Manny The Movie Guy /

I've adored Ewan McGregor since his career-making turn in 1996's "Trainspotting." Since then, the actor has jumped from making big blockbusters like the "Star Wars" movies (Episodes I to III) to making small, independent films like his current Focus Features release, "Beginners."

He plays Oliver in the film, an ebullient but depressed artist who never really becomes close to his father, Hal (the wonderful Christopher Plummer), until the latter comes out of the closet at 75. Five years later, he dies.

"Beginners" is a quasi-tragicomic film that is emotionally rich and undeniably human. It's writer/director Mike Mills' homage to his real father who also came out at 75. The film speaks volumes about finding oneself amidst adversities. In this interview, we talked about:

• How writer/director Mike Mills' letter convinced the actor to play the part
• Working with Mills
• How he bonded with Plummer
• His rollercoaster relationship with Melanie Laurent ("Inglourious Basterds") -- how Six Flags Magic Mountain helped!
• Working with his canine co-star, Cosmo, and his new dog!
• Finding our own history of sadness

Mike Mills ("Thumbsucker") reveals that he wrote the movie "Beginners" as an homage to his father who lived his life as a heterosexual male -- married with kids -- and then came out as a gay man at 75. When he passed away five years later, even when he was sick, Mills says "he didn't act like a sick person, he was still thriving."

Christopher Plummer plays the father in "Beginners" and Ewan McGregor stars as his son. The movie is emotionally rich and undeniably human. From Focus Features, "Beginners" is currently showing in NY and LA. It will roll out in theaters near you in upcoming weeks, check your local listings.

In this interview, Mills talked about:

• The autobiographical aspect of "Beginners"
• Gay life in the '50s
• The film's historical yet not preachy perspective
• The movie's questioning of "what's real?"
• Did he notice his father's sexual orientation?
• Finding one's self through their history of sadness

Here's more info on "Beginners" from Yahoo:
Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father Hal has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father who -- following 44 years of marriage -- came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life. The upheavals of Hal's new honesty, by turns funny and moving, brought father and son closer than they'd ever been able to be. Now Oliver endeavors to love Anna with all the bravery, humor, and hope that his father taught him.

• Genres: Drama
• Release Date: June 3rd, 2011 (limited)
• Release Date: June 3rd, 2011 (limited)
• Distributors: Focus Features
• Cast and Credits
• Starring: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent
• Directed by: Mike Mills