Your daughter appeared in a TV show "High" that you directed some years ago. Was "Duets" a way for her to return the favour, or did she pester you for a role?

She was neither returning the favour nor did she pester me. When I got the script five years ago, she read it and said it was something she'd love to do. In the process, she became 'Gwyneth'.

What has changed since you last directed her?

You don't really direct her anymore. She's so talented. She had a real vision of the character. I'd only seen the results of her work before; I'd never seen the actual process, and it was very gratifying to see that.

Is the film about the death of the American Dream?

Without question. I don't want to bash America, but it is so much about the disheartenment and disenfranchisement and the 'malling' of America. If you turn your back in a mall there now, you could be in any city in the United States. Food that was once only available in a region is now everywhere. Everything has been homogenized. Over time, with television and jet travel, everybody has blended together. Some of our wonderful charm has been lost.

Where does the karaoke fit into this?

I don't know how much karaoke hustling actually goes on. It just seemed to be a good area to tell a story. Grabbing the microphone is an act of courage, of defiance and bravery - it takes a great deal of courage to throw off the binds.