Edmonton Journal

Stoic role hit close to home

- Bob Thompson

Thomas Haden Church had a stepfather who fought in the Second World War. So when Church was offered the role of the war veteran father whose son is killed in action, he thought he could handle the performanc­e through referencin­g.

“My dad was a combat vet but would not discuss any of it,” said Church of his role model in the movie Max. “He was a hard-ass but stoic.”

That sums up Church’s Ray Wincott in the family adventure about Max, a Belgian Malinois military dog returned to the U.S. after the death of its marine handler Kyle Wincott (Robbie Amell), Ray’s son.

When the Wincott family adopts the dog, they all try to overcome grief, including mother Pamela (Lauren Graham) and youngest son Justin (Josh Wiggins).

The movie, directed by Boaz Yakin, is an adventure with some action when Max and Justin get involved with gang members but the story also examines the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Looking back I think my dad suffered from it so it was the corner post of what I would bring to Ray,” Church said.

The actor also brought a less hackneyed mentality to the dialogue when he first signed on to play the part.

“In my initial conversati­ons, I did bring up the fact that there might be a better way to get to something when it felt a little too familiar,” said the 55-year-old.

“Boaz (Yakin) was as accommodat­ing as his vision would allow. But he did agree with me on a lot of stuff, especially where the speeches could be shortened and certain moments could be more abrupt between the father and the son.”

Meanwhile, the onscreen bond between Church and Graham, playing husband and wife, was mirrored off screen, as well.

“Lauren has this doe-eyed innocence about her, and some of those moments between us had a lot to them without us saying much,” said Church.

During a separate interview, Graham returned the compliment. “He’s this incredibly talented actor but he’s good to hang out with, too.”

Not that the L.A.-based actress ever got to see him after they wrapped filming. Church continues to reside on his ranch in Bandera County, Texas, and has for more than a decade.

That was after he broke out in the 1990s as the dim-witted aircraft mechanic on the sitcom Wings and one half of Ned and Stacey on the series. He establishe­d his credibilit­y with an Oscar nod for his 2004 Sideways role and two years later he won an Emmy for his part in Broken Trail.

His role of Sandman in the 2007 superhero film Spider-Man 3 arrived just as he was making the transition to Texas.

“Now, I am a mid-continent commuter,” he said. But roles always seem to find him, including the one in Max, which, ironically, was a Texas-based story shot in North Carolina.

Indeed, Church goes where an acting gig takes him yet he always relishes his return home. “I have two growing daughters and I like staying at home,” he said. “It’s something I want to be a part of.”

Later in the summer, he might be missing them. He will be heading to New York to start shooting HBO’s new comedy series Divorce, starring Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker.

“I play her husband so you’ve probably figured out where that marriage is headed,” Church said.

 ?? Warner Bros. Pictures ?? Thomas Haden Church, far right, plays a grief-stricken patriarch in the family adventure movie Max.
Warner Bros. Pictures Thomas Haden Church, far right, plays a grief-stricken patriarch in the family adventure movie Max.

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