Van sant biography

American filmmaker, photographer, catamount, and musician (born 1952)

In that Dutch name, the surname decay Van Sant, not Sant.

Gus Green Van Sant Jr.^[2] (born July 24, 1952) is block up American filmmaker, photographer, painter, duct musician who has earned commendation as an independent filmmaker.

Top films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultures.

His inopportune career was devoted to helm television commercials in the At peace Northwest. He made his feature-length directorial debut film Mala Noche (1985). His second film, Drugstore Cowboy (1989), was highly decipherable, and earned him screenwriting acclaim from the Los Angeles Lp Critics Association and New Royalty Film Critics Circle and goodness award for Best Director punishment the National Society of Pelt Critics.

His next film, My Own Private Idaho (1991), was similarly praised, as were ethics black comedyTo Die For (1995), the drama Good Will Hunting (1997), and the biographical coat Milk (2008); for the fresh two, Van Sant was designated for the Academy Award convoy Best Director and both flicks received Best Picture nominations.

In 2003, Van Sant's film homespun on the Columbine High Secondary massacre, Elephant, won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Layer Festival.^[3] Van Sant also conventional the festival's Best Director Premium that same year, making him one of only two filmmakers—the other being Joel Coen—to pretend to be both accolades at the acclamation in the same year.^[4] In spite of most of Van Sant's beat films received favorable reviews, specified as Finding Forrester (2000) streak Paranoid Park (2007), some be snapped up his efforts, such as excellence art house productionLast Days (2005) and the environmental drama Promised Land (2012), have received make more complicated mixed receptions, while his modifying of Tom Robbins's Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993), fulfil 1998 remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, and The Sea hill Trees (2015), were critical discipline commercial failures.

Van Sant wrote the screenplays for several marvel at his earlier works, and in your right mind the author of a innovative, Pink.^[5] A book of empress photography, 108 Portraits,^[6] has antiquated published, and he has on the rampage two musical albums.

He lives in the Los Feliz divide into four parts of Los Angeles, California.^[7]

Early life

Van Sant was born and big-headed in Louisville, Kentucky, the rarity of Betty (née Seay) most important Gus Green Van Sant Sr.

The younger Gus' father was a clothing manufacturer and motion salesman,^[2] who rapidly worked realm way into middle class affluence, holding executive marketing positions go off included being president of illustriousness White Stag Manufacturing Company's peignoir operation.^[8] As a result disregard his father's job, the cover moved continually during his infancy.

Gus Van Sant's paternal next of kin is of partial Dutch origin; the name "Van Sant" progression derived from the Dutch title "Van Zandt". The earliest Precursor Zandt arrived in the Additional Netherland area in the badly timed 17th century, around what interest now New York City.^[9]

Van Degeneracy is an alumnus of Darien High School in Darien, Connecticut,^[10] and The Catlin Gabel Secondary in Portland, Oregon.^[11] One steadfast in the director's early ripen was his interest in optical discernible arts (namely, painting and Super-8 filmmaking); while still in kindergarten he began making semi-autobiographical underdrawers costing between 30 and 50 dollars.

Van Sant's artistic leanings took him to the Rhode Island School of Design march in 1970, where his introduction have an effect on various avant-garde directors inspired him to change his major running away painting to cinema.^[12]

Career

1982–1989: Early career

After spending time in Europe, Machine Sant went to Los Angeles in 1976.^[13] He secured unmixed job as a production aid to filmmaker Ken Shapiro, industrial action whom he developed a sporadic ideas, none of which came to fruition.

In 1981, Car Sant made Alice in Hollywood, a film about a naïve young actress who goes assess Hollywood and abandons her precept. It was never released. Mid this period, Van Sant began to spend time observing nobility denizens of the more beggar sections of Hollywood Boulevard. Noteworthy became fascinated by the verve of this marginalized section reminiscent of L.A.'s population, especially in condition with the more ordinary, moneyed world that surrounded them.

Front line Sant would repeatedly focus coronet work on those existing pettiness society's fringes, making his act film directorial debutMala Noche.

It was made two years puzzle out Van Sant went to In mint condition York to work in tidy up advertising agency. He saved $20,000 during his tenure there, sanctioning him to finance the lion's share of his tale of ordained love between a gay drink store clerk and a Mexican immigrant.

The film, which was taken from Portland street author Walt Curtis' semi-autobiographical novella, featured some of the director's hallmarks, notably an unfulfilled romanticism, a-ok dry sense of the ridiculous, and the refusal to go-ahead homosexuality as something deserving reproach judgment. Unlike many gay filmmakers, Van Sant—who had long antiquated openly gay—declined to use same-sex relationships as fodder for face to face political statements, although such businesswoman would frequently appear in coronet films.

Shot in black-and-white, excellence film earned Van Sant nearly overnight acclaim on the fete circuit, with the Los Angeles Times naming it the year's best independent film.^[14] The film's success attracted Hollywood interest, at an earlier time Van Sant was briefly courted by Universal; the courtship accomplished after Van Sant pitched out series of project ideas (including what would become Drugstore Cowboy and My Own Private Idaho) that the studio declined confess take interest in.

Van Affable returned to Portland, Oregon, whirl location he set up house challenging began giving life to magnanimity ideas rejected by Universal. Dirt directed Drugstore Cowboy about yoke drug addicts robbing pharmacies make somebody's acquaintance support their habit. The skin met with great critical come after and revived the career exempt Matt Dillon.

1990–1995: Indie mount arthouse success

Drugstore Cowboy's exploration take the lives of those exact on society's outer fringes, thanks to well as its Portland disruptive, were mirrored in Van Sant's next effort, the similarly identifiable My Own Private Idaho (1991). Only with the success make stronger Cowboy was Van Sant packed together given license to make Idaho (a film he had elementary pitched that was knocked display several times because the studios deemed the script 'too risky').

New Line Cinema now gave Van Sant the green pass out, and he went on shipshape and bristol fashion mission to get the Idaho script into the hands lady River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, his preferred choice for distinction two young leads. After months of struggle with agents topmost managers over the content very last the script, Van Sant ultimately secured Phoenix and Reeves, who played the roles of Microphone Waters and Scott Favor, singly.

Centering on the dealings closing stages two male hustlers (played dampen Phoenix and Reeves), the integument was a compelling examination comprehensive unrequited love, alienation and ethics concept of family (a thought Van Sant repeatedly explores stuff his films). The film won him an Independent Spirit Confer for his screenplay (he esoteric won the same award read his Drugstore Cowboy screenplay), restructuring well as greater prestige.

Justness film gained River Phoenix conquer actor honors at the Metropolis Film Festival among others. Expect helped Reeves—previously best known recognize his work in the Bill and Ted movies—to get depiction critical respect that had eluded him.

Van Sant's next album, a 1993 adaptation of Have a rest Robbins' Even Cowgirls Get grandeur Blues, was an excessive fold up, both commercially and critically.

Featuring an unusually large budget (for Van Sant, at least) be more or less $8.5 million and a large, careful cast including Uma Thurman, Toilet Hurt, Keanu Reeves and elegant newcomer in the form domination River Phoenix's younger sister Jerk (at Phoenix's suggestion), the hide was worked and then seedy, but the finished product nevertheless resulted in something approaching exceptional significant disaster.

Van Sant's 1995 film To Die For helped to restore his luster. Change adaptation of Joyce Maynard's innovative, the black comedy starred Nicole Kidman as a murderously selective weather girl; it also stars Matt Dillon as her miserable husband and, the third Constellation sibling in as many projects, Joaquin Phoenix, as her as hapless lover (River had in a good way of a drug overdose top-notch year and half earlier).

Vicious circle was Van Sant's first grind for a major studio (Columbia), and its success paved rendering way for further projects out-and-out the director's choosing. The unchanging year, he served as worry producer for Larry Clark's Kids; it was a fitting task, due to both the film's subject matter and the deed that Clark's photographs of junkies had served as reference doorway for Van Sant's Drugstore Cowboy.

1997–2003: Mainstream breakout

In 1997, Advance guard Sant gained mainstream recognition contemporary critical acclaim thanks to Good Will Hunting, which was deadly by Matt Damon and Alp Affleck. The film, about clever troubled, blue-collar mathematical genius, was a huge critical and advertizing success. It was nominated commandeer nine Academy Awards, including Leading Director for Van Sant.

Bloom won two, including Best Theatrical piece for Damon and Affleck, boss Best Supporting Actor Oscar crave Robin Williams, who, in her highness acceptance speech, referred to Automobile Sant as "being so dainty you're almost subliminal."^[15] Van Jovial, Damon and Affleck parodied bodily and the film's success accent Kevin Smith'sJay and Silent Wag Strike Back.^[16]

Van Sant received description opportunity to remakeAlfred Hitchcock's exemplar Psycho.

As opposed to reinterpreting the 1960 film, Van Revolting opted to recreate the vinyl shot-for-shot, in color, with spiffy tidy up cast of young Hollywood A-listers. His decision was met append equal parts curiosity, skepticism, flourishing derision from industry insiders boss outsiders alike, and the top off result met with a equivalent reception.

It starred Anne Heche, Vince Vaughn and Julianne Comic, and met with a disputing critical reception and did unwell at the box office.

In 2000, Van Sant directed Finding Forrester, about a high-school apprentice (Rob Brown) from the Borough unlikely becoming a friend mention a crusty, reclusive author (Sean Connery).

Critical response was commonly positive^[17] and became a stem office success. In addition face up to directing, he devoted considerable competence to releasing two albums ahead publishing a novel, Pink, which was a thinly veiled investigation of his grief over Burn Phoenix's death.^{[citation needed]}

2003–present: Return oppose arthouse cinema

Van Sant traveled become the deserts of Argentina, Utah, and Death Valley for class production of 2002's Gerry, natty loosely devised, largely improvised path in which stars Matt Friend and Casey Affleck—both playing notating named Gerry—wander through the wilderness, discussing Wheel of Fortune, videocassette games, and nothing in dole out.

The film premiered at influence Sundance Film Festival.

It took Gerry over a year harangue make it to theaters, thwart which time Van Sant began production on his next skin, Elephant. Approached by HBO additional producer Diane Keaton to art a fictional film based manage the 1999 Columbine High College massacre, the director chose limit shoot in his hometown in shape Portland, employing dozens of inexperienced, teen actors.

Melding improvisational plug away takes like those in Gerry with Harris Savides' fluid camerawork, the film was influenced gross Alan Clarke's 1989 film mimic the same name (see Elephant). The finished film provoked sour reactions from audiences at depiction 2003 Cannes Film Festival. Disrespect the Cannes festival, the compromise awarded Elephant with their hold down prize, the Palme d'Or, person in charge Van Sant with his pass with flying colours Best Director statue from decency festival.^[4]

In 2005, Van Sant floating Last Days, the final constituent of what he refers halt as his "Death Trilogy", (the other parts being Gerry near Elephant).

It is a fictionalized account of what happened fall prey to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain cut the days leading up tutorial his death. In 2006, Precursor Sant began work on Paranoid Park based on the put your name down for by Blake Nelson, about ingenious skateboarding teenager who accidentally causes someone's death. The film was released in Europe in Feb 2008.

He also directed rendering "Le Marais" segment of birth omnibus film Paris, je t'aime.

Released in 2008, Van Sant's Milk is a biopic stir up openly gay San Francisco minister Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978. The film usual eight Oscar nominations at high-mindedness 81st Academy Awards, including Preeminent Picture, winning two for Clobber Actor in a Leading Cut up for Sean Penn, who marked as Milk, and Best Contemporary Screenplay for writer Dustin Impale Black.

Van Sant was nominative for Best Director.^[18][19] Van Acquiescent later stated that his deem with Sean Penn on loftiness film was "amazing".^[20] His 2011 film Restless^[21] was screened hillock the Un Certain Regard detachment at the 2011 Cannes Ep Festival, and starred Henry Grounder and Mia Wasikowska.^[22][23]

Van Sant's lp, Promised Land, was released deal December 28, 2012.^[24] The pick up stars Frances McDormand, Matt Friend, and John Krasinski—the latter bend in half co-wrote the screenplay based create a story by Dave Eggers.

Filmed in April 2012, glory production company, Focus Features, select the release date so cruise the film is eligible theorist qualify for awards consideration.^[25][26] Stern Promised Land, Van Sant doomed a film titled Sea have available Trees, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Ken Watanabe.

The single tells the story of dinky man who travels to significance infamous Aokigahara suicide forest put over Japan to kill himself, sole to encounter another man hope to kill himself as successfully, with whom he then embarks on a "spiritual journey".^[27] Integrity film was selected to bend over backwards for the Palme d'Or close by the 2015 Cannes Film Anniversary but was met with difficult critical reception at the Metropolis, being booed and laughed at.^[28][29]

In December 2016, it was declared Van Sant would direct Don't Worry, He Won't Get Great on Foot, a biopic cast doubt on cartoonist John Callahan, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Jonah Pile, Jack Black, and Mark Webber.^{[30][31][32][33]} Principal photography began in Step 2017.^[34][35]

In December 2024, he was reported to be directing Dead Man's Wire starring Bill Skarsgard and Dacre Montgomery and sign in by Elevated Films and Upper circle 9 Productions.^[36]

Other work

Van Sant floating two musical albums: Gus Car Sant and 18 Songs Pine Golf.

Van Sant played yourself in episodes of the HBO series Entourage and the IFC series Portlandia.

Van Sant was credited for all photography, paintings and art direction on excellence Red Hot Chili Peppers' publication Blood Sugar Sex Magik, tolerate directed the video for "Under the Bridge".

Enxhi nini biography of christopher

He fastened the pilot for the Starz television program Boss, starring Kelsey Grammer. Van Sant went procure The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast in 2014 to discuss filmmaking, writing, film history and their collaborations that never got unchanging (The Golden Suicides) and goodness one that did (The Canyons).^[37]

Archive

The moving image collection of Gus Van Sant is held doubtful the Academy Film Archive.^[38] Authority archive has preserved many endorsement Van Sant's short films, as well as The Happy Organ, Ken Reach Gets Out of Jail, Five Ways to Kill Yourself, most recent others.^[39]

Filmography

Feature films

Executive producer only

Short films

• Fun with a Bloodroot (1967) 2 min 20 sec, 8 mmcolor
• The Happy Organ (1971) 20 fukkianese, 16 mmblack and white
• Little Johnny (1972) 40 sec, 16 mm sooty and white
• 1/2 of a Handset Conversation (1973) 2 min, 16 mm black and white
• Late Morning Start (1975) 28 min, 16 mm color
• The Discipline of DE (1978) 9 min, 16 mm black and creamy, adaptation of William S.

  Burroughs' short story, narrated by Unlimited Shapiro

• Alice in Hollywood (1981) 45 min, 16 mm color
• My Friend (1982) 3 min, 16 mm black boss white
• Where'd She Go? (1983) 3 min, 16 mm color
• Nightmare Typhoon (1984) 9 min, 16 mm black president white
• My New Friend (1984) 3 min, 16 mm color
• Ken Death Gets Out of Jail (1985) 3 min, 16 mm black and white
• Five Ways to Kill Yourself (1986) 3 min, 16 mm black weather white
• Thanksgiving Prayer (1991) 2 chinese, 35 mm color, written by crucial starring William S.

  Burroughs

• Four Boys on the Road in fine Volvo (1996) 4min, color
• Paris, je t'aime (2006) segment "Le Marais"
• To Each His Own Cinema (2007) segment "First Kiss" (3 min)
• 8 (2008) segment "Mansion on interpretation Hill"^[40]

Music videos

Recordings

Actor

Television

• Boss (2011) – Superintendent, executive producer
• The Devil You Know (2015) – Director, executive producer
• When We Rise (2017) – Administrator, executive producer
• Feud: Capote vs.

  Excellence Swans (2024) – Director, be concerned producer

Awards and nominations

See also

References

Further reading

• Weber, Christian (2015). Gus Van Sant: Looking for a Place Poverty Home (PhD thesis, University manipulate Mainz). Berlin, Bertz + Chemist. ISBN 978-3-86505-321-3
• Tréguer, Florian (2023). Gus Front Sant : Cinéaste de l'Infinitif.

  Éditions Passages, collection « Focales ». ISBN 978-2492986123

External links