionable parental decisions.
How questionable?
“She’s a woman who handles her daughter like a piece of luggage she’s dragging through the airport,” director Todd Field said. “And she’s too self-involved to notice.”
Lovableness has never been much of a factor when Winslet chooses a role, but she admits she had a hard time wrapping her mind around Sarah’s emotionally distant parenting.
Winslet has two children–daughter Mia, 6, and, son, Joe, 2 –with husband Sam Mendes.
Winslet, 31, recently talked about Sarah, motherhood and the thank-you note she owes singer Rufus Wainwright.
You said that if you met someone like Sarah by the swing set, you’d probably pack up your children and leave.
Yeah, it was a new experience for me to be playing [someone] who had some qualities that I do not respect as a parent.
She wasn’t a woman you wanted to bring home with you at the end of the day and introduce to your kids?
In the days when I was single and didn’t have children, I would have so indulged. I’d go home, I’d stay in the bubble of the story and the events of the day. I’d fall asleep still in the haze of the character I was playing and kind of dream about it almost, and then get up and do the same thing again.
And now, with two little children of your own, you can’t do that.
Nor would I want to. I’m a mother. I wanted to go home and be with my kids, and I couldn’t carry the emotions of this character home with me. But I did have to make a concerted effort to blow the cobwebs of every single day away, out of my head, on the journey home. From the movie set to the kids, I put the windows down in the car, had loud music blaring and just got rid of the day.
What did you listen to?
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I was listening to a lot of Rufus Wainwright on this film. A lot. Every day, in fact, on the way to work and on the way home. And I think it was because, No. 1, he’s a brilliant musician and has the most extraordinary voice, and also his lyrics are so easy to listen to but thought-provoking at the same time.
Passionate music, but not brainless …
And that seemed the perfect balance for this film. I don’t know why, and I didn’t particularly plan it that way. But I’m very grateful to Rufus. He accompanied me on many a journey home.