When Chris Pine embarked on his journey with Poolman, he never expected it would receive such a polarizing reception. Pine’s directorial debut, a passion project borne out of his love for cinema, has not had the smoothest sailing.
When the film came out at Toronto and just got fucking panned… I tried to make a joyful film,
Pine confessed during an emotional segment on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. The stark contrast between his vision and the public’s reception prompted Pine to revisit his work. I watched my film. After the reviews in Toronto, I was like maybe I did make a pile of sh*t. I went back and watched it. I fucking love this film. I love this film so much.
The Toronto International Film Festival delivered some of the harshest critiques for Poolman. …got eviscerated by critics when it premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Pine’s project, featuring a star-studded cast including Danny DeVito, Annette Bening, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, aimed to capture a whimsical essence reminiscent of films like Chinatown and The Big Lebowski. But even with such influences and notable names attached, the film failed to resonate with critics.
The harsh criticism has been difficult for Pine to process. A candid moment from his interview reveals how deeply these reviews impacted him: I fully own the deep hurt of that process,
he acknowledged, sharing how he’s been discussing his feelings with his therapist. However, despite wishing he could be impervious to negative reviews, he acknowledges their impact on him.
Despite all this, Pine remains resilient. One particular quote from his podcast interview stands out: This way of thinking has made the world afraid of failure. Even from a young age we have been taught that being wrong and making mistakes are bad.
Pine loves the idea encapsulated in his favorite Latin phrase which translates to ‘Vigor grows from the wound.’ He explains,The cognitive dissonance there was quite something,… going on to reference a favorite Latin phrase that translates to ‘Vigor grows from the wound.’
In the face of adversity, Pine continues to press on, focusing on joy and play which fundamentally fuels his career as an actor and now director.I want people to walk in and feel lighter than when they walked in… It’s supposed to be like a delight, he emphasized.
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