After working in this movie, Casey Affleck brought director Gus Van Sant a screenplay by his brother Ben Affleck and Ben's friend Matt Damon; it became Gênio Indomável (1997).
Casey Affleck beat out his older brother Ben Affleck as well as his childhood friend Matt Damon for the role of Russell Hines. When asked why he chose Casey over the rest, Gus Van Sant stated that he noticed that Casey still had a strong Boston accent, while Ben and Matt had lost theirs, he also got the feeling that Casey was scrappier than the other two.
Once she had read the screenplay, Nicole Kidman was determined to land the lead role. This involved tracking down Gus Van Sant's personal phone number and ringing him at home. She spent 40 minutes talking to him on the phone about her thoughts on Suzanne Stone and how to play her. Van Sant called back two hours later to tell her she had gotten the role.
The story is set in New Hampshire, but filming took place almost entirely in and around Toronto. Torontonian director David Cronenberg appears in a small role as Man at Lake.
Meg Ryan was offered five million to play the role of Suzanne Stone and still turned down. Nicole Kidman agreed to play the role for two million.