John Cusack saves the world

MOVIES | Filming '2012' was tense, emotional, he says

He doesn’t have to say anything about world peace.  

Chicago native John Cusack will take a moment and find the deeper meaning to his new disaster film “2012.”

“It taps into the paranoia many people have about the world,” he says. “Everyone knows the problems with global warming and the other issues.

“The movie gives us people’s fears and then a release,” he explains. “There is no more division. The United States, Russia and China are on the same page. This film isn’t political, but you still hope there is this kind of harmony someday.”

The Roland Emmerich-directed film “2012” doesn’t exactly subscribe to the idea of “it’s never too late.” It delves into the Mayans and their idea that on Dec. 21, 2012, the world will just fade to black and cease to exist.

“Hopefully, the world won’t end, but there will just be a shift in consciousness,” says Cusack, who plays a writer and divorced father in the film. His character, Jackson Curtis, is a man who taps into his knowledge of ancient prophecies to help make sure that the human race isn’t completely wiped out after a series of global disasters, including tidal waves, volcanic eruptions and glaciers. He also must deal with the relationship with his ex-wife (Amanda Peet) during this trying time.

Cusack appreciated the human drama between the explosions and catastrophes.

“The film really explores how people can rise above their normal capabilities and normal morals in the most impossible situations,” he says. “By the end of the script, I found this project to not only be quite intense, but it was very emotional.”

Cusack signed on to work with Emmerich (“Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow”), who is a master of this genre.

“I knew what could be a crushing technical process for any other director would be second hand to Roland. I also knew that Roland would focus on the characters and not just the action.”

His character still had to dig in and run for his life. Cusack mentions that he worked for the role. “It was a lot of running and jumping. You had to stay stretched out.

“It was an amazing production in that we were on regular sets or standing on top of a mountain,” he says. “But there were blue screens so the backgrounds could later be digitally enhanced.”

Cusack still sounds like a kid talking about the thrills of being in the movie business and not an industry veteran who has been here, shot that and gone to the top of the box office for his efforts.

“I love the movie business,” he says. “It’s still all about the acting for me. I love when I read the one great script out of a pile. I love when it’s a page turner. It’s great to be sitting at home and get a call from a director you really admire,” he says.

“It’s still nice to be wanted.”

His next role is in 2010’s “Shanghai,” a 1940s period piece about an American expat who travels to Shanghai in the months before Pearl Harbor.

He will also star in a blast-from-the-past film called “Hot Tub Time Machine” directed by Steve Pink.

“It’s set in the past and about four losers who go back in time after a night of drinking and are stuck in the ’80s,” he says.

Speaking of which, his “Say Anything” is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

“Isn’t that amazing?” he says. “That movie has a life of its own. I think it’s so embraced because it’s timeless in its ideas about being there for someone.”

This brings him back to the theme of his new movie.

“It made me think that if you just have this finite time left on earth then what would you do with it? Who would you reconcile with and what relationships would you fix before it’s too late?” he asks.

“Who would I want to be right with if I only had 10 more hours?”

Big Picture News Inc.