Author Jeff Hobbs Talks True Story Behind Movie

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke to writer Jeff Hobbs, who wrote the e book The Quick and Tragic Lifetime of Robert Peace, which impressed the movie Rob Peace by Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor. Hobbs mentioned visiting the set and seeing the true story come to display screen. The movie is now taking part in solely in theaters.

“Directed, tailored by, and starring Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Rob Peace follows the true story of an excellent younger man (Jay Will) torn between his father’s shadowed previous and his personal promising future. Raised by his devoted mom (Academy Award nominee Mary J. Blige, Mudbound), Rob dangers the whole lot he has labored for to free his imprisoned father (Ejiofor). Additionally starring Camila Cabello and based mostly on the New York Occasions bestseller by Jeff Hobbs,” says the synopsis.

Tyler Treese: Your e book is the impetus for all this, however you’re additionally a personality within the film since the actual Rob Peace was your school roommate. Benjamin Papac performs you within the movie. How surreal was it seeing a model of you within the film?

Jeff Hobbs: Yeah, it was attention-grabbing to see that for the primary time. I assumed he did a very nice job.

Did you get to go on set any?

I did go to the set with Rob’s mom a few instances, two instances, truly. That was very particular, however I additionally discovered that folks engaged on film units are extremely busy and dealing extremely exhausting. In all probability Chiwetel greater than anyone, and I discovered that while you’re on a film set, and also you’re not working that onerous, and also you’re not busy, I felt very a lot in the way in which. So, I didn’t attempt to dangle round too lengthy.

I spoke with Jay Will, who portrays Rob Peace within the movie, and he informed me this excellent story about how he received the blessing of Rob’s mom to play her son. What stood out about seeing his efficiency? I felt he did such a beautiful job of actually placing coronary heart into it and doing the story justice.

Yeah, I’m so glad you introduced that efficiency up. I’m so glad you used the phrase coronary heart as a result of I believe that really is the middle of the efficiency of the film and of the e book I wrote and Rob Peace himself. I believe all people who knew Rob simply talks about his coronary heart. I believe when Jay Will was first solid, possibly even earlier than he was formally solid, I do know that the very first thing he did was go to the Peace house in New Jersey and spend time along with his mom. I believe that meant loads to all people.

I believe what was actually highly effective for me watching him on display screen was the way in which he inhabited the complexity and among the burdens that Rob carried, however he actually understood and received the enjoyment of Rob and the exuberance and the way in which that Rob introduced folks collectively from all completely different areas. I don’t know the way he did that, however he did it.

I believe with each your e book and this movie, one factor they actually encapsulate properly is that Rob comes throughout as a completely fashioned particular person, and also you see all of the complexity inside him. I do know when your e book was launched, I noticed some reactions the place they boiled it right down to a double life, which is a catchy technique to simplify it, however that’s not likely the way it was. In your e book, you actually see the complete image and that he nonetheless was the identical particular person the whole time. I might like to get your ideas on that.

I’m so glad for the whole lot you simply stated. I believe you encapsulated numerous the purpose of this story with the whole lot you simply stated, and it’s the message I attempt to deliver when I’ve the privilege of visiting possibly a university campus or a highschool classroom simply to speak about to younger folks about writing and Rob Peace particularly. It’s this impulse we’ve to place folks and put tales in bins, proper? Precisely as you stated, Rob, all through his complete life, he was stated to be two folks. His mom’s son and his father’s son, the science nerd and the marijuana seller. However I lived with him in a really small dorm room for 4 years, and he had a large, large orbit of people that liked him, and all people knew he was one one that type of moved fluidly between areas, typically not fluidly. I believe the acknowledgement that you simply your self simply made so elegantly, I hope, is the takeaway for lots of people. I hope that takeaway simply helps folks pay extra consideration to one another, presume rather less, pay attention a bit of extra, and simply deal with one another a bit of higher.

Chiwetel actually does his story justice by his course and his performing as properly. May you simply communicate to getting him on the venture and to have your work tailored by an award-winning actor and director? I really feel that must be a privilege.

It actually was, and I’m so grateful to Chiwetel. I’ve to confess, I felt like he related with the e book, and he personally took it on, the writing and the directing and, and all of the behind the scenes issues that go into telling the story. I actually was very passive all through. Chiwetel nearly single-handedly introduced this to the display screen with numerous coronary heart. I’m so grateful, I’ll simply say that.

Proper after I met Chiwetel for the primary time, and he spoke very superbly about what the story meant to him. I received the chance to see The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which had simply been launched. I exited that theater nearly convulsively sobbing, attempting to make my method via a foyer. I couldn’t keep in mind the place my automotive was parked. So, a person who’s able to producing that a lot emotion, I really feel like, as you stated, was the right particular person to deliver Rob to the display screen.

Due to Jeff Hobbs for speaking about Rob Peace.