Three–time Oscar nominee Annette Bening describes herself as an "avid mother" to her four children – but says the table is turning as they become teenagers and they are now teaching her about life.

Article: Bob Tourtellotte from Reuters
Image: AFP / Lucy Nicholson

Bening, 48, portrays the manic depressive mother of a teenage son in new movie, "Running with Scissors," which debuts in theaters on Friday, October 20.

She spoke to Reuters recently about juggling work and her family. She is married to actor Warren Beatty with whom she has four children, ages 14, 12, 9 and 6.

Q: In "Running with Scissors" your character, Deirdre Burroughs, does some despicable things to her son, and you've been quoted as saying you were sympathetic to her. How could a mother of four find sympathy for a woman who does some of the things to her son that Deirdre does?"

A: "Being an audience member seeing the movie – and I've seen it twice – I literally got a stomach ache because I wanted to save the child. I wanted to jump out of my seat...As a mom, I wanted to save this kid and wanted somebody to protect him."

Q: But from an actor's perspective that must be a challenge, to take this dubious character and make her sympathetic to audiences.

A: "Right. Once I've decided to do a part, it's entirely different. Then I have the privilege of saying what makes this all happen. Why does she do what she is doing in the story, so I feel an enormous responsibility to be opposite and not judge her at all, and say, well, "what was it in her that made her make her choices."'

Q: I'd read a story in which Alan Ball – who wrote "American Beauty" in which you played a suburban mom in a bad marriage – said about you, "I think she enjoys playing women who are on the edge because she is so not like that in real life." What are you like at home, as a mom, in real life?

A: "I have my good days and bad days. I'm certainly not a perfect mother, but I am an avid mother, let me put it that way."

Q: What do you and Warren, two big Hollywood stars, do to keep your kids down to earth, if indeed that is possible?

A: "Try to protect their privacy as much as possible and respect their privacy and right to have a private life."

Q: Your children are either in their teens or soon to be teenagers. How is it different being the mother of teenagers versus grade school kids?

A: "Well, you're the one that's doing the learning and they are teaching you. You thought you were supposed to be the one who knew, and that's turned all around. Now they are teaching me everyday about life."

Q: How do you juggle being a working mother with being an "avid mother?"

A: "I'm lucky because I can take long chunks of time when I'm not working, and so many of my friends can't do that. So, I feel so lucky, so when I do work, I'm very clear with my kids about my work and how much I love it and how important it is. When I do, I really immerse myself in it and they know it will end. It's a job, and it will have a beginning and an end, and then I'll be back doing all my normal stuff."

Q: If your kids, collectively, were going to answer this question, what do you think they would say. My mom is...

A: "Oh God, I hate speaking for my children. I never speak for my husband, and I never speak for my children. It's a rule. Believe me, it is." Image: Paris Hilton and her sister Nicky pose for photographers as they arrive to the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Issue party in West Hollywood, CA, 20 September 2006.

Image: US actress Annette Bening arrives at the 57th Annual Golden Globe Awards with husband Warren Beatty in Beverly Hills, CA, in 2000.