Mary Agnes Donoghue facts for kids

Mary Agnes Donoghue (born March 26, 1943, in Queens, New York) is an American writer and director. She is known for writing movies like Beaches and White Oleander. She also directed films such as Paradise and Jenny's Wedding.

About Mary Agnes Donoghue

Mary Agnes Donoghue was born in Queens, a part of New York City. Before she became a famous writer, she worked in different office jobs. She also enjoyed writing short stories and poems. Mary Agnes was married to a writer and journalist named Chris Robbins. He passed away in 2012.

Her Career in Film and Theater

Mary Agnes Donoghue started her career in movies in 1984. Her first film as a writer was a romantic comedy-drama called The Buddy System. It starred famous actors Richard Dreyfuss and Susan Sarandon.

Writing Beaches

In 1988, Mary Agnes wrote the movie Beaches. This film was based on a book by Iris Rainer Dart. It starred Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. During the making of Beaches, the director, Garry Marshall, wanted changes to the script. Mary Agnes did not agree, so she was briefly replaced. However, the new script was not good, and her original writing was brought back.

Directing and Writing Paradise

Mary Agnes Donoghue wrote the movie Paradise in 1991. This film was special because it was also her first time directing a movie. She learned that directing was a challenging job.

Working on Deceived

In the same year, she helped write and produce a movie called Deceived. Mary Agnes said she was interested in the idea of a person realizing they don't know everything about their own life or the people in it.

Her Play and Later Films

Two years later, Mary Agnes wrote her first play, called Me and Mamie O'Rourke. It was shown in London and featured British comedians Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

In the 2000s, she wrote the movie White Oleander (2002). This film was based on a popular book. She also helped write Veronica Guerin (2003). This movie tells the true story of an Irish journalist who showed great bravery. Mary Agnes called it "a story about personal courage."

Her most recent film is Jenny's Wedding, released in 2015. For this movie, Mary Agnes was the writer, director, and producer. The film starred Katherine Heigl.

Mary Agnes Donoghue's Films

• The Buddy System (1984) – Writer
• Beaches (1988) – Writer
• Paradise (1991) – Writer and Director
• Deceived (1991) – Co-writer and Co-producer
• White Oleander (2002) – Writer
• Veronica Guerin (2003) – Co-writer
• Jenny's Wedding (2015) – Writer, Director, and Producer

See also

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