About.com - INTERVIEW WITH JENA MALONE ('Mary'):
How’d you get interested in the script and at what point did you attach yourself to this project?
One of the first people was Macaulay [Culkin]. He was one of the first cast since he was good friends with [producer] Sandy Stern and they always wanted to work together. I was like one of the first people on board. Basically, I got the script in a very conventional way. My agent sent it to me. I was 16 when I read it. I just remember one of the first things that popped into my head when I read it was just, “Finally.” As a 19 year-old and an audience member, I have never seen these issues addressed in a film about young people. Young people really questioning their spiritual beliefs and making sure that they’re working for them and not against them. It’s so funny and the fact that you can use humor to ask important questions - I’d never really done like a sort of full out comedy. I just thought it was so smart and subversive and really beautiful. I fell in love with the script as soon as I read it.
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