But this is the most personal character I’ve written, in terms of belief system and the way he moves through the story and handles things; that was a lot of me in there. Shotgun Stories I wrote for Mike Shannon specifically, so I know how that goes and this was not that. And I think it interested Mike a lot that we both saw Curtis as a normal guy and it was important not to approach the film’s point of view as the audience standing apart from him. I want us to empathize with this man.

You do feel for him.
The great thing about Mike Shannon is that he can do that, which no one ever really uses him for; he’s a very sensitive guy. You kind of want to give him a hug but at the same time you have no idea where he’s going to end up. What a valuable tool for me as a storyteller, kind of an ace in my pocket. In this film he does nothing to make you question that he loves his family or that he would do anything to support them, even when they don’t understand what he’s doing. Still, you put Mike Shannon down in a hole in the ground with a locked door and you wonder where is this going to go.

You must have cast Jessica Chastain before her recent spate of films and media attention.
Samantha’s a really strong character and early in the process I was thinking, How am I going to find an actress who can go toe to toe with Mike Shannon? And I kind of resigned myself to the fact that it’s just going to have to be Mike’s movie.