Fast Chat: Kirsten Dunst says all good things

Kirsten Dunst has been busy. No, not making another "Spider-Man" film. (Three's plenty.) The actress will be seen in several intriguing new films, starting with "All Good Things," a true-crime thriller based on an infamous case that took place in Westchester. (It hits local theaters Dec. 10.)

The film, co-starring Ryan Gosling, was directed by Andrew Jarecki, who captured the unexpected underbelly of suburban life with his documentary "Capturing the Friedmans." Here, Dunst plays a working-class Long Islander who falls for a handsome young man (Gosling) struggling to get out from under the thumb of his malevolent, real estate magnate dad (Frank Langella). The story is inspired by the case of Kathie Durst, who went missing in 1982, leaving her husband, Robert, under a cloud of suspicion.

Dunst, 28, who earned a Golden Globe nomination at age 11 (for "Interview With a Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles"), also has enjoyed star turns in films like "The Virgin Suicides" and "Bring It On" (not deep, true, but fun). She chatted with Newsday contributor Joseph V. Amodio. 

What did you think when director Andrew Jarecki first gave you this script?

I can't believe it's a true story. It was chilling. And so well written. And what a great role. I knew this was something where I could really let loose. We spent like eight weeks in rehearsal, breaking down each scene. 

That's pretty unusual, for a film to have so much rehearsal time.

Very. As an actor, you want roles like this, where you can have a wide range of feelings. And not feel like you have to be this cute girl in a box, and the most important thing is that you're in a tight outfit. A lot of female roles - it's hard, that transition in your twenties. Ultimately, this was a pretty cathartic experience. 

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I have to ask . . . because women across America want to know . . .

Yes, I know the question. [She chuckles.] What was it like . . .

. . . kissing Frank Langella?

Exactly. He's pretty hot. Nah, you know who I'm talking about. That Gosling guy. He's fine. He's cute. [She laughs.] Y'know what it is with Ryan - he's charming. He charms all the ladies. He's sweet and . . . like, goofy. He has so many great sides to him. And also this really dark side he can bring out. And I think that's what makes him a great actor.

Your other projects sound intense. Like Lars von Trier's "Melancholia," due out next year.

That was cool. I love Lars.

His films are hard to describe: dark, weird . . . a tad misogynistic?

It's funny - that's . . . really the opposite of what I experienced. He was so kind and funny. And he has this whole team that he's worked with since film school. It's such a family. I had the best time.

Then there's "Upside Down."

That has major special effects. It's a romance that takes place in two different worlds that can see each other but are held to their own gravity.

Ohhh, another one of those held-to-their-own-gravity romances.

[She laughs.] It's gonna look pretty crazy. They explain it as a sci-fi romance, which I think is totally wrong. It's more a Terry Gilliam vibe, with a beautiful, weird set design. It'll be very unexpected.

Then "On the Road." Ever read the [Jack Kerouac] book?

I read it when I was 16 - and recently I listened to it on tape with my dad on a road trip we took together. My father's from Germany, so we hung out with family - then we went all over southern Germany. We had some long drives through Bavaria, Munich, and we saw Neuschwanstein, this big castle where King Ludwig lived. We had fun. A good bonding father-daughter trip.

What did your dad think of this quintessentially American story?

My dad lived a very different life - he graduated summa cum laude, and worked his butt off to make it in America. Here, we're listening to this book and all these kids are, well, he's like, "All they do is get wasted." . . . [She chuckles.] He, like, didn't get it. But I was like, "It's written so poetically. It's not for you, maybe, but it's a really important book." It was funny, and great, listening to him 

Any holiday plans?

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. There's gingerbread competitions. We do a tree-trimming party at my mom's house. And my girlfriends and I have a tradition - we throw a prom, like a winter formal. We get a cheap room at some hotel or funky bar, we decorate, get a DJ . . . 

Sounds hilarious.

Yeah. It's super silly, and dorky. But, well . . . I get into the holidays.