Cameron Diaz and James Marsden in “The Box”
The Box is based on a short story called Button, Button and was a Twilight Zone episode. It is about a couple (James Marsden and Cameron Diaz) who are given a box that if you press the button inside it you will get a million dollars. The only thing is that someone you don’t know will die.
In the article the three stars were asked if they would press the button:
Frank Langella: “I wouldn’t push it for a very good reason. Because I’ve lived 40 years longer than the people who are being asked to push it, and I know what consequence means. People that age don’t always. That is one of the great lessons of the film.”
Cameron Diaz: “I know I wouldn’t do that. But how often do we push a button every day? It’s meant to be a metaphor. We do it all day long and we’re not even aware of it. There is a cause and an effect. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Honking your horn. Showing up late. The ultimate big red button is, are you aware of your actions?”
James Marsden: “No, but that’s me. We were sitting and talking in a makeup trailer, and one person said, ‘I’d probably do it.’ I said, ‘I would never do it.’ He said, ‘Yeah, but you’re you.’ A successful actor making lots of money is different from working at Boston Market. Now if it were $5 million, I might balk for a second. But I would like to think otherwise.”
February 27th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Well, that’s a stupid question. What else are they going to say?Plus, a million dollars isn’t the same to them as it is to the average person.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
So how did they stretch this out to a full movie? Seems a little thin?
February 28th, 2008 at 6:51 am
The fact is it is only the thought of having the power. Some one you dont know dies every minute, you pushing a button for money doesnt mean you made them die.