Editing Affliction (1997 film) (section)

== Production ==
According to Paul Schrader, he came across a paperback copy of the novel in a bookstore and bought it after he was "grabbed" by its first sentence.  After he finished reading the book, Schrader bought the film rights from Russell Banks.<ref name=filmmaker>{{cite magazine|last=Zeman|first=Josh|title=Sins of the Father|date=Winter 1998|magazine=[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker]]|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/archives/issues/winter1998/sins.php|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref><ref name=book>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p76wGKfve54C&q=nick%20nolte%20affliction&pg=PT253|last=Emery|first=Robert J.|title=The Directors: Take Three|year=2003|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.|isbn=9781621531159}}{{page needed |date=May 2017}}</ref>  The director said in an interview with ''[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker]]'' that he identified with the characters in the story: "I had a very strong father and an older male sibling. My father was not abusive, he was not alcoholic, but there were enough similarities. I came from that part of the country with long cold winters, so I knew these people, and I knew their violence."<ref name=filmmaker/>  Although it has been compared to his previous films (e.g. ''[[Taxi Driver]]'', ''[[American Gigolo]]'' and ''[[Light Sleeper]]''), Schrader has stated that the ending of ''Affliction'' was what made it different from them: "One of the differences between things that I have written and Russell's book is that I tend to end my pieces on a kind of grace note, and this one has none. I like some sense of moral grace. But ''Affliction'' is pretty bleak at the end."<ref name=filmmaker/>  He also added, "I view the film as a collaboration between myself and Russell Banks."<ref name=filmmaker/>

Nick Nolte was Schrader's first choice for the role of Wade Whitehouse.  Schrader told [[Charlie Rose]] that he envisioned Nolte in his mind while he was writing the script.<ref name=charlierose>{{cite episode|title='Affliction'|series=''[[Charlie Rose (TV series)]]''|last1=Rose|first1=Charlie|last2=Schrader|first2=Paul|last3=Nolte|first3=Nick|last4=Coburn|first4=James|last5=Dafoe|first5=Willem|network=[[PBS]]|date=January 5, 1999}}</ref>  According to Schrader, he offered Nolte the part five years before filming began, when the actor had become a bankable star following his success with the box office hits ''[[The Prince of Tides]]'' and ''[[Cape Fear (1991 film)|Cape Fear]]'', both released in 1991.  Although Nolte was interested in playing Wade, Schrader could not afford him at first.  It was not until five years later when Nolte agreed to do ''Affliction'' for less money.<ref name=filmmaker/><ref name=book/>  However, Nolte says he initially turned it down because he was working on other projects at the time and that he was not ready to portray the role.<ref name=avclub>{{cite news|last=Harris|first=Will|title=Nick Nolte on dropping acid and putting porno mags in Andy Griffith's cop car|date=October 27, 2016|newspaper=[[The A.V. Club]]|url=https://www.avclub.com/article/nick-nolte-dropping-acid-and-putting-porno-mags-an-244416|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref><ref name=venice>{{cite web|last=Simon|first=Alex|title=Nick Nolte: Rebel, Rebel|date=December 1998|work=The Hollywood Interview|agency=Venice Magazine|url=http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/2008/03/nick-nolte-hollywood-interview.html|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref>  It was Nolte who brought ''Affliction'' to the attention of Bart Potter, the head of [[Largo Entertainment]].<ref name=venice/>  Nolte told Rose that by the time the five years passed by, "I think I understood Wade better."  Schrader also admitted that the five years of preparation helped Nolte's performance.<ref name=charlierose/>  In addition to acting in the film, Nolte also served as one of its executive producers.<ref name=avclub/>

Nolte says that he was the one who convinced Sissy Spacek, whom he worked with in ''[[Heart Beat (film)|Heart Beat]]'' (1980), to appear in ''Affliction'' alongside him.<ref name=avclub/>  According to Schrader, it was Spacek's husband [[Jack Fisk]] who came up with the idea of having the characters of Wade and Glen Whitehouse lick salt off their hands to show how similar the father and son are to each other.<ref name=charlierose/>

Schrader told [[Roger Ebert]] that he gave the part of Glen to James Coburn because he was bigger than and could "convincingly dominate" Nolte.  When Schrader encouraged the actor to prepare for the role, Coburn reportedly said in response, "Oh, you mean you want me to really act? I can do that. I haven't often been asked to, but I can."<ref name=ebert/>

Schrader claimed that Willem Dafoe wanted to play the part of Wade.<ref name=filmmaker/>  Dafoe himself would admit, "I knew I couldn't play Wade Whitehouse whether Nick Nolte was around or not."  Schrader instead offered Dafoe the role of Rolfe Whitehouse, and the latter accepted it because he loved the novel.  According to Dafoe, Schrader showed him the novel during the making of ''[[Light Sleeper]]''.<ref name=charlierose/>

''Affliction'' was filmed in [[Quebec]], with principal shooting starting in February 1997. Although first presented at the [[Venice Film Festival]] on August 28 the same year, ''Affliction'' did not see a theatrical release until some time later in most countries. After a limited release in [[New York City|New York]] in December 1998, it saw its regular US release in January 1999.<ref>[http://www.theasc.com/magazine/nov98/SLATE/pg2.htm ''Affliction'' production slate] in [[American Cinematographer]] magazine, November 1998, retrieved January 2, 2012.</ref><ref name="imdb">[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118564/ ''Affliction''] in the [[Internet Movie Database]].</ref>