Mary Harron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Harron
Harron in 2019
Born	(1953-01-12) January 12, 1953 (age 72) Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, producer, critic
Years active	1987–present
Spouse(s)	John C. Walsh
Children	2
Parent(s)	Don Harron

Mary Harron (born January 12, 1953) is a Canadian film director and writer. She is known for directing and co-writing films like The Notorious Bettie Page and I Shot Andy Warhol. Her movies often explore interesting characters and stories.

Early Life and Education

Mary Harron was born in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. She grew up in a family deeply connected to the arts. Her father, Don Harron, was a Canadian actor, comedian, and director. Her first stepmother, Virginia Leith, was an actress who inspired Mary's interest in filmmaking. Her stepfather, Stephen Vizinczey, is a novelist.

When she was thirteen, Mary moved to England. She later attended St Anne's College at Oxford University, where she studied English. While in England, she met people who later became important politicians. After college, she moved to New York City and became part of the exciting punk music scene of the 1970s.

Creative Inspirations

From a young age, Mary Harron was exposed to many different kinds of art and films. Her parents often took her to see "art films" that might not usually be shown to children. She has said that famous directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Ingmar Bergman, and Satyajit Ray were big influences on her when she was about ten years old.

When she was a teenager in London, she went to the National Film Theatre. There, she discovered international filmmakers such as Fritz Lang and Roman Polanski. She also enjoyed "noir" films, which are dark and mysterious movies. As an adult, she was inspired by independent films like Blue Velvet and The Piano. She found these films exciting because they were new and different from typical Hollywood movies.

Career Highlights

Early Writing and Documentaries

In New York, Mary Harron helped start and write for Punk magazine. She was a music journalist and was the first to interview the famous band the Sex Pistols for an American magazine. She was very involved in the early punk scene in America.

Later, in the 1980s, she worked as a critic for newspapers in London, writing about drama and music. In the late 1980s, she began her film career by writing and directing documentaries for the BBC.

In the 1990s, Harron returned to New York. She worked as a producer for PBS's Edge, a TV show about American pop culture. During this time, she became interested in the story of Valerie Solanas, a woman who attempted to harm the famous artist Andy Warhol. Harron decided to make a film about Solanas, which became her first feature movie.

I Shot Andy Warhol

Mary Harron's first feature film, I Shot Andy Warhol, came out in 1996. It tells the story of Valerie Solanas and her attempt to harm Andy Warhol. Harron was fascinated by Solanas's life because she felt Solanas was misunderstood and forgotten. She wanted to explore why someone so brilliant could have such a difficult life.

Harron also found Andy Warhol interesting. She said that Warhol was the most famous artist in the world when she was growing up. She felt that the shooting incident was a major turning point in Warhol's life. The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and received an award nomination at the Sundance Film Festival.

The Notorious Bettie Page

In 2005, Harron directed The Notorious Bettie Page. This film stars Gretchen Mol as Bettie Page, a very popular model from the 1950s. The movie shows Bettie's life, from her religious upbringing to becoming a famous figure. Harron explained that Bettie Page was an inspiring person because she was independent and did what she wanted. However, Harron also said that Bettie didn't see herself as a rebel or a "feminist heroine."

The Moth Diaries

The Moth Diaries (2011) is Mary Harron's fourth feature film. It is based on a novel and is a "gothic coming-of-age story." The film is about a group of girls at a boarding school who start to suspect that a new student might be a vampire. Harron described the film as exploring the complex friendships between teenage girls as they grow up.

Charlie Says

In 2018, Harron directed Charlie Says. This film tells the true story of three young women who were followers of a dangerous leader named Charles Manson. The movie shows how these women came to understand the serious nature of their actions while they were in prison. Harron was interested in the psychological reasons why the women committed their crimes, including how they were influenced by Manson and their feelings of loyalty to each other.

Dalíland

Dalíland is a 2022 film directed by Mary Harron. The screenplay was written by her husband, John C. Walsh. The movie is set in the 1970s and focuses on the marriage between the famous painter Salvador Dalí and his wife, Gala Dalí. Ben Kingsley plays Salvador Dalí in the film.

Other Projects

Besides her feature films, Mary Harron has also worked on other projects. She was an executive producer for The Weather Underground, a documentary about political activists from the 1970s. She has also directed episodes for several television series, including Oz, Six Feet Under, and The L Word.

Mary Harron's Perspectives

Mary Harron is often called a feminist filmmaker because her movies sometimes feature strong female characters or explore women's issues. However, she has said that while she is a feminist and is thankful for the feminist movement, she doesn't make films with a specific political message. She believes that women and gay men often understand her films better, perhaps because they feel less threatened by the topics she explores.

When asked about being Canadian, Harron said she feels "just not American." She believes that being Canadian means you don't think you are at the very center of everything. She also feels that, unlike some American directors, she doesn't try to tell people what to do with her films. Instead, she is interested in showing different sides of a story. Even though her films deal with serious topics, she doesn't focus on violence or gore.

Personal Life

Mary Harron lives in New York with her husband, filmmaker John C. Walsh. They have two daughters.

Filmography

Film

Executive producer

• The Weather Underground (2002) (Documentary)
• The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)

Researcher

• BBC documentary on Andy Warhol

Television

Awards and Recognitions

Images for kids

• 

  Mary Harron in 2019

See also

In Spanish: Mary Harron para niños

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