Noah Baumbach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Noah Baumbach
Baumbach in 2017
Born	(1969-09-03) September 3, 1969 (age 55) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Vassar College (AB)
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Jennifer Jason Leigh ​ ​ (m. 2005; div. 2013)​ Greta Gerwig ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Jonathan Baumbach (father)
Signature

Noah Baumbach, born on September 3, 1969, is an American filmmaker. He is known for making funny movies, often set in New York City. His films are inspired by other directors like Woody Allen and Whit Stillman.

He often works with Wes Anderson, Adam Driver, and his wife, Greta Gerwig. Baumbach has been nominated for many awards. These include four Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Baumbach first became known for his early films. These include Kicking and Screaming (1995) and Mr. Jealousy (1997). His big breakthrough film was The Squid and the Whale (2005). This movie earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination.

He started working with Greta Gerwig on Greenberg (2010). They continued to work together on Frances Ha (2013), Mistress America (2015), White Noise (2022), and Barbie (2023).

Other films he directed include Margot at the Wedding (2007) and While We're Young (2014). He also made The Meyerowitz Stories (2017). His film Marriage Story (2019) was nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture. Baumbach also received his second Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination for it.

For the film Barbie (2023), he co-wrote the script with Greta Gerwig. This earned him his third screenplay nomination for Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also co-wrote The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) with Wes Anderson.

Early Life and Education

Noah Baumbach was born on September 3, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York City. His father, Jonathan Baumbach, was an author and a film critic. His mother, Georgia Brown, was also a film critic and writer.

His parents divorced when he was a teenager. This experience inspired his 2005 film The Squid and the Whale. Baumbach has three siblings.

He grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn. From a young age, he knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. Some films that influenced him include The Jerk, Animal House, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Baumbach graduated from Midwood High School in Brooklyn in 1987. He then earned a degree in English from Vassar College in 1991. While at Vassar, he was roommates with Jason Blum, who later produced Baumbach's first film. After college, he worked briefly as a messenger at The New Yorker magazine.

Filmmaking Career

Early Independent Films

Baumbach made his first film, Kicking and Screaming, in 1995. It is a comedy about four young men who finish college but don't want to grow up. The film premiered at the New York Film Festival.

Critics praised the film's smart dialogue. Roger Ebert said Baumbach had "a terrific ear" for conversation. Many reviews noted that the story was simple, but this fit the characters' stage of life.

In 1997, Baumbach wrote and directed Mr. Jealousy. This film is about a writer who is so jealous of his girlfriend that he secretly joins her ex-boyfriend's therapy group. He also co-wrote and directed Highball. However, Baumbach later said he was not happy with Highball because it was rushed and not finished properly.

Collaborations and Breakthrough Films

In 2004, Baumbach worked with director Wes Anderson. They co-wrote the script for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The next year, Baumbach released his fourth film, The Squid and the Whale (2005). This movie was a comedy-drama inspired by his own childhood and his parents' divorce in the 1980s.

The Squid and the Whale became a big success with critics. It won two awards at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Baumbach also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Baumbach wrote and directed Margot at the Wedding in 2007. It starred his wife at the time, Jennifer Jason Leigh, along with Nicole Kidman and Jack Black. The film is about a woman visiting her sister before her wedding.

In 2009, Baumbach co-wrote the script for Fantastic Mr. Fox with Wes Anderson. This animated film was based on a book by Roald Dahl. It was made using stop-motion animation. The film was highly praised by critics and was nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards.

Working with Greta Gerwig

Dustin Hoffman, Baumbach, Emma Thompson, Ben Stiller, and Adam Sandler at the Cannes Film Festival screening of The Meyerowitz Stories in 2017

His film Greenberg came out in March 2010. It starred Ben Stiller and Greta Gerwig. Baumbach and Jennifer Jason Leigh came up with the story for this film.

In 2012, Baumbach directed Frances Ha. He co-wrote this comedic drama with Greta Gerwig, who also starred in it. The film was shot in black-and-white. Critics compared its style to films by Woody Allen. Gerwig received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her acting.

Baumbach often writes about people from the East Coast. He also co-wrote the script for the animated movie Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.

He wrote and directed While We're Young in 2014. It starred Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, and Amanda Seyfried. This film earned more money than all of Baumbach's previous films in the United States.

In 2015, he directed and co-wrote Mistress America, starring Greta Gerwig. That same year, he co-directed De Palma, a documentary about filmmaker Brian De Palma.

In 2017, The Meyerowitz Stories was released on Netflix. The film is about a complicated family and stars Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, and Emma Thompson. Critics gave the film very good reviews, praising its humor and the actors' performances.

Baumbach (right) speaking after a screening of Marriage Story in November 2019

In 2019, Baumbach wrote, produced, and directed Marriage Story. The film shows a couple in show business going through an emotional divorce. It starred Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. Laura Dern won an Academy Award for her supporting role in the film.

Marriage Story was highly praised and is considered one of Baumbach's best works. It received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Recent Work

Baumbach's film White Noise was released in 2022. It was based on a 1985 book by Don DeLillo. This film brought him together again with Greta Gerwig and Adam Driver. It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival.

In 2023, Baumbach worked with Gerwig again. They co-wrote the script for her film Barbie. The movie starred Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Barbie was released on July 21, 2023, and was a huge success, earning over $1.4 billion worldwide. Baumbach and Gerwig received many nominations for their screenplay, including an Academy Award.

His next film, Jay Kelly, is described as a "coming-of-age story about adults." It will star George Clooney and Adam Sandler.

Style and Influences

Baumbach has said that filmmaker Woody Allen was a "huge influence" on him. He mentioned films like Manhattan as important to his work.

He has also been influenced by other directors like Robert Altman and Steven Spielberg. Baumbach enjoys screwball comedies from the 1930s and 1940s. His favorite film of all time is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Baumbach likes the music of electronic bands like New Order. He tried to use music that sounded like them in his film Mistress America (2015). He also finds inspiration in music by David Bowie and Paul McCartney.

Personal Life

Baumbach met actress Jennifer Jason Leigh in 2001. They married on September 2, 2005. They have a son named Rohmer. Leigh filed for divorce in 2010, and it was finalized in September 2013.

Baumbach's relationship with actress, writer, and director Greta Gerwig began in late 2011. They met while working on the film Greenberg. They have two sons, born in March 2019 and February 2023. Baumbach and Gerwig got married in December 2023.

Filmography

Film

Executive producer

• She's Funny that Way (2014)

Acting roles

Television

Awards and Nominations

Noah Baumbach has been nominated for four Academy Awards. These nominations were for his films The Squid and the Whale (2005), Marriage Story (2019), and Barbie (2023).

He has also received nominations from other major awards. These include the Golden Globe Awards, British Academy Film Awards, and Critics Choice Movie Awards. He has been nominated for five Independent Spirit Film Awards and won two of them.

See also

In Spanish: Noah Baumbach para niños