Empire Australasia - May 2018

Clockwise from top:

Charley (Charlie

Plummer) with his

best bud Lean On

Pete (Starsky);

Charley tends to his

single-parent father

Ray (Travis Fimmel);

Horse trainer Del

(Steve Buscemi).

Weekenddirector Andrew
Haigh on his most ambitious
film yet: racehorse drama
Lean On Pete

FILMMAKER ANDREW HAIGH was
never what you’d call a horsey person.
Before making Lean On Pete, his intensely
emotional coming-of-age story about a
troubled 15-year-old Portland boy and a
knackered racehorse, the Croydon-raised
writer-director hadn’t had any experience
with the beasts. So he was understandably
anxious about directing one — in a
double act with a teenager (Charlie
Plummer),
gonna be h
turns out, h
for a surpri
“They’
when you s
he says. “T
mood chan
named Sta
tone of the
everybody
Having
name with

British relationship dramasWeekendand

45 Years, it’s tempting to see the Oregon-

rooted Lean On Pete (based on the 2010

novel by Willy Vlautin) as a concerted

effort to ‘go Hollywood’ — especially as

it attracted a quality supporting cast that

includes Steve Buscemi and Chloë Sevigny.

But, says Haigh, it wasn’t the setting or the

horse-racing elements that drove him to

make it. “It was the central character of

Charley, the dificulties he experiences,

and the things he desperately needs in his

life to even be able to move forward with

it. It was the heartbreaking nature of that

that made me want to tell it.”

He couldn’t have hoped for a better

actor to play the role. Plummer, best

Haigh too. With a distinctly

ood budget, he had one

pture his big race sequence,

“It’s not the easiest thing

e admits, “but I like all those

allenges.” Besides, he had

is side, keeping things serene.

he’ll be at the premiere,”

s, “where he’ll be happily

hatever horses eat.” Like we

orsey person. DAN JOLIN

IS IN CINEMAS FROM 28 JUNE

A horse

and his boy

We spoke to Andrew

Haigh on 26 February,

shortly before he packed

for a two-month trip

around North America.

no less. “It sounds likeit’s

horriic,”says Haigh. But,it

having a horse around makes

isingly chilled ilm set.

’r e amazing animals

spend time with them,”

hey reallydo senseyour

nges. Ourhorse,who was

rskyy, would sense the

set. Soit means

has to be calm.”

g made his

affecting

knownffor playing John Paul GettyIII in

Ridley Scott’sAll The MoneeyInThe

Worldd, fully encapsulates the

character’sblendofworld-

weariness andnaivety.“I just

thought he was perfect,” says

Haigh. “This isn’ta

traditional ‘tough’ teen role.

It’sasensitive teenwho has to

dealwithreallyshitty things.

He’sin every shot of the

ilm.Itwas a tough

sh ootfo rhim.”

for

non-Hollywo

ch ance to ca

for example.

I’vedone,”h

technical cha

Starsky onh

“Hopefu llyh

Haigh laugh

eating, er, whr

said, not ah

LEAN ON PETEE