Sorry, fans of “The Notebook,” but things are about to get weird.
Nick Cassavetes, the director of the popular 2004 melodrama, spoke during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday about his acceptance of people having sex with their siblings. His newest project, “Yellow,” is about a pill-popping woman who had a sexual relationship with her brother.
As far as relationships like that go, Cassavetes doesn’t judge.
“I have no experience with incest,” he told TheWrap. “We started thinking about that. We had heard a few stories where brothers and sisters were completely, absolutely in love with one another. You know what? This whole movie is about judgment, and lack of it, and doing what you want.”
“Who gives a shit if people judge you?” Cassavetes continued. “I’m not saying this is an absolute but in a way, if you’re not having kids – who gives a damn? Love who you want. Isn’t that what we say? Gay marriage – love who you want?”
“If it’s your brother or sister it’s super-weird, but if you look at it, you’re not hurting anybody except every single person who freaks out because you’re in love with one another.”
A scene from Cassavetes' less-incesty film, "The Notebook." (They are not brother and sister.)
Cassavetes, the son of Gena Rowlands and director John Cassavetes, also directed the relatively wholesome films “John Q” and “My Sister’s Keeper.”
Along with accepting incest, he is also responsible for launching Justin Timberlake’s acting career by putting him in his film “Alpha Dog.”