 In order to lose the required amount of weight for the present day  scenes, Matt Damon (qv) went on a strict regimen of food  deprivation and physical training. This caused his health to become  so frail that he was put on medical supervision for several months  after the shoot. However, his efforts didnt go unnoticed: director  Francis Ford Coppola (qv) was so impressed by Damons display of  method acting, that he offered him the leading role in  _Rainmaker, The (1997)_ (qv).