Diane Lane has starred in dozens of memorable films, starting with her first first feature, 1979’s “A Little Romance.” She has portrayed a self-reliant teen in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Rumble Fish,” a frustrated young housewife in “A Walk on the Moon,” and an emotionally conflicted woman cheating on her husband in the marital tragedy “Unfaithful,” to name a few. She scored an Oscar nomination for her performance in the latter.
More recently, Lane has appeared in television shows such as “House of Cards” and “The Romanoffs.”
Her latest film, “Let Him Go,” is based on a novel by Larry Watson. Co-starring Kevin Costner and Lesley Manville, it sees married horse ranchers in 1960s Montana embarking on a dangerous journey to North Dakota to save their young grandchild and daughter-in-law from a destructive family.
We spoke to Lane about her role in “Let Him Go,” working with Costner and Manville, and her next project, FX’s “Y: The Last Man.”
“Let Him Go” opens in theaters today, November 6.
This interview has been edited.
W&H: What’s it like being a woman in Hollywood today?
DL: It’s very exciting. We have a lot more voices in the room, a lot more diverse representation of everyone. We need the diversity of writers, producers, narratives, perspectives. And it’s happening. We’re not in the 1950s anymore.
W&H: What does the title of “Let Him Go” mean to you?
DL: Good question. It grabbed my attention — before I read the screenplay, I was rendered curious by the title. Having seen the film, I counted five characters in the story [who] certainly qualified to have this sentence spoken to them. It’s the running theme behind their energy or part of what is going on for them in the story. So, there are many triangulations around the title. And I love the fact that nobody says it. People are living it.
W&H: Can you please talk briefly about the production process? You were working on a tight schedule and a limited budget.
DL: We were in Calgary, straight north of the area it was taking place. It was a road trip within a road trip. The scenery was very, very beautiful, very Andrew Wyeth. Our director of photography, Guy Godfree, did a great job, as did our director, Thomas Bezucha — pronounced like the gum.
Lane and Kevin Costner in “Let Him Go”: Focus Features
W&H: Your character, Margaret Blackledge, is a powerful woman who’s grieving her son and determined to do right by his memory. What was it like playing her?
DL: It was very grounding. It was very centering. It was a different time, 1962. It takes a while for decades to mean anything in specific zip codes. Women had to be stronger. Strength had to manifest in different formations because others dictated your life. It was a very different time for women. She’s a mother, a homemaker, a wife, and a newly minted grandmother. And Kevin [Costner] is a freshly minted grandfather. It’s this precious moment when we meet these people. Their cup is overflowing with new life in the house. To have that bubble burst is a very tall height to fall from.
W&H: How were you able to put yourself in Margaret’s shoes?
DL: The finiteness of life, and you have just the one. All your eggs in one basket, so you know what we are talking about here. I’m an only child; my daughter is an only child genetically speaking. There’s something very mammalian that happens and goes beyond the reach of the frontal lobe. It’s primal. We have three different mothers in this story. At one point, I suggested that they release this film on Mother’s Day. Everyone can relate — was your mother a little challenging? The joke I make with my daughter, who is a young adult, is, “if you decide to have kids, you can make a therapist rich by being someone’s mother.”
W&H: You and Kevin Costner are genuinely compatible in this film and so believable as a longtime married couple. Please talk about how your relationship evolves in the film.
DL: I think George [Costner’s character] is trying, and he says he is, to allow his wife Margaret to heal and process her grief, whatever that looks like. He’s just trying to do right by his wife, who I imagine he’s a little bit worried about because the way she manifests her grief is with a particular desire for control or outcomes. It’s not unhealthy, but it’s on the verge of it. He’s very patient and loving as a husband. Sometimes, taking care of others is a great way to deal with your grief.
W&H: Your character is so different from Lesley Manville’s character. The two women have a tumultuous relationship to start. What was it like to work with this formidable actress?
DL: I am so grateful to have gotten to work with her. I am such a fan of hers. She makes things happen on the screen. You move into her and forget that you are watching an actor, which is supposed to happen. You are supposed to go into a character, a story, a life. For me, there is something quintessential that she personifies. She has that power. I don’t know if it’s a gift or a skill or both or genetic; it’s not for me to decipher. I love it.
W&H: You’ve made so many memorable films that are perfect for pandemic watching right now. Are you working on anything right now?
DL: Yes, I’m in production. It’s incredible to be forging ahead. The will to live is strong. I came to Canada as an essential worker in the entertainment industry. I never needed a visa to go to Canada in my life. It’s a series for FX called “Y: The Last Man.” It’s based on a graphic novel of the same name, and it’s science fiction. It has a pandemic in the storyline. It’s a lot of fiction and a lot more science.
