Adam Rifkin On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Eden Gold

Don’t be so desperate to make a movie that you’ll just make any movie. Be more selective. I’ve made some movies in my past that I should have said no to, but I was so eager to get behind a camera I used to say yes to every opportunity. I’m looking at you HOMO ERECTUS!

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Adam Rifkin.

Adam Rifkin is a Writer/Director whose eclectic career ranges from family comedies to powerful indies to cult classics. Most recently Rifkin Directed LAST TRAIN TO FORTUNE from a screenplay written by his mom, Michele Rifkin, and starring the iconic Malcolm McDowell, Oscar winner, Mary Steenburgen, Multiple Tony winner, Bernadette Peters, Disney Channel superstar and recording artist Laura Marano and exciting up-and-comer, James Paxton. Prior, Rifkin Wrote and Directed THE LAST MOVIE STAR for A24, a poignant drama starring screen legend, Burt Reynolds, in his final performance. He also helmed the cult classics, DETROIT ROCK CITY, THE CHASE and THE DARK BACKWARD, lauded documentary, GIUSEPPE MAKES A MOVIE and festival darlings, LOOK and NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN EAGLE. An A-list screenwriter, Rifkin wrote UNDERDOG for Walt Disney Studios, a tent pole comedy based on the beloved 1960’s cartoon show, ZOOM, starring Tim Allen and two mega hits for DreamWorks: MOUSEHUNT and SMALL SOLDIERS.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Well, I’m from Chicago, which is a great city to grow up in. My mother was a teacher and always instilled the value of education into my sister and I, and my father was an airline pilot. My mother was a huge advocate for books and reading but I always loved movies and from as early of an age as I can remember all I ever wanted to do was watch movies, make little movies with my friends and eventually move to Hollywood when I was old enough and make movies as my grown up job. But to appease my mother, my compromise was that she’d let me watch all the movies I wanted as long as I read regularly as well, so I’d read the novelizations of the movies I loved. Movie novelizations were a booming business at the time so there were an endless number of books I had to choose from. This arrangement kept both my mother and I happy. As I grew up I came to appreciate all kinds of literature and I now consider reading to be one of my great joys, but my way into my love of reading is directly connected to my lifelong love of movies.

These two passions collided together just this year when I got to Direct LAST TRAIN TO FORTUNE, which is the film I just finished. Namely because it was not only written by my mother, but also because it’s about a teacher who’s passionate about books, reading and the value of education. Even though the character of CECIL PEACHTREE is nothing like my mom, I can hear her words coming out of his mouth, which was a real comfort while shooting the film.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

My interest (or more accurately my obsession) with movies developed at a very young age. Maybe 5 or 6. My mother allowed me to stay up late on Saturday nights to watch Svengoolie, a local Chicago horror host who would screen old monster movies. Svengoolie was really my first film school. Watching his show exposed me to all of the Universal classic monster movies, the British Hammer horror Films, the Japanese Kaiju movies, the AIP drive-in movies and so many others. As a result, my first love of film was for horror movies, but that eventually evolved into a love of all kinds of cinema. Once I got the bug I had tunnel vision. All I wanted to do was watch movies and make little movies with my friends using my dad’s Super-8 camera. I didn’t understand at that nascent age what a director was, what a producer was or that movies were even written by writers, I just knew I loved them and making movies was what I wanted to do when I grew up. Incidentally, all of the movies I made as a child were recently digitized in 4K and have been released on Blu-ray from boutique distributor partners, Dekanalog and Vinegar Syndrome. The collection is called, THE ADAM RIFKIN FILM FESTIVAL. Check it out if you want to see a window into my misspent youth.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

That’s a very difficult question to answer because living in Hollywood and making movies professionally my entire adult life has been replete with interesting experiences and events. Each and every movie making endeavor is a completely new adventure, with all new people and all new locations, so new and interesting stuff happens all the time. That said, I suppose having my first meeting with Steven Spielberg is pretty high up on my list. I had written a script called MOUSEHUNT and Spielberg bought it in a bidding war and wanted to meet with me the next day. I’d been such a fan of his my whole life that sitting with him as a colleague was pretty special. He green lit the movie in that very meeting and MOUSEHUNT went on to be Dreamworks’ first big hit. So yeah, that was all pretty interesting.

It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Every movie I’ve made is loaded with the mistakes I hope to never repeat. Each time I gear up for a new one I’m committed to learn from past mistakes and apply what I’ve gleaned to the current one. Unfortunately, even though I’m pretty good and keeping from making the same mistakes again, I always end up making a whole bunch of new mistakes I swear I’ll never make going forward. For me, the creative process is a constant push/pull with regard to learning from past mistakes, yet always seemingly making a whole host of new ones. And yes, I agree that mistakes are indeed our greatest teachers.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’ve just completed Directing a very exciting project! It’s a Western called LAST TRAIN TO FORTUNE, which, as I had mentioned earlier, was written by my mother. LAST TRAIN TO FORTUNE follows the loquacious CECIL PEACHTREE, an educated, English schoolteacher who’s only lived his life’s experiences through the books he so loves, and DOOLEY, an illiterate outlaw who’s lived a life of true adventure. CECIL is traveling across the Old West to the tiny, frontier town of Fortune where he’ll begin a new job as headmaster of the local schoolhouse. But when he misses the last train, CECIL convinces DOOLEY to escort him to Fortune in exchange for CECIL’S entire teacher’s stipend, which is awaiting him upon his arrival. What unfolds is an arduous yet heartfelt journey, where along the way our mismatched travelers form an uncommon bond. At a time when books are being banned across the country and education itself is under attack, LAST TRAIN TO FORTUNE is an allegory about how knowledge sets us free, a theme that couldn’t be more relevant than it is right now.

As a rising star, you’ve likely faced challenges along the way. How do you stay motivated and overcome obstacles in your career?

At 57 years old, and after having been at it professionally for 37 years, the fact that you still refer to me as a “rising star” is hard for me to quantify. That said, thank you for the kind words. And yes, pursuing a career in film, or in the arts in general, is wrought with an endless array of obstacles and challenges. The way I stay motivated is simple…I love it. I always have, I still do and I have no reason to doubt that I always will. Making movies is my childhood dream come true so getting to actually do it as my profession is an endless thrill that I am eternally grateful for. Even when everything is going wrong on a movie, it’s still way more fun than not having a movie to make. And sometimes, those obstacles, those challenges, actually force you to rethink how you’re approaching a scene or even a whole film, and as a result, something way better emerges. Rolling with the punches and learning to turn those challenges into new and better ideas is a big part of what makes movie directing exciting.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

Diversity in the entertainment industry is crucial for many more than three reasons, but here are a few: Firstly, it reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of society, making content more relatable and engaging for a broader audience. Secondly, it fosters creativity and innovation by bringing together individuals with different backgrounds and ideas. And third, diverse representation promotes inclusivity and social cohesion, challenging stereotypes and fostering empathy and understanding among viewers. So generally speaking, embracing diversity enriches storytelling and ensures that a wide range of voices are heard and represented in the entertainment landscape.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?

1 . Take each movie a day at a time, a scene at a time, a shot at a time. You don’t need to feel like you’re making the whole movie every day. Pacing yourself throughout the process is key. I’ve learned this the hard way by getting too exhausted too early on during some of my early shoots.

2 . Don’t be so desperate to make a movie that you’ll just make any movie. Be more selective. I’ve made some movies in my past that I should have said no to, but I was so eager to get behind a camera I used to say yes to every opportunity. I’m looking at you HOMO ERECTUS!

3 . Never take rejection personally. Anyone pursuing a career in film, or the arts in general, will undoubtably be faced with lots of rejection. Don’t let it bother you. If a boxer took it personally every time he got punched in the face he’d be a really shitty boxer. Rejection is part of the job. Don’t let it blip on your radar.

4 . There’s no such thing as failure. You can’t fail in your pursuit of making movies (or art in general). You can certainly quit, but you can’t fail because there is no end to the amount of opportunities you can continue to create for yourself. Research Milton Hershey and see how many times he failed at caramels and other candies before hitting it big with chocolate.

5 . Buy Apple stock.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

It’s really important to love what you do. If you’re pursuing film for the red carpets and the accolades you’re going to burn out or become disenchanted very quickly. People often think making movies is always glamorous and exciting, but the truth is, you spend way more time freezing your ass off on a street corner at 6am waiting for the trucks to show up than you do collecting awards. Do it because you love the process and you’ll never burn out.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Flattery will get you everywhere! A movement I’d be excited to inspire happens to directly correspond with my new Western, LAST TRAIN TO FORTUNE. The primary theme of the movie involves the idea that education sets you free. Because CECIL PEACHTREE is a schoolteacher and is passionate about books and reading, he tries to inspire DOOLEY to understand that education is the perfect tool to open up new opportunities for DOOLEY, who is currently on a path of self-destruction. DOOLEY couldn’t be less interested and thus, their opposing viewpoints on the topic not only create tension between the two men, but their relationship is a microcosm for the larger debate involving the importance of education versus the current anti-intellectualism sentiment that’s sweeping the nation. BUT, we’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of the books (see below) CECIL mentions throughout the film to be handed out to audiences and we’re hoping the movie piques the curiosity of viewers of all ages to turn off their phones and give some of these classics a read. So, if LAST TRAIN TO FORTUNE could inspire people to read more, that’s a movement we can all be proud to be a part of.

LAST TRAIN TO FORTUNE Book List

• Walden by Henry David Thoreau
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
• The Odyssey by Homer
• The Complete Poems of John Keats
• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Pippa Passes by Robert Browning
• 3 Books by Charles Dickens
• Oliver Twist
• Great Expectations
• David Copperfield
• 3 Books by the Brontë Sisters:
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
• Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
• 3 Plays by William Shakespeare:
• The Tragedy of Macbeth
• Romeo & Juliet
• Hamlet

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Firstly it would be my mother, who believed in me from the very beginning. When I was making my first Super-8 films in the back yard, she not only believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my passion, but her dogged belief that anything is possible instilled in the me the confidence I needed going forward when pursuing my career professionally. Secondly, it’s my producing partner, Brad Wyman. Brad was the first person to believe in me professionally. When I was 19 and blindly submitting my first screenplay (THE DARK BACKWARD) around Hollywood, Brad reached out and offered to help me get it made. We’ve ultimately made many movies together since and his continued support of me and my work never goes unappreciated.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“You know why horses wear blinders? Because the horse that looks around to see how the other horses are doing always loses the race.” This life lesson is particularly relevant in Hollywood, where everyone is endlessly concerned about how well everyone else’s career is going in comparison to their own. Just forget about everyone else and put on those blinders and run your own race.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I would love to have breakfast or lunch with Malala Yousafzai because of the significant contributions she’s made to education, especially for girls, through her advocacy and activism. Her determination and unwavering commitment to education has made her a powerful symbol for the fight for educational equality and has helped to advance the cause of education for millions of girls around the world. I’d love for her to see LAST TRAIN TO FORTUNE and then pick her brain about how we can use the message and themes from the film to help advance her already powerful work.

How can our readers follow you online?

IG: @adam_rifkin

X: @adamrifkin

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Thank YOU!

About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.

Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold