Six Questions With Ed Burns

February 14, 2012 at 7:35 am , by Allison Winn Scotch

Happy Valentine’s Day, guys!

Or, in my house, happy Tuesday!

No, seriously, today may be a Hallmark holiday, but it’s also a great excuse to reach out and tell those you love just how much you love them. Or just spend quality time together, which in today’s world, is something that we all fall short on. It’s also the perfect night to stay in, snuggle on the couch and watch Ed Burns‘s newest film, NEWLYWEDS. Seriously. I’m not just saying that because he happens to be here today! It’s a great movie (available On Demand and on iTunes) that explores the complexity that love, marriage and family can bring, and if you’re reading this blog, I know that you understand all of those very complexities. What do you do when your extended family impacts your nuclear family? How do you manage people and expectations and love? Issues that we’ve definitely delved into here.

When Ed’s not busy encouraging independent film-making and acting in other movies and TV shows (upcoming on his slate include the big-screen version of James Patterson’s ALEX CROSS), he’s equally busy as a dad to his two elementary-school-aged kids. So, just like the rest of us, he tweaks his schedule, juggles his time and figures out a way to make it work.

Also, as you’ll see from his answers, Ed is really great at engaging with his fans and followers on Twitter, so be sure to click over and follow him. But only after you’ve downloaded the movie. And after, as Ed does in his household, you’ve spent a little quality time reading with the kids. I love his nightly ritual, and we share the same ritual in our own house. Raising readers is a bit of a lost art these days, and I’m a big fan of anyone who still cares about books. (As I personally know that Ed does. Hurrah!)

(FYI, I’ve also featured Ed’s wife, Christy Turlington, on the blog. Click here if you missed it.)

1) This is a column about balance in parenting. I’ve learned balance by saying no (to outside distractions), saying yes (to my kids when I can and when reasonable!), and trying not to be perfect. You’re a busy working dad: how have you found balance between your home and work life?
For me, as a parent, one of the most important pieces in balancing work and home life is simply to not take work home. I really make a point of being available and active with my family as soon as I walk through the door. I think it’s healthy to put the phone away and spend real quality time without the interruption of email, texts and phone calls.

2)What’s the most important thing that your own parents taught you?
Find something that you love to do and figure out a way to get paid doing it and you’ll never work a day in your life.

3) What’s the most important thing that your kids have taught you?
To be in the moment.

4)Your newest movie is about the intricacies of marriage and family. Where did you find your inspiration for the concept?
I never pull from my personal life or own experiences but draw instead from the world around me. So the characters in NEWLYWEDS were drawn less from my life and more from observation. Twitter played a large role in the development process of the film. I would often tweet questions to my followers and a lot of their responses were helpful in shaping parts of the story.

5) Did you learn anything about marriage and family through the process of making it? Is there a universal message that you’re hearing from fans about having a lasting and happy marriage?
Again, through twitter and by asking questions about issues that rise in marriage and relationships, I learned that it’s very common for couples to find difficulty with their relatives and in-laws. I was surprised with how prevalent a challenge navigating extended family can be… Communication is certainly a key component in any relationship. It’s also important to not let things fester. A lot of what I learned through this process can really be credited to my twitter followers and their openness in sharing their stories.

6) Your wife is also a busy working parent. Do you have any rituals or activities that you do with the kids solo – daddy and me-time?
One ritual is reading to the kids at night – every night. It’s something that we as parents look forward to as much as our kids. While we both tend to travel often, we work out our schedules (sometimes down to the hour) so that one of us is always home for reading and bedtime.

1 Comment so far

1. by Erika Robuck

   On February 14, 2012 at 9:06 pm

   “Find something that you love to do and figure out a way to get paid doing it and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

   This is the best advice you can ever give your children, and you show it to them every day by making movies your way. You are an inspiration to many writers and filmmakers, and you will be to your kids once they are old enough to understand.

   Coming from a large Irish Catholic family, I’ve been a fan of your work since the McMullen days. I look forward to watching Newlyweds and the upcoming Fitzgerald Christmas movie. Best of luck to you!

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