Matthew Goode and Amy Adams star in "Leap Year."
Amy Adams has been busy in Hollywood since she became a recognized face after Disney's
Enchanted. She's about to get married, she has a baby on the way, and
Leap Year, her new rom-com with Matthew Goode opens this weekend. Before taking a break from work to have the baby and catch up with the family, she and Goode—who has a 9-month-old daughter himself—sat down with us to chat about their characters and family lives.
Leap Year centers on Anna, a high-powered Boston gal who, instead of waiting for her boyfriend to pop the question, decides to head to Dublin where he's on business during leap year and ask him herself—and he'll have to say yes, according to an age-old Ireland tradition. Due to inclement weather, she gets stranded on the other side of the Emerald Isle where she meets Declan (Goode), who decides to help her reach her destination on time for a hefty amount of cash.
Q. For most of the movie, Anna is in high heels, trekking across Ireland. How did you survive?
Adams: I actually love high heels and I wear them a lot. It was definitely a struggle, but it wasn't like learning to walk. Going up the hill, grassy surfaces and the roads were very challenging and I cut my foot at one point. No twisted ankles, thankfully.
Q. Matthew, how difficult was it to do an Irish accent?
Goode: I didn't find it easy. There are certain vowel sounds that just seem quite unnatural. Even then, when we started filming, they were like, "Take it back, we can't understand a word you're saying." It became not as strong as I'd liked to have done it but at least people can understand it now.
Q. Anna's character seems to have a romantic and pragmatic side to her. Which do you relate to most?
Adams: I think I have both aspects of the character in me, and that's why I was attracted to her. I tend to be really pragmatic, but ultimately attracted to people who sort of pull me into spontaneity. I really learned that through surrender, the best experiences of my life have happened.
Q. Declan's character is rather chivalrous. Are you that type of person to help a stranger get some place?
Goode: I'd go a million miles for my girl.
Q. Amy, did you ever consider proposing to your fiancé now, like Anna?
Adams: I thought about it. I waited for six years. I ultimately decided against it because I knew that was important to my fiancé now. I think if you have the type of relationship where it would be OK with the guy, I don't see anything wrong with it. The second year was a little airy. I was not as patient and then I realized I had to relax and enjoy the journey with him.
Q. Amy, you're starting a family soon, and Matthew, you have a 9-month-old daughter. Do either of you have any superstitions or family traditions you follow?
Adams: That's something I'm going to try to really instill in my own family, is a lot of tradition. I used to have a lot of superstitions and then I realized that it was kind of hogwash.
Goode: As far as family traditions, be together as much as you possibly can be.
Q. Matthew, did anything surprise you about fatherhood?
Goode: What's amazing is that you go away for a week or longer. It kills you a bit, although you sleep better. And then you come back and they've changed so much. It's surprising about how upsetting you feel about when you do have to go away.
Q. How do you cope when you're having one of those days like Anna when everything goes wrong?
Adams: I think yesterday was one of those days. You just wake up on the wrong side of the bed and you're just sucking lemons all day. I go to sleep. Usually the next day is completely different.
Q. What do each of you look for in deciding which film projects to do?Adams: Sometimes it's the director, sometimes it's specifically the story, sometimes it's specifically the character, but when I look it's usually a combination of those things together. Sometimes it's the mood that I'm in -- I just worked on this heavy drama and I just want to have fun and let loose.
Goode: You try and make some good choices, but at the same time, you never know if a good script is gonna turn into a good film. Going into Brideshead, going into Watchmen, going into A Single Man, they're all quite different. I think I was ready to try and do something that was a bit more going down the entertainment line. I'd always wanted to work with Anand [Tucker], who I think is a fantastic director.
Q. Amy, how did you get into acting?
Adams: It's kind of silly, but my dad would write these skits for us to perform. Just the rehearsal process with my dad and brothers and sisters and sort of, even then, coming up with a character and sauntering around--I just had fun with it. Then I wanted to be doctor, but I couldn't pass chemistry. So I was like, well, I guess I should do something that I enjoy and that is a little easier than math.
Q. What's next?
Adams: I just finished The Fighter with David O. Russell and then I'm taking time off, probably 'til next summer. I'm actually starting to produce more and to be involved more in development. I'm looking forward to that because I really enjoy the creative process of bringing a movie to life.
Goode: I'm doing a film with Ricky Gervais which comes out in April.
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