In "Junebug"--director Phil Morrison's witty and poignant slice-of life ensemble piece about an uncomfortable homecoming--George (Allesandro Nivola) returns to his parents' home in North Carolina after three years in Chicago. He brings his sophisticated bride Madeleine (Embetz David), and the only person to welcome her to the family is his pregnant, gabby sister-in-law Ashley, who is always cheery despite feeling unappreciated by her in-laws (Celia Weston, Scott Wilson) and neglected by her husband Johnny (Ben McKenzie), George's younger brother.

As played by the effervescent, red-haired Amy Adams, Ashley comes across as the heart of both the family and the film itself. It is a star-making performance that won her a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and much-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Q: Do you see a connection between Ashley and Brenda, Leonardo Di Caprio's adoring fiancée, who you played in "Catch Me If You Can."

AA: Definitely--it's the innocence they both have. But they are different people. Ashley's specific so Philip couldn't just cast me because I'd played Brenda, but had me audition to see if I was right for her. I got the script on Friday and had to audition on Saturday I did a couple of scenes, including Ashley's dramatic hospital scene with George. And then I came back and we read everything. We worked a lot during auditions. I went by feel. I knew if I felt like Ashley then I could capture her.

Q: Had you ever known anyone like Ashley?

AA: No, which is good because if I had, she would have started to bother me five pages into the script. Oh, my gosh, this girl won't stop talking! Before I started playing her, I didn't give her a lot of credit. Through playing her, I learned to be more patient with people who aren't like me. Of course, I was able to understand her better once I knew all my lines and we had time to rehearse. Then I could bring more to her. I came at her from an innocent and pure place. I didn't say, "Oh, in this scene I'll do this, and in this scene I'll do that." I wanted to be open and free, because a big part of Ashley is that emotion seems to flow freely through her. So it was important not to bring too much information into the performance.

Q: But didn't Phil Morrison have a "manifesto" for the film, detailing everything about Ashley and the other characters?

AA: Yes, but that wasn't off-putting because he didn't force us to think in a particular way. Phil allowed us to believe whatever we wanted about our own characters and the other characters as well because in life that's the way it is. So if you asked all the actors questions about Ashley and the other characters, everyone would give different responses. He also encouraged us to improvise, although that may have been a way to manipulate us into eventually doing what he wanted. But hey, if it works I'm all for it! Phil also made each of us a folder of poetry for us to think about. It was helpful. Though I didn't actually sit in a scene and think of a poem, it gave me a feel for what he was thinking. I repeatedly read one inspirational poem called "Walking in the Light."

Q: Coming from Colorado, did you meet people while shooting in North Carolina that put you in the right frame of mind to play a Southern gal?

AA: Absolutely. They were very inviting. We spent a lot of time with Phil's family and the family of our screenwriter Angus MacLachlan. There was even a barbecue. Being invited into Phil and Angus's families was important to me because I believed a sense of community is a lot of what Ashley is about. What Ashley seeks is a close family.

Q: When you saw the final version of "Junebug" were you surprised by how big your character became?

AA: When we were on the set, I was just playing her and not seeing the film through the eyes of an outside observer. I didn't really understand the importance of Ashley until I watched the film for the first time. Then I realized that she is the tool Phil uses to invite the audience into the family. I hadn't approached her that way, so I was surprised by how effective she is in that role. I was surprised that she is so much bigger than the rest of the film—does that make sense?—because everything else is hushed. I never felt "I'm going to steal this scene"--I never intended that--but Ashley's loud and talkative in what is otherwise a very quiet film. Ashley is very lonely so she reaches out all the time.

Q: Ashley greatly admires Madeleine. But if you watch the film, Ashley seems perfect and Madeleine is badly flawed. Does Ashley have any flaws?

AA: She was lovely to play, so I tried not to pick out of her flaws. But I think she does. I guess you can say that anything done excessively can be a flaw. She might be too patient, too tolerant, and too upbeat. Those might be good traits, but in this society we don't honor them. But wouldn't it be a great world where you could always be positive and forgive everyone quickly? I would love to live in Ashley's world. I think there is a part of me like her, so maybe I could use her spin in L.A. Maybe it would work if I approached everyone with a big smile and said, "Hey, ya'll."