ScreenSavers is sponsored by Lincoln LS   A L S O_.T O D A Y Blue Glow Osama bin Laden interviewed on ABC terrorism special ___________________ Delve deeper into the life and times of Sean Penn at barnesandnoble.com ___________________ Y E S T E R D A Y The greatest degeneration By Sarah Vowell Did the heroes of World War II really know what they were fighting for? (01/13/99)   R E C E N T_. M O V I E S "The Thin Red Line" Reviewed by Charles Taylor What was supposed to be Terrence Malick's long-awaited comeback is instead a clichéd, self-indulgent throwback to the '70s (01/08/99) "Affliction" Reviewed by Charles Taylor Nick Nolte sears as a cop trying desperately not to become his father in Paul Schrader's masterful new film (01/08/99) "The Hi-Lo Country" By Charles Taylor Director Stephen Frears' laconic throwback to '70s westerns (01/04/99) Met expectations By Charles Taylor The 10 best movies of 1998 (12/24/98) "Hurlyburly" Reviewed by Jonathan Lethem Director Anthony Drazan successfully brings the sexist, self-destructive camaraderie of David Rabe's play to screen (12/23/98)   BROWSE THE MOVIE ARCHIVES COLUMNS FEATURES REVIEWS INTERVIEWS

- - - - - - - - - -_[ S C R E E N__S A V E R S ] ____Sean Penn talks about the hurly-burly of Hollywood and why, despite his recent spate of great films, he wants to quit acting -- again. BY PAUL SHERMAN | Sean Penn, the 38-year-old actor, director and writer once infamous for getting into off-screen scrapes, is now content to let his rebellion come out on-screen. Despite having delivered intense, memorable performances in movies such as "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "At Close Range," Penn vowed he wouldn't act again after his first movie as writer-director, 1991's "The Indian Runner." He returned to the other side of the camera a few years later with notable roles in "Carlito's Way" and "Dead Man Walking," and now takes a decidedly personal approach to choosing projects, often seeking out kindred spirits behind the camera. His recent spate of roles reflects this approach. In the film adaptation of David Rabe's play "Hurlyburly," Penn co-stars with Kevin Spacey and wife Robin Wright Penn, reprising a role he played onstage a decade ago. He also appears in the World War II ensemble drama "The Thin Red Line," renegade director Terrence ("Badlands") Malick's first film in nearly 20 years; 1997's "She's So Lovely," directed by Nick Cassavetes from a script by his late father, John Cassavetes; and the untitled Woody Allen comedy he's just finished filming. Penn, who lives in San Francisco with his wife and their kids, Hopper and Dylan, has also recently completed Philip Haas' period piece "Up at the Villa," due out this year. But, once again, he would like to leave acting behind for writing and directing, and he is now readying his third film as writer-director. So you live in San Francisco now? Yeah. It had mostly to do with the kids. I'd always wanted to get out of [Los Angeles]. Los Angeles just ended like a ghost on every corner to me. I feel more productive up there. If I'm not off working, I'm there. How did it happen that you're involved in Woody Allen's next film? He's called me up before on things, but the timing wasn't any good. He called me up and said, "Look at this thing." I looked at it, it was a great part. And I like his movies. I really liked "Deconstructing Harry" a lot. He was in top form with that. So I wanted to have the front-row seat, and work with this wacko. I like him very much. You're the lead? Right. I play a musician. I don't know how much he wants or doesn't want people to talk about it, but I play a jazz guitarist in the '30s. It's pretty much a marriage of tragedy and comedy in this man's life. Uma Thurman is in it, and Anthony LaPaglia, an actress named Samantha Morton -- did you see "Under the Skin"? -- and Gretchen Mol. Why did you go back to acting after you'd already decided you didn't want to do it anymore? I got on a kind of spin that I didn't intend, which had to do with two movies that I had been involved with a long, long time ago. Well, one in particular -- the [John] Cassavetes movie, "She's So Lovely," that I had been involved in with John before he died. It came back around at a time when I had decided to write and direct. So I felt very attached to that. Then also I had had an agreement with Terry Malick some years before [for "The Thin Red Line"], where I'd said, "You give me a dollar and point the way." Since those bookended in summers, I couldn't direct anything in between, so I ended up doing a whole rush of movies. And then coming out of those, there've been a couple of others. "Hurlyburly" was a similar thing, the way that I'd done the play. So I'm trying to get rid of all of them. Because I do want to stop. Hopefully, that will be soon. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - N E X T+P A G E+| Acting is a bad addiction