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Grant, 54, plays Keith Michaels, a divorced Hollywood
screenwriter facing hard times who finds romance and new meaning
in life when he takes a college teaching job to avoid
bankruptcy.
"It is a story of one man's surprise salvation," Grant told
Reuters.
The theme of the film, which opens in select U.S. theaters on
Friday, was an important one for the "Notting Hill" actor who is
the father of three children. He feels it is important to do
things that give you self respect.
"He's lost his mojo and self confidence," Grant said about his
character, "and he finds there are metrics on which to base your
self-worth other than money and your position on the Hollywood
ladder. In this case it is the gratitude and devotion of his
students."
"The Rewrite" reunites Grant with director/screenwriter Marc
Lawrence for their fourth film together. It also marks a return
to acting for Grant, who has been working for Hacked Off, an
organization that raises awareness about victims of press abuse
following the newspaper phone hacking scandal in England, in
which he was a target.
"I needed a break from politics. That's my whole life now," he
explained. "I thought it would be nice to disappear for eight
weeks and make a film."
Grant heads an all-star cast including Marisa Tomei - who won a
best supporting actress Oscar for "My Cousin Vinny" - as a
single mother and college student who falls for her handsome
professor.
J.K. Simmons, the front runner for this year's best supporting
actor Academy Award for his role as an abusive music teacher in
"Whiplash," is the head of the college's English department.
Grant was drawn to the part, he said, because he finds the
comedy of failure rich ground for characters.
"It is quite touching - people in a bad place in their life who
then handle it well and then their life gets better."
Although he has been happy working with Hacked Off and plans to
continue with the group, he said it is always nice to go back to
his old day job, acting.
"This was fun to do," he said about "The Rewrite," "and I am
doing it again in May (in a film) with Meryl Streep."
(Editing by Jill Serjeant and W Simon)
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