I have made a film about jazz that tries to look through jazz to see what it tells us about who we are as a people. I think that jazz is a spectacularly accurate model of democracy and a kind of look into our redemptive future possibilities.

I love Charlie Billy Burke's character. Writing for him is so spectacular he's so funny and wry and every scene he's in he just takes. There's a scene in 'Eclipse' where Bella tells him she's a virgin and it's the funniest most awkward scene I've ever seen on film.

The nice thing about the Bible is it doesn't give you too many facts. Two an a half lines and it tells you the whole story and that leaves you a great deal of freedom to elaborate on how it might have happened.

If somebody has a chance to put my food in their mouth that tells the story.

Food tells you everything about the way people live and who they are.

If somebody tells me I'm famous I say 'I'm not.' I can't see myself as famous and I don't think I'll ever call myself famous. I definitely don't feel famous.

If you live in a good neighborhood you drive home and there's a bank. There's grocery stores and big houses - but no motels. What that tells you psychologically is you protect your money and buy good things for your family to eat in your nice big house.

I have often noticed that ancestors never boast of the descendants who boast of ancestors. I would rather start a family than finish one. Blood will tell but often it tells too much.

Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.

Faith certainly tells us what the senses do not but not the contrary of what they see it is above not against them.