Matthew McConaughey stars in The Lost Bus, a film based on the true story of Kevin McKay, a bus driver who rescued 22 children during California’s 2018 Camp Fire. Although McConaughey was drawn to work with director Paul Greengrass, known for films like Captain Phillips and United 93, he initially hesitated to take on the role because he felt the character lacked an accessible inner monologue, a key element he relies on to immerse himself in a part.
McConaughey explains,
“Any character that I play, I always ask, ‘What’s their monologue?’”
He adds,
“Whether it’s subtext or whether it’s spoken, you gotta have your monologue before you can say your dialogue.”
Connecting With Kevin McKay’s Emotional Journey
After discussions with Paul Greengrass, McConaughey understood the emotional depth behind Kevin McKay’s heroism. The character grapples with grief over his father’s death and struggles to bond with his teenage son, experiences that gave McConaughey the entry point he needed to fully embody the role. He recalls the moment Greengrass shared a defining line from the script:
“It’s toward the end, where Kevin says, ‘I was too late as a son and now I’m too late as a father,’ and boom, I got it.”
Greengrass believed McConaughey was uniquely suited for the role due to his background and authenticity. The director emphasizes,
“Matthew comes from a bluecollar background. He understands what it means to work a job and still not be able to make ends meet.”
The Film’s Timely Context Amid Environmental Crises
The Lost Bus arrives during a period marked by intense environmental disasters. As Greengrass was editing the movie, devastating wildfires struck Southern California’s Pacific Palisades and Altadena, mirroring the events depicted in the film. Greengrass reflects on this unsettling overlap:
“I’d spent months creating these images on-screen; to see them playing out in a community I know was shocking.”
He notes that such extreme wildfires are no longer rare, occurring now in places like France, Spain, and Greece, where the worst fires in a century are happening. This context imbues the film with a broader relevance beyond its specific story.
Highlighting Ordinary Heroism in Extraordinary Circumstances
Both McConaughey and Greengrass aim to show how everyday people confront immense challenges. McConaughey explains the reluctant heroism in Kevin’s actions:
“Kevin is just going through the ho-hum of a regular day when everything is interrupted by this crisis. He didn’t want to answer the call to pick up those kids. But there was no one else on that side of town, so he took the call and it was his salvation.”
The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on September 5, marking McConaughey’s return to cinema after a six-year hiatus during which he wrote a memoir. He believes this time away enhanced his craft by providing richer life experiences to draw upon for roles. “Real life inspires me,” he says,
“Art emulates life more than it does the other way around. So real drama, real responsibilities, real comedy, real pain, real joy, real victory, real failure fills my tank and helps me create better characters.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of True Detective and McConaughey’s Career
While focusing on his current project, McConaughey revealed enthusiasm for the upcoming fifth season of HBO’s True Detective, which stars his friend Nicolas Cage. He describes Cage as “a great actor,” hopes to see him bring depth to the series, and remains open to revisiting his iconic role as detective Rust Cohle if the right script emerges.
Reflecting on the original season’s impact, McConaughey states,
“We nailed that first season. But if it’s a script like that first one, with that fire and originality, I’d do it. And you talk about monologues. Well, Rust Cohle had a monologue. He talked about everything that was inside him, and he didn’t care if you were listening or not. There’s freedom in that.”
