Catherine Hardwicke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Catherine Hardwicke
Catherine Hardwicke in 2009
Born	Helen Catherine Hardwicke (1955-10-21) October 21, 1955 (age 69) Harlingen, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	UCLA
Occupation	Film director, production designer, screenwriter
Years active	1986–present

Helen Catherine Hardwicke (born October 21, 1955) is an American film director, production designer, and screenwriter. She is known for directing movies like Thirteen (2003), Lords of Dogtown (2005), and Twilight (2008). Her films often explore the challenges and emotions of teenagers.

Early Life and Creative Start

Catherine Hardwicke was born in Harlingen, Texas on October 21, 1955. She grew up in McAllen, Texas, where her family had a farm. As a child, she didn't go to many movies. She felt there weren't many cultural places nearby. However, she found other ways to have fun. She describes her childhood as wonderful. She even hopes to make a movie about it someday.

Catherine graduated from McAllen High School. She then went to the University of Texas at Austin. There, she earned a degree in architecture. After college, she designed a solar townhouse complex. This project was built on land owned by her father.

Learning and Growing in Film

After studying architecture, Catherine Hardwicke felt she needed more creative freedom. She said that architecture school didn't encourage her unique ideas. So, she moved to Los Angeles. She studied at UCLA film school to explore her artistic talents.

While at UCLA, Catherine made her first short film. It was for her brother Jack's wedding. In the 1980s, she made an award-winning short film called Puppy Does the Gumbo. This film won a Nissan Focus Award. It was also shown in the Landmark Best of UCLA film program.

Becoming a Film Director

Catherine Hardwicke started her career as a production designer. This means she was in charge of the look of a movie. She worked with famous directors like Cameron Crowe and Richard Linklater. She learned a lot from them. She watched their techniques and got advice on filmmaking.

She often told directors she wanted to make her own movies. They were very helpful and gave her tips. Being a production designer helped her become a director. She learned how movies are made by working closely with directors. She even worked with director Lisa Cholodenko on the film Laurel Canyon (2002). Catherine also worked on her own projects. She wrote scripts, made short films, and learned editing software. She even took acting classes to understand actors better.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Catherine was a production designer for many films. These included Tombstone (1993), Tank Girl (1995), and Three Kings (1999). In 2000, she worked on Vanilla Sky (2001) with director Cameron Crowe.

Directing Thirteen (2003)

Catherine Hardwicke's first film as a director was Thirteen. She worked on it with Nikki Reed, who was fourteen at the time. Nikki wrote the story based on her own teenage experiences. Catherine had known Nikki since she was five years old.

Catherine noticed Nikki changing a lot when she turned thirteen. Nikki became angry with her family and herself. Catherine thought spending time with Nikki might help. During their time together, Nikki shared her interest in acting. This sparked the idea for Thirteen. They wrote the script in just six days during a school break. Catherine wanted to make the film quickly. She felt it captured a specific moment in time. She also wanted Nikki to be in it because her energy was inspiring. Evan Rachel Wood also starred in the movie.

The film shows the challenges of modern teenagers. A young teen named Tracy starts to make difficult choices. She meets Evie, a girl she wants to impress. Tracy changes herself to fit in with Evie's group. The film explores how teenagers try to fit in. Tracy's mother, Melanie, tries to be her friend but struggles with Tracy's changes. The movie also shows the ups and downs of female friendships. Thirteen was praised by critics. Holly Hunter, who played Melanie, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Catherine Hardwicke won the directing award at the Sundance in 2003 for this film.

Directing Lords of Dogtown (2005)

After Thirteen, Catherine directed Lords of Dogtown. This movie tells a fictional story about skateboarding culture. It is based on a documentary called Dogtown and Z-Boys. Catherine lived in Venice Beach and knew many of the real-life skateboarders. She used her own experiences to direct the film.

Lords of Dogtown is based on a true story. It follows young skateboarders like Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, and Jay Adams. They changed the world of skateboarding. In the 1970s, California had a drought. People emptied their swimming pools. A group of surfers in Santa Monica started skateboarding in these empty pools. Their board designer, Skip Engblom, formed a skate team called the Z-boys. The boys became famous and appeared in magazines.

As they gained fame, the Z-boys started to get offers from big skateboarding companies. One by one, they left their original team. Stacy, Jay, and Tony became rivals as they competed. They started skateboarding for money, losing their original passion. The film shows how teenagers find their passions and identities. It also explores teenage rebellion. Catherine said the film was not meant to compete with the documentary. Instead, it showed the story from the point of view of those who lived it. The film was praised for its skateboarding scenes and camera work.

Directing The Nativity Story (2006)

In 2006, Catherine Hardwicke directed The Nativity Story. This was a biblical film for New Line Cinema. She was unsure about directing it at first. She worried about finding a new way to tell the story. But after some research, she changed her mind. She learned that Mary was likely 13 or 14 years old. This made her think about how modern teenagers would react to such an event. She also explored the challenges faced by Joseph.

Catherine wanted a young actress to play Mary. She also wanted an actress who looked like she could be from the Middle East. She cast Keisha Castle-Hughes, a young actress from New Zealand. Keisha had been nominated for an Oscar for her role in Whale Rider (2002).

Directing Twilight (2008)

Catherine Hardwicke directed the film Twilight. It was based on Stephenie Meyer's popular book. The movie became a huge success around the world. Twilight is about a teenage girl named Bella Swan. She moves to a small town in Washington to live with her father. Her life changes when she falls for a handsome young vampire. The film and its stars became very popular with fans.

Catherine filmed Twilight in 44 days with a budget of $37 million. The budget was smaller than planned due to issues with the book's rights. Her main actress, Kristen Stewart, was under 18. This meant she could only work a few hours each day. This slowed down filming. But Catherine believed Kristen was perfect for the role of Bella. Casting Edward Cullen was harder. He needed to look like a high school student but also seem wise from a long life. Catherine found Robert Pattinson unique and deep enough for the part.

Twilight earned over $400 million worldwide. This made Catherine the most successful woman film director at the time. However, she felt she was not treated the same as men who directed big hit movies. She said, "I definitely wasn't treated like men who had directed a blockbuster that launched a franchise."

There were rumors about problems between Catherine and the studio. In 2008, it was announced she would not direct the Twilight sequel, New Moon. Catherine said it was her choice. She turned down the second film because the studio wanted to rush it. She said she liked the first book the best. After Twilight, Catherine went on to direct Red Riding Hood.

Other Films and TV Shows

Catherine Hardwicke's next film was Red Riding Hood (2011). It was a new version of the classic fairy tale. She imagined it as a story about growing up. In this film, the wolf is a werewolf living among the townspeople. The village becomes suspicious of everyone. Gary Oldman plays a character who helps solve the mystery. Amanda Seyfried plays Red Riding Hood.

In 2013, Catherine directed the thriller Plush. It was about a young female rock musician and her band. The film starred Emily Browning and Cam Gigandet. Plush was not as successful as Twilight or Thirteen.

Also in 2013, Catherine directed the pilot episode for the TV show Reckless. It was a legal drama for CBS. She also served as an executive producer for the show.

In 2015, Catherine directed Miss You Already. This was a British-American comedy-drama. It starred Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette. They played best friends who face challenges when one gets cancer and the other becomes pregnant. The film was shown at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

Catherine directed Miss Bala in 2019. It was an American-Mexican action-drama-thriller. This film was a remake of a 2011 movie. It starred Gina Rodriguez. However, Miss Bala did not do well with critics or at the box office.

In 2022, Catherine Hardwicke directed Prisoner's Daughter. This drama starred Kate Beckinsale and Brian Cox. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Common Themes in Her Films

A common theme in Catherine Hardwicke's movies is "teen angst." This means the strong feelings and challenges that come with being a teenager. Her films, especially Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown, show these struggles in a realistic way.

In Thirteen, she shows the difficulties of girls growing from adolescence into adulthood. Lords of Dogtown focuses on boys growing up in Venice, California. Catherine often casts young actors from independent films. She says she gets believable performances by respecting their creativity and spending time with them.

Catherine Hardwicke takes teenage problems seriously. She wants to show these difficult emotional moments on screen. Her films are known for showing the real lives and feelings of teenagers.

Other Work and Recognition

Catherine Hardwicke has worked with many popular young stars from the 2000s. These include Evan Rachel Wood, Nikki Reed (from Thirteen), Emile Hirsch (from Lords of Dogtown), Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner (from Twilight). Many of these actors had their first big roles in her successful films.

Her films are often described as having a "dark" story and mood. In 2009, she received the Women in Film Dorothy Arzner Directors Award. This award recognizes women directors.

In 2012, Catherine helped create a public service announcement. It was for the National Women's History Museum. Catherine came up with the idea and helped write the script for the announcement.

Filmography

Film

Short film

• The Black Ghiandola (2017) (Co-directed with Sam Raimi and Theodore Melfi)

Television

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Catherine Hardwicke para niños

• List of female film and television directors
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women