Destin Daniel Cretton reveals how he filmed a best-selling 2005 memoir about a familys bizarre history.

What brought you into it and what was the key to getting it right?

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Destin Daniel Cretton:I came onto it through my producer Gil Netter.

Hes the one who introduced me to the book.

primarily because its full of so many great stories.

It feels like every other page seems like another scene that has to be in the movie.

So that kind of became the main key there.

Were there any stories that you didnt necessarily want to lose but you had to?

I have a huge list of things.

You didnt shy away from that darkness thats inherent in the story.

I think the darkness is really important to the development of Jeannette.

Was Jeannette sort of a constant reference for you that you could go to?

The great thing about Jeannette is shes an incredible writer and storyteller and she understands how stories are created.

It feels like her life.

I felt like I was finished at that point.

I felt very, very happy.

How about Rose Mary or the other kids?

How much involvement did any of them have?

Shes just unapologetically herself and theres something just so endearing about that.

It just instantly makes you feel comfortable.

But theres something about that that was very endearing.

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How far did you want to go in terms of aging or de-aging Woody and Naomi?

Did you go through different ideas about doing that?

Everything was trying to find a balance of What is too much?

What looks real and what doesnt look real?

Its as simple as that.

So it was a process.

Did the actors come to you with their own ideas?

How involved were the discussions you had with them about Rex and Rose Mary?

Naomi and Woody both dove very deep into their own research on their characters.

For Woody, Rexs hair was a very important part of who he was.

Even though they were dirt poor, Rex always took pride in the way that he looked.

And his hair was always combed.

He always had a comb in his pocket, pens in his pocket.

He was always making sure his hair was perfectly combed and that his shirt and his pants looked good.

And so all of that was very important to Woody.

Naomi had her own research through talking directly with Rose Mary and the things that she learned from Jeannette.

I think parents are just people.

You and Andrew are working on another adaptation calledJust Mercy.

Thats a real thing.

Were writing it right now and hoping that thats the next thing that I am able to do.

So it tracks one of those cases.

It seems that way I guess.

Thats how Ive chosen these projects.

This is a subject that I feel will make me a better person by exploring this for two years.

So I guess thats how I make a run at look at this.

The Glass Castleis out in theaters Friday, August 11.