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Curtis Hanson
Curtis Hanson.JPG
Hanson at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival
Born
Curtis Lee Hanson

(1945-03-24)March 24, 1945
Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Died September 20, 2016(2016-09-20) (aged 71)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation
  • Director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
Years active 1970–2012
Notable work
 The Dunwich Horror
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
The River Wild
L.A. Confidential
Wonder Boys
8 Mile
In Her Shoes

Curtis Lee Hanson (born March 24, 1945 – died September 20, 2016) was an American filmmaker. He was a talented director, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Reno, Nevada, Hanson grew up in Los Angeles. He started his career in the 1970s, first helping to write films. Later, he began directing his own movies.

Hanson became very well-known for directing successful films like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), The River Wild (1994), and L.A. Confidential (1997). He also directed Wonder Boys (2000), 8 Mile (2002), and In Her Shoes (2005).

For his work on L.A. Confidential, Hanson won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1998. He shared this award with Brian Helgeland. He was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for the same film. Hanson continued to make films until 2012. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 71.

Early life and beginnings

Hanson was born in Reno, Nevada. He grew up in Los Angeles, California. His mother was a real estate agent, and his father was a teacher. Hanson left high school early. He then found work as a photographer and editor for Cinema magazine. This was his first step into the world of film.

Film career highlights

Starting out: 1970 to 1982

In 1970, Curtis Hanson helped write The Dunwich Horror. This film was based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft.

In 1973, Hanson wrote and directed his first movie, Sweet Kill. He wanted to make a modern horror film. He later said that making this film was a difficult experience.

In 1978, Hanson helped write and produce the Canadian film The Silent Partner. This movie did very well in Canada. It won several awards, including Best Picture.

In 1980, Hanson directed The Little Dragons. In 1982, he was one of the screenwriters for White Dog. This film is about a Black dog trainer who tries to retrain a stray dog that was taught to be aggressive towards Black people. Critics praised the film for how it handled the topic of racism.

Becoming well-known: 1983 to 1994

In 1983, Hanson directed Losin' It. This was a comedy starring Tom Cruise about teenagers going to Mexico. The film did not receive good reviews.

That same year, he was a writer for Never Cry Wolf. This film received excellent reviews from critics.

In 1986, Hanson directed a TV movie called The Children of Times Square.

In 1987, Hanson directed The Bedroom Window. He worked with actors like Steve Guttenberg and Isabelle Huppert. The film received mixed but mostly positive reviews.

In 1990, Hanson directed Bad Influence, starring Rob Lowe and James Spader. Hanson said this film was similar to his earlier works. It was about a character who makes a mistake and gets into deeper trouble. The film received mixed to positive reviews.

In 1992, Hanson directed The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. This movie was a big success. It earned $140 million worldwide. It was the number one movie at the US box office for four weeks.

Continued success: 1994 to 2005

In 1994, Hanson directed the adventure film The River Wild. It starred famous actors like Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon. The film earned over $94 million around the world.

In 1997, Hanson directed the crime film L.A. Confidential. He was a big fan of the book it was based on. He worked on the script for two years with screenwriter Brian Helgeland. They cast less famous actors like Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce. This helped audiences connect with the characters without having pre-set ideas about the actors.

L.A. Confidential was a huge success with both critics and audiences. It earned $126 million and received many awards. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning two. These were for Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2015, the film was chosen to be kept in the United States National Film Registry. This means it is considered very important.

In 2000, Hanson directed Wonder Boys. This was a comedy-drama starring Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire. Hanson loved the characters in the story. He found it challenging to make the story feel focused, even though the main character seemed a bit lost. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Also in 2000, Hanson directed the music video for "Things Have Changed" by Bob Dylan. The song was written for the film Wonder Boys. Hanson used clips from the movie in the music video. This made it seem like Bob Dylan was interacting with the film's characters.

In 2002, Hanson directed 8 Mile. This was a hip hop drama starring the rapper Eminem. The film was a big hit. It received positive reviews, and critics praised Eminem's acting. It earned over $242 million worldwide.

Also in 2002, Hanson directed an episode of the TV show Greg the Bunny. He also had a small acting role in the film Adaptation.

In 2005, Hanson directed the comedy-drama In Her Shoes. It starred Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette. The film received good reviews and earned over $83 million worldwide.

Later projects and retirement: 2007 to 2014

In 2007, Hanson released Lucky You. This film was about the world of poker. It did not do well at the box office and received mostly negative reviews.

In 2010, Hanson was an executive producer for an episode of the TV show Three Rivers.

In 2011, Hanson directed the TV film Too Big to Fail. This film was about the start of the financial crisis in 2007-2010. It was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards. Hanson himself was nominated for his directing and for the film itself.

Also in 2011, Hanson was a producer for the film The Big Year.

His last film was Chasing Mavericks in 2012. Hanson had heart surgery during filming. Another director, Michael Apted, helped finish the movie. The film received mixed reviews.

In 2014, Hanson was an executive producer for a TV pilot called Hoke. However, the show was not picked up for a full series.

Curtis Hanson later retired from filmmaking. He was an active member of the Directors Guild of America. He worked to help preserve films.

Personal life

Curtis Hanson had a son named Rio with his partner, Rebecca Yeldham.

Death

Curtis Hanson passed away in 2016 at his home in Hollywood Hills. He was 71 years old.

Influences and style

Hanson often said he was greatly influenced by directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Nicholas Ray. He watched Ray's film In a Lonely Place many times while preparing to film L.A. Confidential.

Filmography

Films

Year Title Director Writer Producer
1972 Sweet Kill Yes Yes Yes
1980 The Little Dragons Yes No Yes
1983 Losin' It Yes No No
1987 The Bedroom Window Yes Yes No
1990 Bad Influence Yes No No
1992 The Hand that Rocks the Cradle Yes No No
1994 The River Wild Yes No No
1997 L.A. Confidential Yes Yes Yes
2000 Wonder Boys Yes No Yes
2002 8 Mile Yes No Yes
2005 In Her Shoes Yes No Yes
2007 Lucky You Yes Yes Yes
2012 Chasing Mavericks (with Michael Apted) Yes No Yes

Other film work

Year Title Producer Writer Other Notes
1970 The Dunwich Horror No Yes No Co-writer
1978 The Silent Partner Associate Yes No
1982 White Dog No Yes No Co-writer
1983 Never Cry Wolf No Yes No Co-writer
2002 Adaptation No No Yes Small acting role
2011 The Big Year Yes No No

Television

Year Title Director Executive
Producer		 Writer Notes
1986 The Children of Times Square Yes No Yes Television film
2002 Greg the Bunny Yes No No Episode "Piddler on the Roof"
2010 Three Rivers No Yes No Episode "Win–Loss"
2011 Too Big to Fail Yes Yes No Television film
2014 Hoke No Yes No Pilot

Music video

  • "Things Have Changed" for Bob Dylan (2000).

Awards and honors

Curtis Hanson was one of only five directors to win "The Big Four" critics awards. These awards are from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, and National Society of Film Critics.

1990s

Bad Influence

  • Nominated - Critics Award (Deauville Film Festival)

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

  • Grand Prix (Festival du Film Policier de Cognac)
  • Audience Award (Festival du Film Policier de Cognac)

L.A. Confidential

2000s

8 Mile

  • Nominated - European Screen International Award

Too Big to Fail

  • Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie
  • Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie

See also

In Spanish: Curtis Hanson para niños

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