Emma Nelson was just 12 when she was cast as Blanchett's daughter in the film about a mother's disappearance and a family's adventure to find her.
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"Everybody that I worked with, just they offered such a unique perspective I think, each of them, and I learned so much from all of them," Nelson said.
Emma, now 15, is about to be a sophomore at a Barrington High School.
"It was weird because I would come home and I felt like I didn't have that many friends because I'd been away for so long," Nelson said. "I feel like I need to focus on my school work because I'm going to have to leave and do this stuff and come back, and that's hard enough as it is."
Nelson's mother owns a pre-school in Elgin, and her dad is Village President of West Dundee.
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"I feel like as parents it's like, as much as I'm going to mess up, they're always there to catch me when I fall," Nelson said. "They're my parents, you know. They're the ones who are watching every interview. They're my biggest fans. I've learned pretty much everything I know from them."
Nelson said it was an emotional experience watching her big screen debut.
"I can't believe after all this time, it's finished and it's here," she said.
More than 500 young actresses tried out for Nelson's part. She was told her composure and natural quality on screen won her the role.