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Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, a maker of movies exploring everything from high fashion to religious cults and the porn industry, now turns his attention to young — if mismatched — love. 

"Licorice Pizza," which opens in Minnesota on Christmas Day, weaves that story through a series of unlikely episodes based on real events.  The film is set in the San Fernando Valley in 1973.

“Was it a strange time?” asked Anderson. “Sure. Doesn't seem halfway strange compared to today. Seems positively innocent.” 

The accomplished director said he was about 3 years old then. However, he did have a source of good tales from the time.

"I had a friend named Gary Goetzman who would tell me stories of his childhood,” he said. “And each of the episodes that you see in this film [is] a pretty accurate representation of stories that happened to him. He was a child actor." 

Goetzman made a movie with Lucille Ball. But as is shown in the movie, he was so much more. 

"I'm a showman, that's what I’m meant to do," he says in the film. 

Anderson said Goetzman possessed an entrepreneurial spirit that led him to launch a series of successful businesses despite being only 15 and still in high school.

"So I had this text to work from," Anderson said. "What I was doing that was original was I was weaving this boy-meets-girl story in amongst it." 

In the film, Goetzman’s surname has been changed to Valentine. He’s 15, remember, but in a move that makes some viewers uncomfortable, pursues the 23-year-old Alana Kane. Gary identifies Kane the first time they meet as the woman he is going to marry. 

Cooper Hoffman plays Gary, and Alana Haim plays Alana Kane. Hoffman is the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and Haim is a well-known performer with her two sisters in the band named Haim. Neither had any film acting experience, but Anderson said they were both screen naturals. 

"I wish I could describe to you the joy of seeing them go from jittery nerves on day one,” said Anderson, “to just full-blown confidence and energy by the final day of shooting. It's the kind of thing that makes you very proud.”

Anderson added: “I think audiences are anxious to see people on a screen that they've never seen before. I imagine it would be what it's like to discover a band that's exciting. You show up at a club and there's 25 people in there hearing a new band with an exciting sound. That's a very energizing feeling.”

“Licorice Pizza” is filled with appearances by big stars in supporting roles. Anderson said that was vital both for the storyline — and for the young stars.

“Without giving too much away, each time somebody like this turns up, our story takes a dramatic turn,” said Anderson. “And while we were shooting it, there was an equally dramatic turn.”

Those “big names” names shook things up, drawing out the young performers and honing their comedic timing. In one scene, Gary deals with an obnoxious customer.  

"Do you know who I am?" the man asks Gary. 

"Yeah," says Gary, taken aback by the customer’s aggressive attitude.

"Streisand" the man corrects him. "SANDS! Yeah, like sand. Like the ocean." 

“Those are good dynamics," said Anderson. "You just have to be there to film them."

Anderson said he learned a thing or two about filmmaking in St. Paul. In 2005 he was what's known as the insurance, or backup, director for celebrated filmmaker Robert Altman as he shot "A Prairie Home Companion." 

Then Altman, 80, was battling cancer, and later revealed he had recently had a heart transplant. Anderson was on set every day, ready to take over.

"Each Friday we would wrap early and he would get his chemotherapy treatments," Anderson said.

"The fear was what happens when Monday rolls around and we have to stay on schedule and Bob is too sick or too tired? Well, he was never too sick and he was never too tired. And we never missed a beat. So I never even had to be there, or do anything. But what I did get was — it was a first-class film school to sit with the master."

Anderson said Altman's mastery was to pull together marvelous elements: script, actors, production team and then just let them go. 

“And be skilled enough to capture what he called ‘good disintegration,’” said Anderson. “He was after a kind of chaos and naturalness and disintegration and he knew just how to film it."

Anderson said that taught him to loosen his grip a little as a director 

“[Altman] was never afraid of anything. So no fear. That's what I learned," Anderson said.

When pressed, Anderson said he can't remember an “Altman moment” during the making of "Licorice Pizza," but he said he feels Altman's spirit always hovering around him. 

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Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, a maker of movies exploring everything from high fashion to religious cults and the porn industry, now turns his attention to young — if mismatched — love. 

Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson, a maker of movies exploring everything from high fashion to religious cults and the porn industry, now turns his attention to young — if mismatched — love. "Licorice Pizza," which opens in Minnesota on Christmas Day, weaves that story through a series of unlikely episodes based on real events.

Paul Thomas Anderson combines old with new in 'Licorice Pizza'

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