Jessica Chastain’s new film Miss Sloane, about a Washington lobbyist stuck in that infernal feminist trap of being a badass boss while also being a woman, opens today. And while the film has taken on new resonance given recent events, it’s not the only film in her oeuvre that Chastain has passionate feelings about. In a wide-ranging and surprisingly intimate conversation with the Huffington Post, the actress revealed much about her activist leanings, her relationship to her characters, and her desire to remain earthbound even as her star rises.
But one of the most interesting bits of info brought to light in the interview is that Jessica Chastain — like many of us — finds her film The Tree of Life hard to watch. For Chastain, however, it’s not the film’s overt, well, Terrence Malick–y qualities, but rather the heft of her own role therein. “I haven’t been able to watch it since it came out because it’s so emotional for me,†Chastain says. “I was playing a character who was the embodiment of love, so every day was just filled with so much joy. I was meditating on expanding my heart space and living with an open heart. Of course it affects you and how you treat other people. I’m heartsick for it.†For us, it’s the dinosaur stuff, but we get it, Jess.