Feel Like Booing Matthew McConaughey? He’s Totally Cool With That
It sure seems like film star Matthew McConaughey has taken the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s hit song “Shake It Off” to heart. As previously reported by Inquisitr, McConaughey’s new film The Sea of Trees was met with a chorus of boos at Cannes earlier this week, and critics also registered their discontent with the movie via social media. Much to his credit, McConaughey took the heckling in stride at a subsequent press conference, acknowledging that filmgoers are entitled to their respective opinions.
“All right, all right, all right. Anyone has as much right to boo as they do to ovate,” said McConaughey, as quoted by the Washington Post. “I get to wake up next to someone who I know loves me the way she does — my wife — who gave birth to our three beautiful, healthy children. I get to live in a nice place, and I have things to look forward to every day — work, play, and sometimes nothing at all.”
Avid fans of The Simpsons might recall hearing similar sentiments from the Schwarzenegger-inspired character Ranier Wolfcastle in a classic episode of the long-running show. When asked by animated critic Jay Sherman how he sleeps at night in light of his terrible films, Wolfcastle unabashedly replied, “On top of a pile of money with many beautiful ladies.”
Granted, McConaughey has just a bit more humility than the fictitious Wolfcastle but then again, he has enjoyed a long stretch of critically acclaimed, well-received efforts up to this point— unless, of course, one considers the star’s ads for Lincoln, which were widely lampooned by comedians including Conan O’Brien and Ellen DeGeneres.
The Sea of Trees director Gus Van Sant was also present at the above noted press conference along with McConaughey’s co-star Naomi Watts.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Van Sant also addressed criticism of the film judiciously, recognizing its poor reception.
“I read a review this morning, and it was one of those reviews. It was very definitive.” Van Sant told media. “I was imagining everyone was the same person as the one writing the review and I thought, ‘Now I know where we stand.'”
Despite the bumpy roll-out for The Sea of Trees, American audiences will eventually have the chance to decide for themselves whether to award cheers or jeers to the picture. Prior to the Cannes screening, the Hollywood Reporter and other news outlets confirmed that the film will be distributed in the U.S. by Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate. It’s entirely possible then that Matthew McConaughey might well have the last laugh if filmgoers see something in the celluloid production that somehow evaded the famously fickle Cannes crowd. But with the bad press that Sea of Trees has received thus far, McConaughey and company have a long road to redemption ahead.
[Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]
