Director Destin Daniel Cretton made 2013's Short Term 12, one of Todd's favorite movies of the 2010s. For his follow-up film, he reteamed with that film's star, Brie Larson, and adapted the beloved memoir The Glass Castle.

The film follows the story of journalist Jeanette Walls, whose childhood years were spent living in extreme poverty, thanks to parents who went way, way off the grid, checking on her at many points throughout her life (including her young adulthood, when she tried to put her past behind her). It's a movie that displays Cretton's tremendous gift with actors, and his ability to tell heartwarming stories in a way that remains, nevertheless, clear-eyed and honest about how hard life can be.

But the book was more than an assignment for Cretton, who grew up in rural Hawaii and loves stories about people bumping up against their own vulnerability. He joined Todd to talk about his ties to the book, the best surfing in Southern California, and what's next for his young career.