James McAvoy talks 'The Conspirator'

Everyone knows the story about the actor John Wilkes Booth assassinating Abraham Lincoln, but what about the story behind that? Robert Redford's latest directorial effort "The Conspirator" tells the tale of the seven men and one woman who were charged with conspiring to kill not only Lincoln, but also the Vice President and Secretary of State, all in the same night, and the resulting trial of that one woman, Mary Surratt (played by Robin Wright). James McAvoy plays the reluctant lawyer, Frederick Aiken, who despite his misgivings, has to come up with a defense for a client he -- like everyone else -- assumes is guilty, and in so doing, starts to realize she may be innocent after all. McAvoy talks about the political message of the movie, what historical backdrops are good for, and what "Braveheart" got wrong.

Q: Do you think there are modern-day parallels in "The Conspirator"? Here you have a woman who is presumed guilty of a horrific crime before her trial begins, and she's denied basic civil rights -- she can't speak in her defense, there's no discovery of evidence or disclosure of the witness list, the defense is given no time to prep...

A: The modern-day parallels are ridiculously clear, so the relevance is timely and all that kind of thing, but they've been wanting to tell this story for 17 years, so it's not just a message film. There's a danger of distraction in that, people will be like, "We get what you're doing, we got you all figured out," but this story would have been told whether there was no parallel today. It's an incredible moment in American history, when they decided whether they were going to uphold the Constitution or not. It's really easy to uphold the Constitution in theory, but when the going gets tough, it gets thrown out the window. And that's what my character Frederick believes in. He risks his life fighting in the Civil War because he loves that country so much, so when Lincoln is assassinated, he responds like anyone would -- he wants blood, he wants payback, he wants revenge. He hates the idea of this woman. He thinks she's guilty, that she should hang. But if he truly loves his country, he's got to love the Constitution and defend her. The parallels make it even more interesting, though. It gives you more to talk about.

Q: You're Scottish -- what's it like on the outside, looking in at this?

A: Being an outsider? I think it's easier to see it all the more clearly. This is a country full of people from other places. That's the main thing about America, that you didn't evolve like most other countries. You were constructed. People got here, kicked the Brits out, and said, "We're going to decide what's going to happen. It's going to be on purpose. Not on accident. How do we do that? We're going to have a Constitution." So this country has a purpose, and it's getting off purpose, when we tell our story. The country's deciding whether to uphold the rigid structure that defines its character and hopefully keeps it true. It's a marvel, really.

Q: Robert Redford picks so few movies to direct -- do you think part of the attraction was this history lesson, the political implications?

A: That's definitely part of it, but he was also keen on the story of this mother and her surrogate son, which is what my character becomes. It's a real human story. History's an exciting thing, but it's only interesting because it happens to us. If we take away its impact on human beings, then I don't see how we understand it, as an event, as an idea.

Q: Are you a fan of any of the other films Redford's directed? Or any of the films Tom Wilkinson's been in, since his character becomes your mentor?

A: "Ordinary People" is one of my favorite films. It's probably in my top ten. I can't believe it was the first film Robert's ever directed. Tom's lovely. He's an amazing actor. I love "Michael Clayton," but I don't know if that would be in my top ten. I'd have to start throwing out movies like "The Goonies" and "Back to the Future."  That's our secret, OK? [Laughs]

Q: You're a big history buff -- what are you reading about, for pleasure?

A: I've been reading about the people who were tossed off their land in Scotland in the Highland Clearances, in the 18th and 19th Centuries. All these small landholders ended up with nowhere to go. It's quite bleak. I also quite like reading about colonial stuff, and all the boats that took prisoners to Australia. And though this movie is about the Civil War, I actually like reading about the War of Independence. That's quite fascinating.

Q: Do you think the Highland Clearances would make a good movie? Have there been any good Scottish history movies?

A: Besides "Braveheart"? [Laughs] Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's all sensational. The part about William Wallace having sex with the French princess? She would have been four years old at the time! [Laughs] But you could do the Highland Clearances. It's a big story. It was a massive social event. If you focused on one individual to tell it through -- why not?

Redford's previous directed film, "Lions for Lambs," premieres on Current TV on Saturday, May 7 at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT.