Catherine Hardwicke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Catherine Hardwicke
Hardwicke in 2009
Born	Harlingen, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	UCLA
Occupation	Film director, production designer, screenwriter
Years active	1986–present

Catherine Hardwicke is an American film director, production designer, and screenwriter. She is known for directing movies like Thirteen (2003), Lords of Dogtown (2005), The Nativity Story (2006), and the very popular Twilight (2008). She has also directed Red Riding Hood (2011), Plush (2013), Miss You Already (2015), Miss Bala (2019), Prisoner's Daughter (2022), and Mafia Mamma (2023).

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

Catherine Hardwicke was born in Harlingen, Texas. She grew up in McAllen, near the U.S.–Mexico border. Her family owned a farm there. Catherine described her childhood in McAllen as "wild" but also "wonderful." She didn't go to many movies as a child because there weren't many theaters or museums nearby. However, she found other ways to have fun. She has said she would love to make a movie about her early life.

She finished high school at McAllen High School. Then, she went to the University of Texas at Austin. There, she studied architecture. She designed a solar townhouse complex for her father's property after graduating.

From Architecture to Film School

After studying architecture, Catherine felt she had too much creativity for that field. She said, "I was a little out there for architecture school." She felt limited in what she could create.

So, Catherine moved to Los Angeles. She decided to study at UCLA film school. This allowed her to explore her creative talents more freely. While at UCLA in the 1980s, she made a short film called Puppy Does the Gumbo. This film won an award and was shown in a special UCLA film program.

Becoming a Film Director

Catherine Hardwicke started her career as a production designer. This meant she helped design the look of movies. She worked with famous directors like Cameron Crowe and Richard Linklater. She learned a lot from them by watching their techniques and talking with them. She often told them she wanted to direct her own movies, and they gave her helpful advice.

Working as a production designer was very important for her directing career. It gave her a good sense of how movies are made. She also worked on her own projects, like writing scripts and making short films. She even took acting classes to become a better director.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Catherine was the 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 movie as a director was Thirteen. She worked on the story with Nikki Reed, who was 14 years old at the time. Nikki shared her own teenage experiences, which helped shape the script. Catherine had known Nikki since she was five.

Catherine noticed Nikki changing a lot when she turned thirteen. She became angry with her family and herself. Catherine thought that spending time with Nikki might help. During their time together, Nikki mentioned she was interested in acting. This sparked the idea for Thirteen. They wrote the script very quickly, in just six days.

The film is about a young teen named Tracy who starts middle school. She meets Evie, a girl she wants to impress. Tracy changes her "normal" self to fit in with Evie's exciting group. The movie shows the challenges of growing up and forming your identity. It also explores female friendships, like the one between Tracy and Evie, and Tracy and her mother, Melanie.

Thirteen was praised by critics. Holly Hunter, who played Tracy's mother, 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 the early days of skateboarding. It was based on a documentary called Dogtown and Z-Boys by Stacy Peralta. Catherine knew the real-life Z-Boys from surfing in Venice Beach, where she lived.

The film follows young Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, and Jay Adams. In the 1970s, during a drought in California, people emptied their swimming pools. A group of surfers in Santa Monica started skateboarding in these empty pools. Their board designer, Skip Englblom, created a skate team called the Z-boys. As they became famous, the boys started getting offers from big skateboarding companies. They left the team one by one, becoming celebrities and rivals.

Lords of Dogtown explores themes of teenage challenges and finding your identity. Catherine wanted the film to show the characters' experiences as they lived them. The movie was praised for its skateboarding scenes and camera work.

Directing The Nativity Story (2006)

In 2006, Catherine directed The Nativity Story, a biblical film. She was unsure about taking on the project at first. But she changed her mind after learning that Mary was likely only 13 or 14 years old. She thought about how amazing and challenging that would be for a young girl. She also wanted to show the difficulties Joseph faced.

Catherine wanted a young actress who looked Middle Eastern to play Mary. She cast Keisha Castle-Hughes, a New Zealand actress of Māori descent, who had starred in Whale Rider (2002).

Directing Twilight (2008)

Catherine Hardwicke directed the film Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's popular book. This movie was a huge success around the world. Twilight tells the story of Bella Swan, a teenage girl who 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 actors became very popular with fans worldwide.

Catherine filmed Twilight in just 44 days with a budget of $37 million. It was challenging because the main actress, Kristen Stewart, was a minor. This meant she could only work a few hours each day. However, Catherine believed Kristen was perfect for the role of Bella. Casting Edward Cullen was also difficult. Catherine chose Robert Pattinson because she found him unique and deep enough for the part.

Twilight earned over $400 million globally. This made Catherine the most successful woman film director at the time. Despite the film's success, Catherine felt she wasn't treated the same as male directors who had directed big blockbuster movies.

Catherine decided not to direct the Twilight sequel, New Moon. She said it was her choice because the studio wanted to rush the second film. She preferred the first book the most.

Directing Red Riding Hood (2011)

Her next film was Red Riding Hood. This movie was a new version of the classic fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood". Catherine reimagined it as a story about growing up. The film shows the wolf as a werewolf who lives among the townspeople. The village becomes suspicious of everyone as they try to solve the mystery. Amanda Seyfried played Red Riding Hood, with Max Irons and Shiloh Fernandez as her love interests.

Directing Plush (2013)

In 2013, Catherine Hardwicke directed the thriller Plush. The film followed a young female rock musician and her band. It starred Emily Browning, Cam Gigandet, and Frances Fisher. Plush was not as successful as her previous films.

Directing Miss You Already (2015)

Catherine directed the comedy-drama Miss You Already in 2015. The movie starred Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette. They played best friends whose friendship faces challenges when one is diagnosed with cancer and the other becomes pregnant. The film was shown at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

Directing Miss Bala (2019)

In 2019, Catherine directed Miss Bala. This was a remake of a 2011 film. It starred Gina Rodriguez and Anthony Mackie. The movie was released on February 1, 2019.

Directing Prisoner's Daughter (2022)

Catherine Hardwicke directed Prisoner's Daughter, a drama film. It starred Kate Beckinsale and Brian Cox. The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2022.

Common Themes in Her Films

A common theme in Catherine Hardwicke's movies, especially Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown, is the challenges of being a teenager. These films show the difficulties that come with growing up and becoming an adult in a realistic way. In Thirteen, she shows girls growing into women. Lords of Dogtown focuses on boys growing up in Venice, California.

Catherine often casts young actors from independent films. She believes in respecting their creativity. She says she spends a lot of time "just hanging out" with them to get believable performances. She cares about showing difficult emotional moments in her films. Her movies are known for their realistic portrayal of teen lives and feelings.

Other Projects and Recognition

Catherine Hardwicke has worked with many popular young actors 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 big breakthrough roles in her successful films.

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 for the National Women's History Museum. She came up with the idea and helped write the script for it.

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