Given that it's a horror thriller about an adopted child gone really, really bad, it really shouldn't come as a shock that adoption advocacy groups are protesting the release of "Orphan."

But to one of the film's stars, Peter Sarsgaard, the claims from the likes of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute that the movie could stigmatize older, prospective adoptees are much ado about nothing.

"Taking the most literal understanding of how a movie could affect someone, I really believe that someone who wanted to adopt on a Friday and see this movie on a Saturday, only to decide against it on a Monday, shouldn't be the sort of parents adopting a child anyway," Sarsgaard said in an @ The Movies interview Tuesday. "If that's the case, then it seems like we've weeded out the ones who are a little iffy."

While Sarsgaard believes the motives behind some protests are circumspect, he isn't against the idea of groups protesting "Orphan," or any movie, for that matter. In fact, he encourages it.

"I always think that there are more to things that meet the eye. But maybe, in a situation like this, a protest is totally fine to use the movie to bring up an issue," Sarsgaard said. "If it gives them that platform, then that's great. I don't even think it would be wrong for them to go, 'Hey, here's the opportunity to raise the issue opposite this movie."

But with the protests, Sarsgaard added, any group that is willing to protest must also be ready to accept the unintended consequences with the message they're attempting to convey.

"For one, a protest never hurts the fortunes of any movie," Sarsgaard said. "When you boycott a movie, people go see them. They must know that. There has to be no feeling there that they're going to actually stop people from seeing the movie. I have sympathy and empathy for them, and I think what they're doing is fine."

Opening in theaters Friday, "Orphan" stars Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga ("The Departed") as John and Kate Coleman, parents of two who become devasted with the tragic loss of a new, unborn child.

With Kate haunted by nightmares and demons of the past, and the couple's difficulty of moving on with their lives, John and Kate attempt pick up the pieces by adopting 9-year-old Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) from the local orphanage. But Kate soon starts to believe that there are evil intentions behind the young girls' sweet demeanor that people aren't realizing.

Sarsgaard has nothing but high praise for Fuhrman, a relative newcomer whom he assures is really a sweet girl in real life.

"I hope she goes on does some talk shows so people will see how unbelievably gregarious she is," Sarsgaard enthused. "She's really nothing like this little girl -- obviously that's clear."

Parental Perspective

Sarsgaard, 38, is the father of a 2-year-old girl with Maggie Gyllenhaal, his longtime love and "Dark Knight" star whom he married in May. He said that being a parent doesn't necessarily inform him playing a parent character in a movie like "Orphan," although he said being a dad has affected his career overall.

"The biggest thing about being a parent and an actor -- and being with another parent and actor -- is that you certainly pick your work differently," Sarsgaard said. "It's not just about you anymore. Your time is not your own time -- it's not like you're a single person in the world anymore. So being a father has definitely affected the projects I do."

Sarsgaard was careful to point out, however, that he isn't resorting to doing lightweight movies that only kids can see. The changes boil down to him simply being more practical with his time.

After all, he knows any time he loses with his child is time he can never get back.

"I'm not going to stay away from difficult material. It's not like I'm only going to do movies with Vaseline on the lens. It's more like, 'That film is in the middle of nowhere with no money for a very long time,' Sarsgaard added, laughing. "If you're going to do a film in South Africa for six months making no money, that would be a very difficult thing for a father."