Jonathan Demme facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonathan Demme
Demme at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in 2010
Born	Robert Jonathan Demme (1944-02-22)February 22, 1944 Baldwin, New York, U.S.
Died	April 26, 2017(2017-04-26) (aged 73) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Florida
Occupation	Film director film producer screenwriter
Years active	1968–2017
Works	Full List
Spouse(s)	Joanne Howard Evelyn Purcell
Children	3
Relatives	Ted Demme (nephew)
Awards	Academy Award for Best Director (1992) Other accolades: Full List

Jonathan Demme (born February 22, 1944 – died April 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker. He was a director, producer, and screenwriter. He started his career making low-budget films.

Demme became famous for movies like Melvin and Howard (1980) and Something Wild (1986). He won an Academy Award for Best Director for the movie The Silence of the Lambs (1991). He also directed other well-known films such as Philadelphia (1993) and Rachel Getting Married (2008).

Besides feature films, Demme directed many concert movies. These include Stop Making Sense (1984) and Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids (2016). He also worked on several TV shows.

Early Life and Education

Jonathan Demme was born in Baldwin, New York, on February 22, 1944. His mother was Dorothy Louise, and his father was Robert Eugene Demme. His father worked in public relations.

Jonathan grew up in Rockville Centre, New York, and Miami. He went to Southwest Miami High School. Later, he studied at the University of Florida.

Jonathan Demme's Film Career

Starting in Film

Demme began his film career working for Roger Corman. Corman was known for making "B-movies," which are low-budget films. Demme helped write and produce early movies like Angels Hard as They Come (1971).

He then directed three films for Corman's studio, New World Pictures. These were Caged Heat (1974), Crazy Mama (1975), and Fighting Mad (1976). After these, Demme directed the comedy Handle with Care (1977). Critics liked this film, but it did not do well at the box office.

Breakthrough Films

Demme's film Melvin and Howard (1980) was highly praised by critics. It won two Academy Awards, including one for Mary Steenburgen as Best Supporting Actress. This success led him to direct Swing Shift (1984), starring Goldie Hawn. However, this movie had problems during production and was not well-received.

After Swing Shift, Demme directed the concert film Stop Making Sense (1984). This film won an award for best documentary. He then made the action-comedy Something Wild (1986). He also directed Swimming to Cambodia (1987) and the comedy Married to the Mob (1988).

In 1987, Demme started his own production company, Clinica Estetico. He worked with producers Edward Saxon and Peter Saraf.

Award-Winning Work

Jonathan Demme won an Academy Award for directing The Silence of the Lambs (1991). This movie was one of only three films to win all the major Academy Awards.

Inspired by a friend's illness, Demme then directed Philadelphia (1993). This was one of the first major films to talk about the AIDS crisis. Tom Hanks won his first Best Actor Oscar for his role in this movie. Demme also co-directed the music video for Bruce Springsteen's song "Streets of Philadelphia" from the film.

Later, Demme directed an adaptation of Toni Morrison's book Beloved (1998). He also remade two films from the 1960s: The Truth About Charlie (2002) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004).

His film Rachel Getting Married (2008) was very popular with critics. It earned many awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Anne Hathaway as Best Actress.

Demme's last project was a history of rock and roll for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also directed music videos for artists like New Order and Bruce Springsteen.

Directing Style

From 1986 to 2004, Demme was known for using dramatic close-ups in his films. In these scenes, characters often looked directly into the camera. Demme said he did this to help viewers feel like they were in the character's place.

Starting with Rachel Getting Married (2008), Demme began using a more documentary-like style of filmmaking. He also often cast the same actors and musicians in many of his movies. These included Charles Napier, Mary Steenburgen, and Roger Corman.

Other famous directors, like Paul Thomas Anderson, have said that Jonathan Demme greatly influenced their work.

Political and Social Activism

Demme was involved in many projects that supported important causes. In 1981, he directed commercials for a group called People for the American Way. These commercials promoted freedom of expression.

In 1985, he directed a video for Artists United Against Apartheid. This video featured many international musicians. They called for a boycott of a resort in South Africa to protest Apartheid, a system of racial segregation.

His documentary Haiti Dreams of Democracy (1988) showed Haiti's efforts to build a democracy. His film The Agronomist (2008) told the story of Jean Dominique, a Haitian journalist and human rights activist. Demme also spent six years on the documentary I'm Carolyn Parker (2011). This film highlighted efforts to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Personal Life

Jonathan Demme was married twice, first to Evelyn Purcell and then to Joanne Howard. He had three children: Ramona, Brooklyn, and Jos. His nephew, Ted Demme, was also a film director.

Demme was a big fan and collector of Haitian art. In 2014, he held an auction to sell many pieces from his collection. Much of the money went to a cultural center in Port-au-Prince.

Death

Jonathan Demme passed away at his home in Manhattan on April 26, 2017. He was 73 years old. He died from complications related to esophageal cancer and heart disease.

Many directors dedicated their films to Demme's memory. These include Brady Corbet's Vox Lux (2018) and Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread (2017).

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Jonathan Demme para niños