JH: You know, from doing stand up, I learned one thing and one thing only, and that is: don't tell a story with jokes; use jokes to tell a story. Sitcoms are a really good example of that, like jokes that also contain in them information and advance the character or the story. So, I'm good at telling jokes. I had to write a lot of jokes doing stand up, and I've worked as a writer in L.A., so joke construction, I'm good at that. And also, as Plato says, first entertain. From doing stand up, I learned that I could say anything that I wanted, as long as I could make you laugh. I could talk about any subject. Because death and alcoholism and God, I don't even want to talk about those things. But as long as I'm making you laugh, I can talk about anything I want. Plus it's fun; you see movies that make you laugh and cry.

HJ: Now, like you said, this is the first movie you've directed. You've got some pretty major talent in it and so far the buzz seems to be good. What are you thinking of doing next? Or are you currently working on anything?

JH: I am. I'm really trying to re-put together—'cause Wall Street didn't help me last time—a movie called Christmas in New York, that is six different stories that all drive through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The idea being that, although you usually feel like the world is against you and out to get you, if you want to be a better person, if you want to step up and be the person that you hoped you could be, there's only two days a year when the world's actually on your side, when someone will hold the door for you, they will let you in traffic, kids are singing songs about angels, banners in the streets say peace. Right? Like, it's time to take your shot. I love that story. I love the people in that story. I just want to meet them. And I have some wonderful actors attached to that&ellips; awesome people that you love to see in movies. It's a little more commercial than Dream of the Romans—that's what it [The Answer Man] used to be called, The Dream of the Romans. There's a scene after the end&ellips; where Lou was in an AA meeting and gave this really great monologue in which The Dream of the Romans made sense, so sometimes I slip and say The Dream of the Romans. The Christmas movie is not quite as philosophical, let's say, not as much angst as in The Answer Man.

HJ: Could you talk a little bit more about that original title? What it meant and what was in that last scene that you cut?

JH: It's just an idea that I've had for a long time, I just made a character say it. The idea being that, you know how we dream about people in the future and we wonder about them? Like, oh, they'll be able to cure any disease, and they'll fly around in little air cars. Right? Like, wonder what it'll be like? Well, 2,000 years ago, I'm sure the Romans were doing the same thing about us, wondering what we'd be like and who we would love and what we would love and what we would try and what we would give up. And so, they were dreaming of us. We were the dream of the Romans.

HJ: That's a fascinating thought. And one last question: ten, fifteen years down the road how do you think you're going to remember your experience making this movie?

JH: The thrill of being there for the best part of these character's lives. Really, I love those people and they're alive in my heart and in my mind&ellips;I know what they're all doing now.

HJ: Great. Thank you very much.

JH: A pleasure.

HJ: And I hope to see more of your work in the future.

JH: Thank you

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