Angelina Jolie directing movie about WW II hero

Tom Brokaw’s interview with Angelina Jolie and World War II hero Louis Zamperini, the subject of Jolie’s film “Unbroken,” aired this morning on NBC’s “Today.” The pic, which Universal Pictures releases on Christmas Day, is her first studio pic as a director.

Brokaw put it to her that it was more than just filmmaking; for her it was personal. “You’ve got the legacy of this amazing man in your hands,” he said. Jolie agreed. “Such a huge responsibility to get it right,” she said. “I love him so much and he’s helped me so much in my life.”

Jolie explained how she came to adapt Laura Hillenbrand’s best-seller. “I wanted to direct something again, but I wasn’t sure what. It had to be something I would love and care about. It takes much more time away from your family and much more effort than acting,” she said.