Cholodenko wrote the original treatment for Laurel Canyon in the spring of 1998, shortly after High Art was unveiled at Sundance. Having initially been in development at October Films when Bingham Ray was still in charge and before it became USA Films, the project was only able to move toward production once USA Films placed it in turnaround and it found its way to Frances McDormand.

“My understanding,” says Cholodenko’s producing partner Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, “is that, when Frances read it, she knew she had to play the part. In fact, it was her enthusiasm for the role that inspired us to push for production in the fall of 2001, when previous to that we had planned to get the film up and running in the spring of 2002. Once we had Frances attached to the project, we worked with Deb Aquila to cast the remaining roles in the film through a relatively conventional process of developing lists and having readings for parts.”

British musician Ian (Alessandro Nivola) with Jane (Frances McDormand)

“I wanted to do this film for a few simple reasons,” explains McDormand. “The script was exceptional: it’s about a woman who lives in the here and now. This was a screenplay that didn’t have a bad line in it. It wasn’t just a blueprint for a great role: it has a really great female character nailed down on the page. I had wanted to do a contemporary film, as the last few that I had done were period films and I liked the idea of working with a young female director. I had never really done that before and I felt, frankly, ready to do the nudity that the script called for. I’m at a certain point in my life where I feel comfortable with it. This role called for it, and I get to cavort with a much younger man in a pool! It just felt like I should do it!”

DOCTOR DOCTOR At the hospital, Sam (Bale) finds a soul-mate in Israeli resident Sara (Natasha McElhone)

The rest of the exceptionally strong cast is comprised of up and coming young actors, almost none of whom is playing his or her own nationality. Sam and Alex are played by British stars Christian Bale and Kate Beckinsale (both of whom have, however, had extensive experience in American roles), with American actor Alessandro Nivola playing British musician Ian, and British actress Natasha McElhone as the Israeli doctor, Sara.

“It all just happened,” says Levy-Hinte. “The development of the characters subsequent to casting the parts was connected to the actors’ particular strengths, and had little to do with their national origins.”

The feel and musical ambience of the film is also slightly time-warped, with constant references to early seventies music. But the setting of the movie is very much contemporary, and the songs were written specially by Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse.

The movie was shot almost entirely on location, using a house in the Santa Monica Mountains which used to belong to thirties actress Anna Sten and which was designed by renowned LA architect Richard Neutra. Other locations included that rock ‘n’ roll landmark, the Chateau Marmont, plus streets in and around Laurel Canyon, and Long Beach Community Hospital. The shoot was a tight 30 days, wrapping just after Thanksgiving.

Laurel Canyon is largely a comedy but, concludes Levy-Hinte, it “doesn’t flinch when the characters are dealing with the more tragic and painful aspects of their lives.

“I think the film works to expose the fragility of our accepted worlds, and the tenuous nature of our ability to maintain control over our behaviour. It’s a fine and blurry line between sanity and insanity, happiness and sadness, love and hate…”