Individuals, Locations, Remembrance: Mike Mills Discusses His Criterion Box Set I’ll Remind You of Everything.

      The matter of which contemporary, active auteur truly merits a Criterion box set is not one I actually want to tackle. (Would you willingly open a can labeled “Worms”?) However, I do want to point out the sound reasoning behind Mike Mills’s recent recognition, with his films Beginners, 20th Century Women, and C’mon C’mon being compiled in the aptly titled I’ll Remind You of Everything. This collection offers more than just a few Blu-rays and 4K UHDs featuring relevant extras; it serves as a comprehensive physical addition to Mills’s body of work. Everything from the cover (crafted by the director alongside Osk) to the booklet and menu design resonates with the associative and memory-driven themes that elevate his films above others.

      Most directors honored with a Criterion retrospective are no longer alive, so it was unusual to get the chance to speak directly with Mills about this project. Our discussion reveals that the origins of I’ll Remind You of Everything trace back to the time of Beginners, and this collection symbolizes what the director describes as “compartmentalized denial.” Nonetheless, he proves to be an engaging and generous conversationalist.

      Mike Mills: How’s it going?

      The Film Stage: It’s going well. It’s nice to see you.

      Good to see you.

      Where are you? This room looks amazing. Where are you calling from?

      [Laughs] That’s my little office at home.

      Oh, wonderful. I figured your office would be full of framed photos.

      It gets better. [Stands up, opens the door to reveal a life-size Charlie Chaplin cut-out]

      Oh my God! So that’s a delightful surprise every time you open the door?

      Yeah. I sometimes notice during Zoom calls, “Wow, he’s just hanging out there.” But also [turns the camera to reveal a portrait of Buster Keaton], he’s right there.

      Wow. I appreciate that you don’t play favorites. It's not just one or the other.

      Oh, definitely not. They hang out together.

      I mean, we’ve all seen Limelight.

      Yeah.

      Your films are now part of the Limelight canon. Your three films are in the canon of Limelight.

      That’s wild. That’s really wild. Many other films, too. But yes, yes. [Laughs] I lack the self-esteem to fully accept that statement, but yes.

      Well, I appreciate the films. At least one of us can.

      Cool.

      It’s truly cool. Your work has certainly seen its share of circulation—it’s been recognized and available—but this is an honor for any film, especially for three. It's also fascinating how they all seem to converse with each other more through this box set.

      Yeah. Well, Kim Hendrickson—who has been my editor at Criterion from the beginning—started discussing this back when I had just released Beginners, and then when 20th came out, she said, “Oh, maybe it’s a duo.” When C’mon was released, she mentioned, “Oh, perhaps it’s a triptych.” It was all unplanned, but I really loved that she kept her eye on it, recognized that connection, and then Criterion’s approach helped tie together my shorter works, music videos, and documentaries. One of my very first projects, Deformer, a portrait of Ed Templeton, is included.

      It’s [exhales] wonderful to have a place for all of it because otherwise it feels scattered. [Laughs] Like, you’re just part of capitalism, right? And capitalism isn’t particularly adept at preserving your work. So, that aspect feels incredibly important and beautiful. Plus, Kirsten Johnson conducted a long, insightful interview. I feel genuinely seen and cared for, and lucky.

      Mike Mills and Joaquin Phoenix on the set of C’mon C’mon

      I have a story that sounds fabricated.

      Cool.

      And while it may seem like a ploy to keep the discussion flowing, I assure you it’s completely true.

      Okay.

      I was thinking, “What is it about Mike Mills’s films, their essence, that resonates with me so deeply, moving me in ways I can’t quite articulate?” With my film studies degree, I should be able to analyze this.

      Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

      Then I glanced down at the box set and saw the phrase “I’ll remind you of everything.”

      Yeah, yeah, yeah.

      Which is a line from one of your films, but those words—”I’ll remind you of everything”—really encapsulate the driving, emotional force of your work.

      Yeah.

      Maybe that's a way of asking: what inspired that title? Is that part of why it feels like an appropriate title for this collection, or was there something else at play?

      Kim started the conversation about, “What should we title it? What’s the overall scope?” It’s peculiar to be