In the new film "Last Weekend," a wealthy family gathers one Labor Day weekend at their stunning vacation home in Lake Tahoe. The mother, Celia, played by Patricia Clarkson, is a tightly-wound matriarch trying her best to let go — let go of perfection, let go of her adult children and let go of her prized vacation property.

"I wanted their last summer weekend to be like every other weekend," Clarkson's character says in the trailer for "Last Weekend."

Like she did with her fellow cast, Clarkson said she wanted to intimately know the home that played a central role in the movie and came early to Lake Tahoe to do so. 

"I [had] to know it. It's my house. It's the love of my life," Clarkson said, describing how she tapped into the character she had to become.

Clarkson is also known for her roles in TV's "Six Feet Under" and films like "The Station Agent" and "Pieces of April."  

To hear our interview with Clarkson, click on "Listen Now" above.