We cut a few corners and brought the picture in under budget by $25,000, so Paramount let us go back to Boston with a small crew to shoot some additional footage.

Howard Minsky had gotten the script to her agent prior to my involvement.

Originally the film opened with Ryan in the doctor's office, being told his wife is dying. Then we see him walking the streets, and the story is told in flashback.

I thought we were making a nice little movie. That's how it was regarded by everyone else, too.

I am living my dream because I get to work with my kids and watch them find their happiness. It's so rewarding - we brainstorm around a conference table and have a really great time doing it.

When the dark days come, many wonderful moments, those will all seem dead and empty to you. It will take practice and even hard work to find the joy sometimes.

Rejoicing in our joy, not suffering over our suffering, makes someone a friend.

Too much good fortune can make you smug and unaware. Happiness should be like an oasis, the greener for the desert that surrounds it.