Full Interview: President Obama Takes Responsibility
Today in Washington, Katie sat down with President Barack Obama at the White House. Watch the full interview.
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February 3, 2009 7:44 PM
January 7, 2009 5:53 PM
Making Brad Pitt Into Benjamin: How They Did It
When filming "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" Brad Pitt and director David Fincher were already familiar with each other, having worked together making "Fight Club" and "Se7en." But there would be nothing routine about making "Benjamin Button," their most ambitious collaboration yet. CBS News producer Matt Lombardi spoke with Fincher about taking the film from first draft to the big screen.
CBS News: When did you first get this script? When the first time you hear about the project and this concept?
David Fincher: Actually I read the … first, first draft of this script, which was in '92. And I think Steven Spielberg was making it at the time with Tom Cruise. And it was mostly as like writing sample. Somebody kind of gave it to me as, "This is one of the great unmade screenplays." Either it was they were trying to get it off the ground or it was being shuttered. And then it sat on the shelf for at least 10 years, probably, well, nine years, 2001 is when I read the latest incarnation of it.
CBS News: And it sat on the shelf, why?
Fincher: I think it was too expensive. I also think that, you know, initially, the idea was to have a series of hand offs from one actor to another and probably needing as many as five or six different people just to play Benjamin.
CBS News: So the time you actually start looking at it seriously to possibly direct it, is that still the idea that we'll have a succession of actors playing this part?
Fincher: It's hard for me to remember. I think that that was … the closely held, you know, belief that that was the way that it was going to be accomplished. But when I give it to Pitt, you know … the first words out of his mouth were, you know, "If I'm gonna play this guy, I'm gonna play … the whole thing." I understood that and I actually was sort of anticipating that that's what he would say.
CBS News: So, it wasn't this, "What, are you crazy, Brad? There's no way."
CBS News: When did you first get this script? When the first time you hear about the project and this concept?
David Fincher: Actually I read the … first, first draft of this script, which was in '92. And I think Steven Spielberg was making it at the time with Tom Cruise. And it was mostly as like writing sample. Somebody kind of gave it to me as, "This is one of the great unmade screenplays." Either it was they were trying to get it off the ground or it was being shuttered. And then it sat on the shelf for at least 10 years, probably, well, nine years, 2001 is when I read the latest incarnation of it.
CBS News: And it sat on the shelf, why?
Fincher: I think it was too expensive. I also think that, you know, initially, the idea was to have a series of hand offs from one actor to another and probably needing as many as five or six different people just to play Benjamin.
CBS News: So the time you actually start looking at it seriously to possibly direct it, is that still the idea that we'll have a succession of actors playing this part?
Fincher: It's hard for me to remember. I think that that was … the closely held, you know, belief that that was the way that it was going to be accomplished. But when I give it to Pitt, you know … the first words out of his mouth were, you know, "If I'm gonna play this guy, I'm gonna play … the whole thing." I understood that and I actually was sort of anticipating that that's what he would say.
CBS News: So, it wasn't this, "What, are you crazy, Brad? There's no way."
(Paramount Pictures)
January 5, 2009 6:31 PM
Israeli Analyst: "Not Close" To Objectives
CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips interviewed Israeli military analyst Alon Ben-David at the Israel-Gaza border. Following is a partial transcript of that interview.
Alon Ben-David: We are at the beginning of the second phase of this operation where the idea is to give Hamas a sense of a genuine threat on the regime inside Gaza so we have Gaza encircled by the IDF…. I am not sure that this is a point where we want them to be. I think that Israel is trying to create a more stronger effect of deterrence on the other side so we are not quite there yet, the question I think is if we are going to go to the third phase or the second will suffice to reach those objectives.
Mark Phillips: What's the third phase?
Ben-David: The third phase naturally will be expanding the ground operation. You see the calling up of tens of thousands of reservists. Right now I think there is still genuine desire to avoid ...
Alon Ben-David: We are at the beginning of the second phase of this operation where the idea is to give Hamas a sense of a genuine threat on the regime inside Gaza so we have Gaza encircled by the IDF…. I am not sure that this is a point where we want them to be. I think that Israel is trying to create a more stronger effect of deterrence on the other side so we are not quite there yet, the question I think is if we are going to go to the third phase or the second will suffice to reach those objectives.
Mark Phillips: What's the third phase?
Ben-David: The third phase naturally will be expanding the ground operation. You see the calling up of tens of thousands of reservists. Right now I think there is still genuine desire to avoid ...
International recording artist Shakira on love, career and more.
