← Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset
Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset
Behind the Scenes of Oscar-Worthy Film 'Beyond The Rush': Mena Suvari, Bill Barrett & Robert Sayegh
00:48:44
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- [00:00]
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- [00:48]
Shawn French
ABC Sundays. American Idol is all new. Give it your all. Good luck coming out of the golden ticket. Let's hear it.
- [00:55]
Mina Savari
This is a man's world.
- [00:58]
Shawn French
I've never seen anything like it. And a new chapter begins. You're going to Hollywood.
- [01:04]
Rob Sayer
Carrie Underwood joins Lionel Richie, Luke Bryant and Ryan Seacrest on American Idol News.
- [01:10]
Shawn French
Sundays, 8, 7 Central on ABC and stream on Hulu. When I say this movie needs to be seen everywhere and I mean to me it's an Oscar nod. Like I truly mean it. You guys absolutely crushed it. And I really do feel if there is anybody listening, yo, you need to get on this because the bottom line is I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it. If this movie is not seen, then the world cannot heal.
- [01:45]
Bill Barrett
This one. Luck. I let the pain inspire me. I put my all in. Everything I'm doing up until it's done, I'm me for the entirety. I'll put it in nova time. I'll be working. Just know I'm a go for mine because I earned it. They watch. Now I know it's time I confirmed it. A whole society determined. Determined.
- [02:03]
Shawn French
What's up, everybody? Welcome back to another episode of the Determined Society. I'm your host, Shawn French and today I have a special, special treat for you. I know I always say that, but wait until you hear this show and watch this show wherever you enjoy. The Determined Society. So today I have an amazing cast from an amazing film that I just saw and it's an independent film that to me needs to be distributed everywhere on big screen and has major Oscar implications. In my mind. It's incredible in these performances from the actresses to the actors and the writing and directing from from it's just a masterful piece. So today I have with me, award winning actress Nina Savari. You have definitely seen her in a lot of films. American Pie, American Beauty, yada, yada, yada. Well, she plays an amazing lead role as, as the mom Leah in, in this movie and she absolutely crushes it. And we have our man, Bill Barrett, who plays Samuel, a very complex character. Incredible. I got to tell you, dude, that that role, it was, it was very amazing to see that role on screen. And we have our writer and director, Rob. Rob. Rob. Like, dude, you like Rob Sayer, right? It's a sayer without an R. But we're here and man, I'm just so happy to be here with you guys. And I told you guys before filming that I'm in love with the movie.
- [03:37]
Rob Sayer
Thank you, Sean. Thanks. Thanks a lot for having us. It's an amazing opportunity.
- [03:42]
Shawn French
My pleasure to be able to talk.
- [03:43]
Rob Sayer
About it with you and someone who watched it and liked it and, and had some input. We appreciate that.
- [03:52]
Shawn French
Absolutely. I mean, like again, you know, from opening scene to the very last. The very last scene, my. It's the. The name is fitting beyond the Rush because my heart was continually going like this. Like it was, you know, Mina, your beginning scene. Right like that right there. I was like, oh my God. Like I knew right then. I'm like, my wife is not gonna watch this movie with me because she'll have nightmares for the rest of her life. This is going to be all on me to watch. But if from that point to, to, you know, the care. The, you know, the character you played, Leah, and, And Bill you as the, the lead male, like, I have so many questions. Right. Like, first of all, tell me kind of how you guys. What attracted to you guys to be on the Rush in the first place because it is, it is such a dynamic film.
- [04:42]
Bill Barrett
Yeah, go ahead, Mina.
- [04:44]
Mina Savari
You want me to start? Okay. I mean, I've always been really drawn to projects that involve our director also. Being the writer just feels very heartfelt. And I really loved this character because I mean, I'm always looking for a human story. I'm always looking for something that really challenges me, that I feel like I can learn from, that I can grow from and with. And I think I just at the core of it, really connected with her as I guess it's kind of twofold. You know, I've suffered from my own addictions. Overcoming those really feeling like it was a matter of just consistently trying to be better than my circumstance, a better person in any way that I could. So I connected with. I feel like that part of Leah, those intentions, but then also as a mother, you know, in connection with. With that. That, you know, to me, it's interesting how complex she was, that the. The things that she was facing, not only physically and mentally and emotionally, but it was this idea of her just consistently trying to do her best. It's. It's sort of, like, ambiguous. And that's what was interesting to me. You know, it wasn't just about her being this bad person. It was. It was interesting to me how at her core, I really felt like she was trying. And, you know, however that manifested in the many different ways that you could say she failed. It's like she still had this. This goodness to her. Like, so that's what was really interesting for me to get to try to explore and play with.
- [07:09]
Shawn French
It was amazing because up until the point where you guys are sitting in the living room, right, Sam was a young boy, and then his. His brother Peter. It was time for your character to go away for a bit, to get better. You could see the pain in Leah's eyes, and that was the goodness. Right. And it's also kind of why, if you continue to watch the movie, you're. You're almost. You know, Samuel's conscious throughout the whole movie. And that's the. Yeah, it. To me, it. It made sense.
- [07:38]
Mina Savari
I just want to say it's also. I mean, thank you so much, but it really came from also not only having Rob there at the helm of all of this and the way that he was so grounded and patient with us and gave us the freedom. I mean, at least for me, gave me the freedom to explore and find that. But our incredible cast, I became so close with and like, that moment that you're talking about, that also, it not just came from the story, but it. It came from the relationship that I was able to form with Kathy in those moments. And I think also just again, like, tapping into Mother to Mother, it allowed all of that to evolve. Like, it's such a mix of all of that collaboration together.
- [08:33]
Shawn French
Yeah, no, absolutely. And kudos to Rob because, I mean, like, what. What you did, not just writing and directing it, but putting everybody in that place to do what they do clearly showed a lot of freedom and creativity and everybody being themselves, you know, so. So, Bill, man, like, you know, talk about your character, Very complex character. Right. I felt like every five seconds, second, something was happening to Samuel. Right.
- [09:02]
Bill Barrett
I remember.
- [09:03]
Shawn French
You know.
- [09:03]
Bill Barrett
Yeah. I mean, that was something that I talked to Rob and Jace about in the beginning is there's so much what happens and it can get so heavy to really be careful to not get too, I guess, like, precious with any moment and, like, you know how to really go about the entire arc of the story. But that was. That kind of ties into what I really. What really drew me to the project is a. I really enjoy projects like this that really get to the meat of, like, the down to the bones of life. Like, it's real, it's gritty, it's raw. It's what so many people go through. Even if it's. I mean, most people can probably say they know someone or they've been affected by one of the topics in this movie and. But everybody's still going about their life, right? Everybody is doing the best they can with what they have while they're dealing with all these things. So I see this and I'm like, here's this dude that's, like, literally dealing with some of the heaviest topics in multiple at once. And it's a way to honor the. How relatable it is for normal people that it can. If we play this right, we can honor everybody's stories and what people go through, and they can relate to this character, relate to all the characters in this. And then also, you kind of. At least for me, I got perspective that everybody's going through something. So it made me, in my. You know, when I talk to people, like strangers, to have a little bit more compassion, a little bit more understanding, a little bit more patience. Because just like with Samuel, everyone's going through some dude, that's.
- [10:55]
Shawn French
That's freaking impactful. Because right from the jump of the movie, right, it's like you. There was a scene, and right at this certain scene, I'm not going to say it, because I want people to watch this and, like, be surprised of what happens in the movie, because I feel. I love the movie so much, I could talk about it and ruin it for everybody. But there. There was a moment there where someone comes up to you and like, hey, looks like you're doing great. You know, what do we really know about people's lives, right? What do we really know? So to your point, know being able to be introspective, like, wait a second. The whole world is going on right now. Like, I'm having this conversation with y'all right now, and I have certain problems in my life, but there's somebody down the road that has bigger problems. And what are they going on in their life? Maybe they're the one that cut me off in traffic. I don't know what they're in a hurry for. Maybe I should give them some grace 100%.
- [11:51]
Bill Barrett
And that's such a great example because that's even something that's happened to me since is like, you know, being cut off or just something so small is to be disrespected. But then it's just like, what you just said. Well, hold on. Like, is it really me? Like, they don't even know me. That's just their. That they're projecting out and they're just doing the best they can and trying to deal with it. It's not me. Now, it'd be one thing if, like, Rob knows me and he texts me, like, hey, you suck. Like, all right, well, maybe that's a little person.
- [12:23]
Shawn French
It's a little personal. Yeah.
- [12:25]
Bill Barrett
But to the general, like, public, it's like, yeah, man. Like grace. Yeah. I think that goes a long way, and I think that would mean a lot, too, for everybody to understand that this.
- [12:35]
Shawn French
This is. This is impactful. Because you mentioned, you know, growth, and Mina, you mentioned personal growth as well. You like to choose roles that help you grow as a person. So I kind of want to hear from each of you. Mia was, well, we'll go Rob, then Mina, and then, you know, Bill, you can elaborate on how it helped you grow in your life just playing these characters and being a part of this production.
- [12:56]
Rob Sayer
If you want me to say, well, I. I'm going to go back to what these guys said about just being there with the actors and. And my. My approach to directing this film after writing it for so many years and having the story for. I've been with this story from since 1992 was when it was, you know, so many, many, many decades with Samuel. Leah came up later in the story, actually in the short film. Anyway, so what. For me, it was like, I wanted these guys to do what they wanted to do. You know, they read the script, they. They honored me by entrusting me to come and do the movie and. And put all of their energy into it, which is an unbelievable thing for. For me to have these actors come and say they wanted to do the role. So to have them say yes was like, you know, I have chills now. Like, it's. It really meant that much. And so when I was like, my approach to directing was, hey, what do you guys want to do? You know, it's like, it's a little bit different. It wasn't really about directing. Them per se is their professional. They knew what they were doing and they had their ideas, certain words. I wanted Said at certain moments, maybe, but for the most part, I just wanted to see what. What they did. And it was. It was awesome to. To watch this movie because I was watching the movie, you know, I wrote it, but I'm literally there watching Mina become Leah and Bill become Samuel. So, like, for me, I was just like, hey, you know, you guys do whatever you want. You want another take? Take another, you know, do another take. You know, it was with, like, with everybody, and I. I was very, like. It was all about them, really, and. And entrusting them with it because they put that trust in me. So that was kind of, I think, why Everything we got, the performances we got, because I wanted to just. I make them feel as comfortable as they could because it's. It's just not a comfortable environment in the. On that set. But we were like kind of this little family. So I think, you know, getting back.
- [15:02]
Shawn French
You just let them be the peacocks they are, and you let them fly, captain. That's what you did, baby. That's what you did.
- [15:07]
Rob Sayer
Yeah.
- [15:08]
Shawn French
You guys know that reference, the other guys with Will Ferrell and Marky Mark?
- [15:12]
Bill Barrett
Oh, yeah.
- [15:13]
Shawn French
No. Okay. Come on, Mina, help me out here, for crying out loud.
- [15:17]
Mina Savari
I like it.
- [15:18]
Shawn French
And so you like it. Good. It was good.
- [15:20]
Bill Barrett
What is it?
- [15:21]
Shawn French
I'm a peak, not captain.
- [15:22]
Rob Sayer
You gotta let me.
- [15:23]
Shawn French
I'm a peacock. I'm a peacock. You gotta let me fly. Have you ever done a desk pop? What's a desk pop? He fires the guy. Oh, that's right.
- [15:32]
Bill Barrett
That's right, that's right. Yeah, yeah. Just writing the office.
- [15:36]
Shawn French
Yeah, Just boom. Everybody's done one. Sorry, Amina. We're. We're getting it. Yeah, yeah. So she's like. It's. It's here. It's here on that one. She's gonna. It's gonna come across. She's gonna watch the movie over again now. So, Mina, like, again, you. You mentioned that you like to have, you know, you know, a character. You know, play a character that you're truly interested in that can help you grow. How did. How did this impact you, this film? Overall?
- [16:03]
Mina Savari
I think that it's really about this beautiful gift, this opportunity to really be. I mean, obviously, I mean, because I feel like there's just. There's so much emotion involved, there's so much complexity and, you know, sort of like what Rob was touching on. In contrast to my own life. It's. It's really nice to step into this space where you can just be and you can flow and it's. It's like, each and every time that I get the opportunity to work it, it sort of becomes that. And then out of that, I think it's about learning how to live in that space, just kind of approaching, you know, we were also working with younger individuals, you know, younger children, and it's like, you can't. I think the gift for me is it's. It's. It's like getting out of any sort of expected space, and. And it's. It's being given the opportunity to just feel something, to really just move with each moment and. And work off of one another to see what happens, and that's like an energetic gift for me. Like, when you talked about those moments in the room, saying goodbye to the family or, you know, sitting with. With Wyatt, who played Samuel, and having these really complicated moments as a mother, I mean, it was really challenging for me. I think I spoke with Rob about this at the beginning. Like, I was really coming from this place of, like, I don't want to traumatize anyone, you know, and. And if there's anything that I can do that needs to just specifically be on me, that the kids aren't even there. I mean, that's always really hard for me to not be thinking about, like, how. How much damage I'm doing to this other person by yelling at them or being a particular way. But. But yeah, again, I think it's just, you know, even with Bill, like, just kind of like being able to approach something as. As like a. Just a complete blank slate and really be open to finding how you need to navigate those moments. Like, to me, that's just the greatest gift as an actor and as a person. It just allows me to let go of. Of everything, of, like, every expectation and just feel.
- [18:59]
Shawn French
Yeah. I think the word feel is super important. Right. Because a lot of times people want to skip the feel part. Right. And when you're in something like this and you're feeling those moments just. Just makes everything much more impactful and also shows us, you know, towards. Towards the end, everything has the opportunity to be okay. Right. You know? You know, Bill, your. Your character, I feel like I. I want you to answer the other question. I think you already have, but, you know, I. I do feel like Sam got his happy after all. Ever. Ever after, man. You know, towards the end, I thought it was a nice little twist.
- [19:38]
Bill Barrett
What are your thoughts in regards to how it ended?
- [19:43]
Shawn French
Yeah, so I feel like, you know, that character Samuel got a happy ever after. He had such a hard life.
- [19:49]
Bill Barrett
Yeah.
- [19:49]
Shawn French
And so many things. And Then, you know, the wife was there, and then, you know, you know, the other. The other things. I don't want to ruin the ending for people, but I probably already did. But. But I, you know, hey, I'm not perfect. But the bottom line is. The bottom line is, like, there was. There was a moment where there was a massive pendulum swing, right? And in. In the. In the. Whether it was luck or more blessings.
- [20:15]
Bill Barrett
Towards Samuel's character, I mean, in terms of, like, him. Him finding his happy ending, I think, yeah, he definitely overcame, I mean, a lot for, you know, from seeing the film and anyone who watches it. And that was definitely what really inspired me about the character and the story is I always admire when people go through some real shit and they come out the other side like real life stuff. And it was nice to see the way that it ended. And I know Rob really wanted to instill hope, and that was an important factor. And as opposed to it potentially ending a lot darker, a lot sadder, a lot worse. And when you. I. I think getting that. Getting that ending after going through this journey with all the characters, but specifically that ending with Samuel and Tristan, after everything they go for, I think it is really rewarding to see. And it's like, man, putting. Putting an audience through the ringer as this film does. But in such. In such a, like, in such a way, to tell the story of having hope at the end, I think is nice because they've been through so much the entire story. So to give them that at the end, I think leaves the audience a feeling good, because there's a lot of good moments, I think, throughout the film. It's not just heavy, it's not just sad. And those moments are. Are important to tell that story. But then to get that at the end, you feel like you get to the end of the rainbow, you get the reward. And for people that have actually experienced these things or know people, which most do, it gives them hope and it gives them. I think the biggest thing that we can do as people is to have an impact on other people. So to. For this character, for all these characters, for the story to be relatable to anyone and to inspire them and to have an impact, I think is like the greatest thing that we can do as actors. And so hopefully with that ending that.
- [22:38]
Shawn French
Comes across well, I. I think that. I mean, I know that you guys imp. Every. Everybody in the movie impacted me when I watched it. It was phenomenally done. The one thing that I really noticed, and it's so funny because my show is called the Determined Society. And I'm watching this whole movie, I'm like, these are some determined sons of. Here in this movie. Because there's a lot of going on, like, a lot of. And it just showed that, you know, in everyone's lives, there are moments where you either have the option to, A, either throw in the towel or B, fight. And everyone in this movie was a fighter. And I loved it because of that. Right? Because of that. Did you guys feel. I mean, I know determination probably wasn't one of the things that crossed your mind, but. But looking back at it and looking at your characters, how. Determine what. How different were they? And. And Rob, how determined were you to write this whole script?
- [23:38]
Rob Sayer
Well, yeah, determination is a good, good word to. To never stop. You know, as a writer, I've come up for 30 years writing in my life, so most of the time I had bartending jobs. Right. So that's how I made money to. To survive and had other Johnson work in production here and there. And just, you know, how many times I've been told it's not good, or as a writer, that's not good? No, I mean, every door closes every door. You know, I'm gonna be 51 in a few weeks, which is crazy. And this is, you know, my first happy birthday. Thank you.
- [24:19]
Shawn French
Yeah, man.
- [24:20]
Rob Sayer
This is my first project. So, like, never giving up, I guess, is what I did, you know.
- [24:24]
Shawn French
Hell, yeah.
- [24:25]
Rob Sayer
I got sober May 8, 2018. It's gonna be seven years. And once I got sober, I. I knew from, like, I was not gonna stop. There were times in my life where it was like, I could have easily given up. Like, I'm not a good writer. Like, I really wasn't even. I didn't have good English scores in school. My math. My math sats were much better than my English, so I don't kind of teach myself and study the dictionary, like, you know, speak a little bit better try. I'm from Brooklyn, so sometimes I don't speak.
- [24:56]
Shawn French
So you're doing great.
- [24:59]
Rob Sayer
So. But like. Like that, I just never stopped. There's so many people who are going to beat you down, and that's just with life, that's everything. And, like, the only way you can learn that it sucks is that, like, is through time and through age, right? So, like, it's only wisdom you can gain through living these years. You know, you can say it when you're young, but you don't. You don't know. So just getting through life to get here, to be able to do this, was Never giving up. And you know, Samuel and a lot of the people in this is my life. Like, there's a lot from my life personally and from people I know, like, lives who I put into the characters through my own family life. You know, there's conversation at the kitchen table between Leah and Kathy, you know, that's, you know, that's about my mother and my dad, you know, but, you know, like, there's, there's just stuff in there and that's why it's real. Because it is real. And the way that I wanted to tell it was to make it commercially saleable because the, let's be honest, the, the subject matter is so, is, is very, is heavy. Wanted to do it in a way where people could go see it and not get cringed out. You were good. Where 13, 14 year olds could watch this, you know, all the way up to 80. And we've been to so many a bunch of film festivals and after we go, we stand up there and we get approached and people just come and talk to us. You mean has been there. Bill and I've been there and they just give us their stories. It's nice. And so, you know, not giving up is totally a theme in this movie because it's a theme and in my life. So. No, what else, what else was I going to do? I was like, I'm not someone who kind of like, you know, throws in the towel.
- [26:46]
Shawn French
Oh, you know, I love that. That's, that's good. That's good stuff no matter what.
- [26:52]
Rob Sayer
And now like, I'm gonna get a distribution deal no matter what.
- [26:55]
Shawn French
So hell, man, if I quit every time someone laughed at me for wanting to start a podcast, I wouldn't be sitting here with y'all.
- [27:02]
Rob Sayer
And so, yeah, that's the character. You know, Bill took that character and man, he played the hell out of it and gave it humor. You know, he gave, put. There's some, you know, some like, funniness in the banter between the brothers because that was how I was with my younger brother and like, so joke around with him. He did it. He did it great. Like, there's, there's some ad lib lines in there that, you know, one day we'll talk about that. He ad libbed. I was like, oh. So I tell people when I watch it, I'm like, yeah, Bill added that, you know, and if it's some humor and some lightness, because we do know it's, it's, it's heavy, you know, so real life is. But at the end, you Know, I battled to get a good ending, you know, something that you don't walk out.
- [27:44]
Shawn French
Feeling, you know, and you could see it, man. You can see it in that whole battle, like, you know, you know, Mina, you. You know, you. I want. I want you to speak on determination now, because you've been in this business a very long time. I'm sure there was moments that were very frustrating.
- [28:01]
Rob Sayer
You gotta go, Bill.
- [28:03]
Shawn French
All right, my man.
- [28:04]
Bill Barrett
Yes.
- [28:05]
Shawn French
Thank you, sir.
- [28:06]
Mina Savari
You're leaving? Yeah.
- [28:07]
Shawn French
Can you believe he's. He's. He's got. He's doing the Irish Goodbye. He's doing that.
- [28:13]
Bill Barrett
If you didn't say anything.
- [28:14]
Shawn French
I know, I know, I know. It just kind of drifted off. Hey, sending you love, man. Give your. Give your pops my best, man.
- [28:21]
Bill Barrett
Thanks. And it's been an honor to be on here. I really enjoy talking to you. I'd love to talk more about baseball, but thanks so much.
- [28:26]
Shawn French
Absolutely. Well, we'll do a group thread. We'll do a group thread or something. Text thread.
- [28:32]
Bill Barrett
This is. Thank you so much.
- [28:34]
Shawn French
Thank you, brother. So, I mean, again, Mina, you know, you were. You've. You've been in the industry for a long time, and then you've gone through many different roles and probably a lot of different types of rejection and all that good stuff. And. And you're a mom, and you're an author and I'm a mom.
- [28:49]
Mina Savari
Yeah. I don't know.
- [28:51]
Shawn French
How about that one, right?
- [28:53]
Mina Savari
Do you want me to begin? I feel like I. Dude, you tell me, girl. Rob, it's like I've been a fighter since I've been in the womb. Born a fighter. Yeah. It's just my.
- [29:06]
Shawn French
Oh, man.
- [29:07]
Mina Savari
I think I. I think now I'm 46. I'm, like, learning how to accept it, dude.
- [29:12]
Shawn French
It's. It's constant, isn't it?
- [29:14]
Mina Savari
I mean, it can be. Yeah. Haven't always had it easy. Personally and professionally. Yeah.
- [29:28]
Shawn French
I think the important thing. I think the important thing when we're talking about determination, we're talking about pushing through adversity is. Is. Is really. And I tell this. I say about. I talk about this all the time is doing the next right thing. Right? So let's say, you know, you're getting discouraged, and there's someone right now watching this show that has followed you your whole career, and the words that come out of your mouth are going to help them. How do they. You know, what would you tell them to do if they're struggling and they're at that point they just want to quit on their dreams? What would you tell them?
- [29:59]
Mina Savari
Oh, gosh. I mean, I feel like, you know, that's really the person that I try to be every day still. Also working to honor myself and not giving everything away. I mean, I wrote a book on my life, like, because I wanted to share, I wanted to give back. That was always, like, the essence of my core that I used to say, if I can shave off a summer of suffering for someone, then I want to do that. And I think what I've really learned is that it's important to keep as best as you can a good environment. It's important to really honor yourself and get to know yourself. I'm still doing that. That. That all has a ripple effect. It allows you then to, I feel, have a better environment around you. You know, so much of. I think so many of the situations that I got in, caught up in, or, you know, got involved with really came from a place of not respecting myself and not loving myself. And that allowed for a lot of abuse and a lot of disrespect. And, you know, I've. I really started to then focus on developing my own value and working to understand my worth and understand my place. And, you know, again, I think that that has a great effect, because if I can learn to be okay at my core, then I believe that that allows for you to persevere. It allows for you to be more focused. In order to do that, you know, I had to really assess what was around me. You know, I kind of trusted everything. I gave everything away. That created a lot of, you know, like, negative circumstance. So, again, I think it's really about, you know, starting with yourself first and foremost, that it's. It's learning how to love yourself and learning how to value yourself. Because, again, just with myself, I feel like I ended up creating a lot or being caught up in a lot of chaos because I just wasn't in a good state myself. You know, I. I ultimately was abusing myself in a lot of ways. And that, you know, that rippled out by then. The type of environment, the type of people that I was around, that rippled out by taking everything personally, not being able to just see my worth and anything. So I think it's important. Yeah, to know that it's sort of like connecting with your own power, you know, with your own. With understanding that we all have that. That we all have that innate gift of. Of energy. And. And. And I think that, you know, when you get to understand that and you feel more empowered, you come to understand that. I think you. You. You you come to be able to navigate some of those moments a lot easier, you know, because of so much of that was at my own core, I wasn't able to navigate things in the right way. I would. I give up, you know?
- [34:16]
Shawn French
Yeah, I, you know, that's, that's all interesting and, and you're, you're spot on on every, every bit of it. And it's, it's so crazy because, you know, the. One of the main things was when you get to really know yourself to the core, right, you have to truly know yourself and just understand what your boundaries are and, and who you are really. Right. And I think that a lot of people kind of put the cart before the horse. They want the self confidence, they want all the respect. They want to know who they are, but yet they're falling short on their standards that they set out. Bless you. They start the standards that they set on themselves every single day, right? So if you're. You're going on an introspective journey, you know, you're sitting there, okay, every day I'm going to do a B and C, right? So you do a B and C, no matter how good or bad you feel, right. And this is where the determination kicks in. Everything that you've gone through in your personal life, everything that Rob's gone through, everything that Bill's gone through, and even myself is okay. Are we going to make the decision to move forward? Even though emotionally I feel like shit right now, right? Because. Because if I don't, if I don't move forward, I'm out of alignment with who I am, right? And I just get further and further away from that person, that man, that woman. I'm supposed to be. Right? Whereas to your point, if we keep going and searching for our value, we find it in the work. And a lot of people miss that.
- [35:43]
Mina Savari
Yeah, well, yeah, because I was, you know, I think really I had to understand that a lot of, you know, situations that I was involved in, it, it really came from a place of me feeling my own lack. You know, I was trying to obtain love and affection by love and affection, like in all these ways. It was like you said, you know, the carp for the horse. It was just. It was more. Yeah, I think I had to learn that it really involved, beginning with the internal work to then affect my outer circumstances, you know, because I very easily got caught up in. In victimhood, you know, and just kind of like blaming everyone and blaming everything. And I've done. I mean, I still do a lot of this work, but I've had to do a lot of work to not be angry, you know, because of the things that I've gone through. And, I mean, when I. Last time I saw Rob, I was, like, gushing about how I found Kabbalah and, like, how it's, like, changed my life. And I've really gone into this, you know, on this different path, and I feel like in a lot of ways, it really saved me because I was really, really resentful and bitter about a lot of the things that I've gone through in my life. And. And so, again, that really involves empowering myself and understanding that ultimately I'm okay, We're all okay. It's about understanding what our life's work is, our, you know, our path, you know, making the connections between a lot of the. The similar things, the similar circumstance that have happened in my life, understanding that those things presented itself in order for me to correct that and learn that issue with myself, you know, that involved taking a lot of responsibility, and that was something that I really didn't want to do.
- [37:54]
Rob Sayer
It's.
- [37:54]
Shawn French
It's funny because not. Not in a humorous way, but when I look at, you know, the Sean French that was 35 years old, oh, I don't like that guy at all. Like, just like you, I was looking for. For love and in all the wrong places and doing the wrong actions or whatever it was. I was out drinking with the guys. I. I would take whatever I could because I was so hurt inside, right? I was so. Everything was so painful, was like this. This undercurrent of shame and guilt inside me because, you know, I grew up playing baseball when. Then my baseball career ended in college. I didn't know who. I didn't know who I was. That was my identity. And so I went on blaming others. I went on making stupid decisions, taking whatever I could. And in. In. In the background, there's this ripple effect right in this wake of relationships that I was just destroying because I was being selfish. And it wasn't until much, much later, into my 40s, I'm like, well, wait a second. You know, I'm 46 now, and it wasn't until I was probably 41 or 42 that I really started to realize, like, yo, that was all bad. Like, what was I doing it? This is all me. I wasn't doing the internal work. So a lot like you, like, every day I'm checking my. At the door. Like, I got to make sure that I'm holding true to myself. And. And, Rob, what are your thoughts on all this stuff, man. Because this has got to tie in for you for, for certain.
- [39:23]
Rob Sayer
N. Just thinking about that, like. Got it. There's so much that I was really angry about, right? There's, there's so much stuff in, in my, my past and growing up. And I think it's really not being understood. Always being told, like, I don't, it's like never being understood. I don't know how to explain it. It's like I went to this grammar school that was really liberal, but I was conservative there. Then I went to this conservative high school and I was too liberal there. You know, it's like, it's just, that's like a very small piece of it. So I was always very frustrated by many different things and just like, trying so hard and never being understood why I couldn't get something or having adults we thought were adults, but they really weren't because the way they treated you, like, when you look back as, as a kid in high school, the way these teachers treated kids, I was like, oh, my God, like, dude, seriously should have been knocked out or taken away from children. Like, they, they really. I still think about it. I'm 51. Right. Like, that's much. They affect you. So I had a lot of anger growing up and a lot of disappointments, as I always was, reaching so high, I guess, and then just never reaching what I thought was success. And then feeling those failures. And then my mother getting really sick too early and then her dying, which, like, just destroyed all of us. You know, me a lot. And then, like, just going through that and then, you know, figure then my drinking went nuts, you know, and that never helps anything as much as it's good at the moment. Them getting sober was, was awesome because I, I, I let go of my anger. Like, it really did it. I was like, I gotta let go of this, you know, towards family members and just the past and letting go of the past. And that's what comes into this movie. It's like, it's really hard for me to let go of the past because my childhood was awesome. My mom made it this magical, like, TV show, really. That's how we grew up. As you get older, you see, like, oh, my God, that's not, you know, all these cracks start to come in to play. So when I got sober, I did let go a lot of anger, a lot of people, and that went really well for a long time. And then, you know, just three years ago, my little brother tragically died. And one night suddenly, right. Choked at a dinner Party I still am confused about. And that just took me out, man. Like, I didn't drink and I didn't do drugs or anything. I don't know how. I mean, I was in a cloud for just about to make the movie in 2021. I. I was just about to go and start camping and then that happened. It knocked me back two years, but I. I didn't stop. Right. But that took like, I worked so hard on getting rid of my anger, and now I'm like, angry again. And it's like, oh, my God, what do I do? Because I can't get sober to get rid of the anger because I'm sober. So it's like this whole thing. So I. I hope that this movie creates these conversations for people to talk about. We're all in this. Yeah, gather. And it's kind of one of those things, like we all have our problems. And it's like my whole thing is like, I just want. I treat people the way I want to be treated. And I think if we all did that, God, it would change a lot of. A lot of things in the world. So I do go through that. That anger that's back. And we deal with anger and trying to correct ourselves and not take it out on other people because it just. It's where else.
- [43:04]
Shawn French
That's the hard one. That's the hard one right about.
- [43:08]
Rob Sayer
Because, yeah, we always take it out.
- [43:10]
Shawn French
On, you know, usually the person that's closest to you. Spouse.
- [43:14]
Rob Sayer
So.
- [43:14]
Shawn French
Right.
- [43:15]
Rob Sayer
We're all trying to fix ourselves.
- [43:16]
Shawn French
And I think this dude no doubt.
- [43:18]
Rob Sayer
Can create conversations like this and. And people can talk about it at least it alleviates some of the. Some stress. Right. You take a deep breath and that makes it.
- [43:28]
Shawn French
Well, that's the thing, though, guys. And. And Mina, like, I didn't get the. You know, I was talking to Rob via text earlier and even on the phone yesterday.
- [43:37]
Rob Sayer
It.
- [43:38]
Shawn French
You know, when I say this movie needs to be seen everywhere and you know, there's. I mean, to me, it's an Oscar nod. Like, I truly mean it. You guys absolutely crushed it. And I really do feel if there's anybody listening, that that is a part of distribution or anything like that. Like, y'all, you need to get on this. Because the bottom line is I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it. If this movie is not seen, then the world cannot heal. It needs to be seen.
- [44:07]
Rob Sayer
That's.
- [44:07]
Shawn French
It needs to be seen everywhere.
- [44:09]
Mina Savari
That's so nice of you.
- [44:11]
Rob Sayer
Yeah.
- [44:12]
Shawn French
It was incredible, Amina.
- [44:14]
Mina Savari
Thank you.
- [44:15]
Shawn French
It was incredible.
- [44:15]
Mina Savari
I'm grateful to be a part of it. Rob's an incredible person. He really is, and I'm really grateful to have been thought of and to be a part of this journey for him and telling this. This very important story, you know, that's. That's, to me, again, one of the greatest gifts. You know, I've. I've worked with people that it took, like, 12 years to get a project made. It's always like, a really special, beautiful thing. And to come in as an actor and a piece of that. It's. I. And is. I'm very, very grateful for it. It's an honor.
- [44:53]
Shawn French
Yeah, I feel that from you and I. And I'm grateful for you guys for allowing me to be a small part in this whole thing, to tell the story on the show and then to even actually get the opportunity to have a password and watch the movie. That was kind of a cool moment for me, guys. I was like, whoa. I was like. I told my wife, I'm like, hey, babe, I got a password. Got a password. And she didn't get to use it. But I. I saved her, Nina. I saved her. But no, I. I just, you know, like, this, this. You know, again, to your point, Rob, you know, the conversation piece is that this movie can really start just in a household, just in a household of like, hey, how are you really? You know, Because I think everybody has this preconceived notion, like when someone says, how are you doing? I'm good. It's not always good. Right? It is a preconditioned response. And so this movie can really, truly open up conversations in places that it matters, especially in. In the public eye, right? It's like, yeah, I could. Look, I could be smiling right now, but you don't know what's going on with me, right? And. And I think that's the. That's the message of the movie.
- [46:06]
Rob Sayer
I appreciate that you got to. To watch it, that you asked us on here and that you've. That you liked it enough to talk about it with us, so super. Yeah, great.
- [46:15]
Shawn French
Well, hell, man, you're not getting rid of me, dude. Like, you're, you know, you're not getting rid of me.
- [46:19]
Rob Sayer
Like, we're getting on. I'm gna chat us with Bill, you talk about it.
- [46:23]
Shawn French
That's cool, man. That's cool. Yeah, I'm down for that. And I just want to thank you guys again. Mina, Rob, you know, and Bill, who. Who had to drop off, but I. I appreciate you guys so, so much, and I cannot wait for more People to see the movie. And I keep giving me the insight of what's going on. I know we can't talk about it on air, but I want you. I want you to keep telling me what's going on and what we're looking at because I want to be a big mouthpiece for you. So appreciate it. Whatever I could do. I'm. I'm down and, you know, I can't wait to see how this turns out. And I like it, so. But just massive gratitude for all of you for coming onto the show today.
- [47:05]
Mina Savari
Thank you.
- [47:06]
Rob Sayer
Thanks again.
- [47:06]
Mina Savari
It's lovely to talk to you.
- [47:08]
Shawn French
Lovely to talk to you too.
- [47:10]
Rob Sayer
Absolutely. And you want to do a follow up? And what's that? Anytime we want to do a follow up, we get a big deal. We'll come back here first.
- [47:19]
Shawn French
Hey, listen, when this thing's in every movie theater in the world, I'm flying out. We're gonna. We're gonna all do this in person.
- [47:27]
Rob Sayer
All right, I'll take you up on that.
- [47:29]
Shawn French
Mina hasn't said yes yet. She's like, I don't know. Yes, Mina, yes. I'll come out there. We'll figure it out. But. But no. Thank you guys again. And for the audience listening and watching, I want you guys to share the show with somebody you know love and trust today that will get a ton out of just even hearing bits and pieces of what happened in this movie and the inspiration in the conversation. We're all about healing in the world. We're all about understanding that people are going things, going through things in life. And we. And you may feel like they got it all, but they're struggling somewhere. So be kind. Be kind to everybody that you come across because everybody has a story. And until next time, stay determined.
- [48:19]
Bill Barrett
Sh. French. What up? This one. Luck. I let the pain inspire me. I put my all in. Everything I'm doing up until it's done, I mean, for the entirety, I put in overtime. I'll be working. Just know I'mma go for mine cuz I earned it. They watch and I know it's time. I confirmed it. The whole society determined determine.