Viggo Mortensen’s mother’s dementia inspired drama ‘Falling’

Viggo Mortensen remembers the moment. He was on a plane returning from the funeral of his beloved mother, Grace, who suffered from dementia in her later years, when he started writing.

“I couldn’t sleep. I was missing her so deeply,” he says. “I had just been to my mother’s funeral, where you hear all the things about her, as one does at funerals. It was an entire day of people saying, ‘Viggo, let me tell you this story.’ I listened to so many versions of my mother’s life. We were very close, yet these stories felt like new treasures.”

The 62-year-old Oscar-nominated actor best known for the “Lord of the Rings” films and “Green Book” needed to write it down.

“It’s your mom. I wanted to remember it all and keep it alive. I wanted to keep her flame alive. So, I began writing it all down in the middle of the night, on a plane,” he says.

Those stories inspired his new film, “Falling” (available in theaters and on video on demand). Mortensen wrote, directed and stars as pilot John Peterson, who lives with his husband, Eric, and their adopted daughter in Los Angeles. Enter his aging father Willis (Lance Henriksen), a farmer who lives in a remote town and is suffering from dementia.

Review-Journal: How much of “Falling” is autobiographical?

Viggo Mortensen: The story turned into a fictional family, but at the heart of it is this woman who is the conscience of the story. That felt right to me.

So many families are dealing with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Did you want to tell these families that they are not alone?

I’ve experienced it firsthand with both of my parents and my stepdad. I’ve had close-up, intimate experience in a caregiving capacity. You are not alone. But now you can also see a film about it. And that’s what movies do for us as human beings. Movies say, “Wait, I don’t have to live alone in my thoughts and remain alone with my fears.” Think about the times we’re going through now with the pandemic. I truly believe that people are beginning to realize that open and honest communication, where you share your doubts and fears, is key. Life is so precious, but equally precious is the idea that we go through it together.

Tell us about a small win during caretaking.

I learned that as a caretaker you can’t have answers to all your questions when you’re dealing with someone who has dementia. Maybe in that moment all you will get is a list of what they had or want for lunch. And that’s OK for now. It’s a good moment.

How did you know that Lance Henriksen (“Aliens”) would nail the role of your father? There is Oscar buzz for both of your performances.

I’m so proud of him. Lance gave such a subtle, layered performance. I hope that he gets the recognition that he deserves. Lance has been around for 50 years as an actor. He’s 80 in real life and just knocks it out of the park.

How have you spent the pandemic — especially the Sundays?

I’ve been lucky to be with the people I love. I feel very fortunate to have a roof over my head and food in the cupboard. I’m lucky to have my health. During this time at home, I’ve reconnected with a lot of people I haven’t talked to in a long time. My thought is: This person could die tomorrow. I should call them. I might have had a disagreement with them, but what the hell? I should just call them. Sundays are spent reading and writing, plus I watch a ton of movies and rewatch a lot of movies I haven’t seen in 40 years.

What’s next?

I’m going to do a few new acting jobs, and I’m looking forward to directing again. I really enjoyed it, although it was difficult. It was even more satisfying because you really create a team effort in order to tell the story.

What do you love about filmmaking?

I love how you can write a screenplay and then film it. You have the twists and turns up there. Then you stop. The audience sees the film and writes it in their own heads. It becomes their story as much as it is mine or any filmmaker’s.

Is it true that a Renaissance man like you gets up early to catch most sunrises?

I do like sunrises. I also like sunsets. When I made “Falling,” I’d arrive so early to set, mostly when it was dark in New Mexico, to watch the sun come up. Breathtaking. What are you going to do? You’re drawn to do something and you just have to do it.