The Criterion Collection is renowned for its high-quality restorations of classic and influential films globally. In a recent discussion, actor Ethan Hawke and his daughter Maya Hawke, who has established herself as an actress and musician, visited the Criterion closet that Ethan referred to as ‘the closet of love’ and shared their favorite Criterion films.
Ethane Hawke, an actor, author, and film director, has made a significant contribution to the cinematic industry through his artistry. Meanwhile, his daughter Maya Hawke, who rose to prominence with her role in “Stranger Things,” is following in his footsteps. Both father-daughter duo are cineastes, and during their discussion, they dove into various Criterion titles and gave their unique insight on the collection.
“War and Peace” became the conversation starter, as Ethan picked up the epic film and told her daughter, “I have been wanting to show you this my whole life. In fact, I’ve brought this on 19 vacations, and you guys never wanted to watch it. It’s so good, I’ll watch this.“
Continuing to shuffle the collection, the actor remarked, “You could get confused here at Criterion cause the posters are so cool.“
Further, the conversation touched on Great Gerwig’s performance in “Frances Ha.” Ethan claimed that it was his ‘favorite Greta Gerwig performance.’ While discussing romantic comedies, Maya noted that he watched one of Ethan’s romantic comedies on a long flight and found it surprisingly engaging. Though Maya didn’t specifically name the movie, it was certainly the 2015 romantic comedy “Maggie’s Plan,” in which Ethan starred opposite Gerwig.
While surfing the movies, Maya mistook “Stranger Than Paradise” for “Children of Paradise.” That’s when Ethan said that he highly recommends the classic French film “Children of Paradise.” He suggested watching it on a calm Sunday morning with a cup of coffee, emphasizing the film’s impact on him and his desire to share it with others.
Another film picked by Maya was “3 Women.” She claimed that it was a ‘confounding movie.’ Maya said, “I love it. It is so profoundly strange.” While agreeing with her daughter, Ethan said, “Well, anything with Sissy Safek is a winner.“
Another film that made its way to their collection was “Pina,” a documentary on German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch.
Moving on, Ethan shared, “One of the high points of my life was when we showed Wildcat at, uh, Telluride, and I actually met Wim Wenders.”
Ethane further added that his encounter with Wenders made him feel “something must be going All right.“
Ethan and Maya also discussed the film “Angel at My Table,” a biographical drama by Jane Campion, highlighting its subtle yet profound storytelling. In fact, Maya also claimed that the movie changed her brain.
Another movie that caught their attention was “Tess.” It was shot entirely during the golden hour and “Days of Heaven,” which Ethan suggested that he and his daughter should watch together.
While praising Peter Weir, who directed Ethan’s film “Dead Poets Society,” Ethan said that his every directorial feature is worth revisiting. But the one Weir movie that tops Ethan’s list is “Picnic at Hanging Rock.” The actor said, “This movie is one of those weird movies where you watch it, and you are like, oh, people have been ripping this movie off for the generation.“
The last film that the father and daughter decided to pick was Noah Baumbach’s directed film “Kicking and Screaming.”
Throughout the discussion, Maya and Ethan gave their precious insight into the classics they came across in the Criterion Collection. Whether you’re a seasoned cinephile or just starting to explore the Criterion Collection, their recommendations provide a diverse range of films to discover and enjoy.
