article by: Ryan Parry
Jennifer's career-defining performance in Daniel Barnz drama film Cake has earned the actress a flurry of plaudits and award nominations. Aniston gives a gritty portrayal of suicidal mom Claire who is addicted to prescription drugs while struggling to live with debilitating injuries she endured in a car crash that killed her child. When Jennifer was missed from the Oscars shortlist, many critics said, "it was a miss and should've been included". Few watching the heart-wrenching Hollywood film will be aware that the screen drama is in fact inspired by a tragic and brutal real-life story. The film tells the story of what the film's screenwriter, Patrick Tobin, penned as the powerful movie following a devastating family tragedy who saw four of his brother's family members slaughtered. In an exclusive interview Tobin opened up about the life-changing event revealing how it inspired the story behind Cake explaining how his brother Tim gave him his blessing to speak about it for the first time.
"My brother gave me permission to speak about it," said Tobin, "and I think it honors his wife and daughter to talk about how they inspired this movie because they definitely did," he added.
(1998) Tim, Deb & 9-month old Alyssa Tobin |
Deb & Alyssa Tobin |
Alyssa Tobin |
After the slaughter Patrick's brother Tim felt he truly had nothing else to live for and he sank into a deep, suicidal depression. Realizing his brother was in pain, Patrick packed up his life in Los Angeles and moved back to Montana to be with his sibling and steer him as far away from suicide as possible.
Left to Right: Daniel Barnz, Sam Worthington, Adriana Barraza, Jennifer, Anna Kendrick, and Patrick Tobin |
Patrick also explains the lack of tracking what medications each person is taking, "I could go a see a doctor tomorrow and tell the doctor 'I'm experiencing extreme pain' and I can guarantee you I would get 30 Vicodin pills easily. If I couldn't then I'd go somewhere else instead because there's no system of tracking what I'm taking or who gave it to me. That's what Jen's character, Claire, does by going to Tijuana, and the worst part is that really happens."
Aniston says, "This is one character that I didn't want to give up. After I got done playing the part and the camera's quit rolling I didn't want to stop playing the part because I felt like I wanted to learn more about the story. That's what I love is that Patrick's script left me wanting more. Now that I've played a character with chronic pain people have been opening up to me about their personal stories and I think that the trick to living with chronic pain is 'coming to terms with it and finding peace with it, and learning to deal with it in a healthy manor rather than pill popping, in spite of it.' I know people with addictions and have worked with people with addictions. For that reason, this was a very challenging role for me to play."
Patrick Tobin at a "Cake" premiere |
Aniston ends the interview with, "What I've learned as the message of this film is: 'As bad as life gets, there is ALWAYS, always H-O-P-E."
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