Juliette's Family Film

With its outrageous violence and film noir style, The Way of the Gun might not be the family film of the year. But for star Juliette Lewis, making the new pic was definitely a family affair.

Lewis, who plays a pregnant woman held hostage by two cute kidnappers (Ryan Phillippe and Benicio Del Toro), tells TV Guide Online she pow-wowed with her sister to prepare for her big-tummy role. "I wanted to represent that reality correctly," she says. "I would be calling my sister in-between takes, because she's had two babies. I just asked her all the details of what it feels like, certain emotional things, and that helped me to represent Robin's struggle and her strength."

The newly married Lewis (she tied the knot with professional skateboarder/actor Steve Berra the day after The Way of the Gun wrapped) says that wearing a prosthetic tummy certainly gave her some thoughts. "I think about being a mom pretty much on a monthly basis," she says. "And especially now, being married. And I also spent a lot of time with my sister when she was pregnant. She was just incredible with how strong she was, and you are carrying a life inside you."

Shooting The Way of the Gun also gave Lewis an opportunity to spend some quality time with actor dad Geoffrey Lewis, who plays a part in the new pic. "I got to know my dad as the actor more on this movie," she says. "So it was exciting to see my dad on the same set and we're coming up to work together. He was telling me all these great stories from all those spaghetti westerns he did with Clint Eastwood." Did dear old dad have any tips for his girl? "No, no advice. He's just always been supportive of me. But now, I think, we learn from each other."