Bruce Beresford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bruce Beresford
Beresford in 2016
Born	(1940-08-16) 16 August 1940 (age 84) Paddington, New South Wales, Australia
Alma mater	University of Sydney (BA)
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer
Years active	1970–present
Spouse(s)	Virginia Duigan

Bruce Beresford (born August 16, 1940) is a well-known Australian film director, writer, and producer. He also directs operas. He started his career during a special time in Australian filmmaking called the Australian New Wave. Over 50 years, he has made more than 30 feature films. He has worked both in Australia and in the United States.

Bruce Beresford has been nominated for two Oscars. He has also won four AACTA/AFI Awards in Australia. Some of his most famous films include Breaker Morant (1980), Tender Mercies (1983), and Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Driving Miss Daisy won four Oscars, including Best Picture. Other notable films are Black Robe (1991), Mao's Last Dancer (2009), and Ladies in Black (2018).

He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Breaker Morant. He also received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for Tender Mercies. His films have been recognized at many international festivals.

Early Life and Education

Bruce Beresford was born in Paddington, New South Wales, Australia. His father, Leslie Beresford, sold electrical goods. Bruce grew up in a suburb called Toongabbie. He went to The Meadows Public School and later The King's School.

Even as a teenager, he was interested in filmmaking. He made several short films, like The Hunter (1959). He studied English at the University of Sydney and graduated in 1964. While at university, he continued making short films. These included The Devil to Pay (1962) and It Droppeth as the Gentle Rain (1963).

Career in Film

Starting in Nigeria and England

After university, Bruce Beresford moved to England to find work in films. When he couldn't find a job there, he took an editing position in Nigeria. He worked in the city of Enugu for two years.

He then returned to England. There, he worked for the British Film Institute. He helped produce short films for new directors. He also directed several documentaries about art and artists. These included Lichtenstein in London (1968) about Roy Lichtenstein.

First Feature Films in Australia

Beresford came back to Australia to direct his first full-length movie. This was The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972), which he also helped write. The film was popular in England and Australia. However, some critics didn't like it, which made it hard for him to find new work for a while.

He directed some TV documentaries and films, like The Wreck of the Batavia (1973). He then directed a sequel to his first film, Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974). After that, he went to England to direct a comedy called Side by Side (1975).

His career improved when he directed Don's Party (1976). This film was based on a famous Australian play and was very successful. He followed this with The Getting of Wisdom (1977).

Success with the South Australian Film Corporation

Bruce Beresford worked with the South Australian Film Corporation. He wrote and directed a thriller called Money Movers (1979). He also helped direct Blue Fin (1978).

His film Breaker Morant (1980) was a big success. It earned him an Oscar nomination and was noticed in Hollywood. This led to offers for him to direct films in the United States. He then directed The Club (1980) and Puberty Blues (1981).

Working in the United States

Beresford's first major US film was Tender Mercies (1983). The main actor, Robert Duvall, won an Oscar for his role. Bruce Beresford himself was nominated for Best Director.

He then directed King David (1985), starring Richard Gere. After this, he returned to Australia to direct The Fringe Dwellers (1986). In the US, he directed Crimes of the Heart (1986) and the comedy thriller Her Alibi (1989).

Driving Miss Daisy

In 1989, Bruce Beresford directed Driving Miss Daisy. This film starred Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture, which is the highest honor in film. The movie was very popular and received great reviews.

Even though the film won Best Picture, Beresford was not nominated for Best Director. He said he didn't mind because he felt the writing was so good that his job was mainly to film it well.

He continued to direct many films, including Mister Johnson (1990) and Black Robe (1991). He also directed Silent Fall (1994), which was nominated for an award at the Berlin Film Festival. In 1997, he directed Paradise Road in Australia. He then had a big hit with the thriller Double Jeopardy (1999).

Later Films and Opera Work

Beresford continued making films such as Evelyn (2002) with Pierce Brosnan. He also directed And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003) for TV, starring Antonio Banderas.

In 2009, he directed Mao's Last Dancer, which was filmed in Australia and the US. His later works include Peace, Love & Misunderstanding (2011) with Jane Fonda. He also directed episodes for TV series like Bonnie & Clyde (2013) and Roots (2017). In 2016, he directed Mr. Church with Eddie Murphy. His recent Australian film is Ladies in Black (2018).

Besides films, Bruce Beresford has directed several operas and theater shows. In 1996, he directed the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He also directed operas like Albert Herring in 2016 and Die tote Stadt for Opera Australia in 2012. In 2018, he directed the first Australian performance of Rossini's Otello.

Personal Life

Bruce Beresford's second wife is the novelist Virginia Duigan. She is the sister of film director and editor John Duigan. Bruce Beresford has five adult children. He now works in both Australia and the United States.

He went to university with many famous people. These include writer Germaine Greer, journalist Bob Ellis, and poet Les Murray. He was also close friends with the Australian comedian Barry Humphries.

Filmography