If the 'Shoes' fit
TORONTO -- As Maggie, the bad sister in ''In Her Shoes," Cameron Diaz steals, cheats, drinks too much, and lives off her looks. By movie's end, she's 'fessed up to a learning disability and is bunking with grandma (Shirley MacLaine) in a Florida retirement village. It's a part that gives Diaz more to do than usual, and it both plays off and complicates her silly-blonde screen reputation. Diaz chatted at the Toronto International Film Festival.
There's a scene in the movie where your character tries out to be an MTV VJ, only to realize she can't read the cue cards. Was that kind of moment what appealed to you about this script?
When I read a script I really should pay attention more. I knew Maggie would be who I portrayed to tell the story, but I choose material by the material as a whole. That's why I've ended up in movies where I'm tied up half the time, or in a wedding dress half the time, or plunging into cold water. I'm like, 'How did I get here? I didn't see this in the script, I didn't pay attention to this.' It's not like I went, 'I'm gonna do this movie because I wanna play a dyslexic whore.'
If your character's not the attraction, what was it in this case? Sisterhood?
Really the human element. This was a story about real people and real moments and real humanity. It was never a chick flick for me.
You have a sister yourself.
I do. I have an older sister.
Did you talk about the material with her?
No, I didn't. I should've probably, but I didn't. I'm very close to my sister. I live really a lot with her. She's the perfect big sister. She's the best. If I didn't have her, I'd be a very different person. Maybe not even alive. (Laughter)
Lately, you've been all over the world for ''Trippin'," your MTV show. But here you ended up in another exotic place -- the retirement communities of Florida.
I hope I make it to be that age, and if I do, I hope there's a community where I can go, be with people my own age, laugh all day, play golf, hang out on the beach. Because the alternative is being hooked up to a machine somewhere, trying to stay alive. I hope that I'm as lucky to live out that part of my life in a place like that. The people were wonderful.
Were they giving you boyfriend advice?
Oh, I got tons of numbers, actually.
Nice Jewish boys?
They're all so proud of their families. They're like, 'Oh, I have a son' and 'I have a grandson.' It was really fun.
Not only did you have all those old ladies with plenty to tell you, you also had Shirley MacLaine there, who I'm sure had plenty to tell you also. What did you take away from watching her in action?
She's a woman who lives her life exactly the way she wants to, and that's an inspiration. To see somebody who just does it and has no qualms about it and doesn't let anyone get in her way.
Did she teach you anything about keeping a career going?
I don't know if I'll be acting when I get to her age. I just hope I make it to her age. I hope I make it past tomorrow, knock on wood. You never know.
SCOTT HELLER 