It takes the wool from your eyes about how the world works, to show you that nothing's necessarily fair, and that you might have a hard life.

There's nothing better than finishing something and looking at it. Whether it be a script or a movie, it's this complete little thing that now exists and is hopefully immortal.

It's an important part of being a member of society to know what's happening in the world and to know where you fall in it and what you can do about it.

When you know you have a certain amount of work to finish, you just don't allow yourself to get sick again.

I've been wanting to make a movie about the war in Sierra Leone, specifically, for more than 15 years.

Collaboration sometimes causes conflict, and sometimes it's easy, but the bringing together of great minds only adds.

If you really want to tell someone you love them, you don't just go and blurt it out. There's a dance. And your movie does that.

I do want to direct a movie from horseback one day.

You only have so much time in life so everything you do needs to mean something to you.

You're always against the clock. But really just fighting for quality.

The apartments are made for eels.

I think writing is really about a journey of understanding. So you take something that seems very far away, and the more you write about it, the more you travel into it, and you see it from within.

Because God created the Natural - invented it out of His love and artistry - it demands our reverence.

However, I began to submit poems to British magazines, and some were accepted. It was a great moment to see my first poems published. It felt like entering a tradition.

There's not much out there that people are fighting for that leaves them with nothing but honor.

Here's a little bit of good news. The Coast Guard says that BP is now catching up to 630,000 gallons of oil a day. The bad news is that they're capturing it with ducks.

There are times for making war and times for making peace.

Everyone's sort of the same height when you're looking from bird's eye view.

You cannot truly say you live well unless you eat well.

Be your strong and simple words Keen to wound as sharpened swords, And wide as targes let them be, With their shade to cover ye.

I want to be the best daughter, sister, friend and wife I can possibly be - because when I die, I am not going to be buried with my Oscar.