Theres your boss, and then theres The Boss.
But imagine if your boss and The Boss were one and the same.
Its really not just serving the ideas of Bruce.
Danny Clinch; Inset: Gary Gershoff/WireImage
Or how does it get the narrative across?'
Ultimately, that comes down to finding a middle ground between fan and filmmaker.
Im really lucky because Im a fan of Bruces music, and I get to work with him directly.
There are two hats that I wear constantly.
I love this music.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:Where did the idea to turnWestern Starsinto a film start?
That was the beginning of my conversations with him about making it into a movie.
It was really important that we worked on making it different than Broadway.
The barn, actually, is at Bruces house.
The film then evolved to be something more than just a concert film.
So then how did you land on the format of interlacing these monologues?
which was all contained on one stage.
It felt like the next natural next step in his dialogue with the audience.
The biggest thing was that he wrote a voiceover script that gave the film such a body and soul.
It was an organic process that just happened in the cutting room.
It was really a journey together in film.
So you shot those western, desert sequences in Joshua Tree, yes?
His sonic palette matches the beauty of that desert and sky.
The older footage the archival stuff and the home movie footage where did that idea come from?
We put it into the cut, and it worked perfectly.
Bruce is really exciting that way, by bringing these new challenges and surprises to the editing room.
Its not a singular message from just a point of view of his life or New Jersey.
It wasnt just random B-roll ever.
Thats a shorthand in the cutting room.
And the use of light.
We take references from all different decades.
Were not stuck in one era.
Its really a combination of all references.
The score features a 30-piece orchestra that played live onstage with Bruce.
You said you filmed the performances in the barn over two days.
And Bruce pulled out the great surprise of Rhinestone Cowboy.
Do you know why he chose that?
I can only assume thats why he drew upon that song.
Who was the janitor sweeping at the end?
I always end up putting them into the movie.
So every film I look forward to who Bruce is going to bring.
Is it just a natural evolution?
That this film was an extension of the book, an extension of the Broadway run.
In some ways, it all makes sense when you look at the book and Broadway and this film.
Hes pushed it to the next level in the filmmaking process.
Ive seen this happen again and again from the music videos to the docs.
We really start from a place of, Whats the music telling us?
With this album, the music told us that we didnt want to be on stage.
The music told us that we needed an explanation from Bruce himself that wasnt a documentary interview.
I wouldnt be able to speak for Bruce.
But working with him for the past 20 years, Im always surprised with what he comes up with.
I always look forward to the challenges that he throws at me.
But also, they recognize something new that Bruce shared with them.
Its a tricky balance.
