Curtis Lee Hanson (March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His directing work included the psychological thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), the neo-noir crime film L.A. Confidential (1997), the comedy Wonder Boys (2000), the hip-hop biopic 8 Mile (2002), the romantic comedy-drama In Her Shoes (2005), and the made-for-television docudrama Too Big to Fail (2011).
For his work of L.A. Confidential, Hanson won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1998, for co-writing with Brian Helgeland, along with additional nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and for winning the Palme d'Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, and became one of the five directors (alongside Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, David Fincher, and Barry Jenkins) to ever sweep "The Big Four" critics awards (LAFCA, NBR, NYFCC, NSFC).[1] An active member of the Directors Guild of America, he was a member of the Creative Rights Committee, the President's Committee on Film Preservation, and the Film Foundation.[2]
Hanson was born in Reno, Nevada, and grew up in Los Angeles.[3] He was the son of Beverly June Curtis, a real estate agent, and Wilbur Hale "Bill" Hanson, a teacher.[4][5][6] Hanson dropped out of high school, finding work as a freelance photographer and editor for Cinema magazine.[7]
Film career[]
1970 to 1982: early writing and directing efforts[]
!n 1970, Hanson is listed among the writers of Daniel Haller's The Dunwich Horror, a film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's short story.[8]
In 1973, Hanson wrote and directed his first feature, Sweet Kill starring Tab Hunter.[9]
In 1978, Hanson wrote and was an associate producer for Daryl Duke's The Silent Partner.[10]
In 1980, Hanson directed The Little Dragons starring Chris and Pat Petersen.[11]
In 1982, Hanson was among the screenwriters of Samuel Fuller's White Dog.[12]
1983 to 1992: rise to prominence and breakthrough[]
In 1983, Hanson directed Losin' It, a comedy starring Tom Cruise.[13] That same year he was credited among the writers of Carroll Ballard's Never Cry Wolf.[14]
In 1986, Hanson directed the made-for-televisioncrimedrama filmThe Children of Times Square.[15]
In 1987, Hanson directed The Bedroom Window starring Steve Guttenberg, Isabelle Huppert, and Elizabeth McGovern.[16] The film came about, when he read the novel The Witness by Anne Holden and tried to get the film rights. They had been bought by Paramount who had them for 15 years. Hanson did a deal with the studio to write the script. Hanson says McGovern was his "only choice" for the part of Denise. "Robert De Niro was obsessed with McGovern in Once Upon a Time in America. Dudley Moore was obsessed with her in Lovesick. So it's fun to have her play a part where her beauty is secondary. At a certain point she takes over the plot. She's the victim who becomes the aggressor." Hanson decided to cast French actress Huppert for a part of an American character. "She gives the movie a little extra something," said Hanson. "Being French, she has a veneer of sophistication. She's glamorous and belongs to a world that he aspires to. Isabelle also added a contrast with Elizabeth, to whom Steve's character was initially unattracted." Hanson says Guttenberg was not his first choice for the lead but rather a suggestion of Dino De Laurentiis. "Dino thought that if the movie wasn't successful, at least he'd have a young person in the lead who is liked and is known for comedy," said Hanson. Guttenberg was very enthusiastic to do the film and Hanson agreed to cast him after they had dinner together. "I thought the picture should have his enthusiasm and his humor," Hanson said. "Steve was dying to play the part. It was something different for him. He perceived his character as more of a leading man than a comedian." Upon its original release, The Bedroom Window was met with a negative feedback by Vincent Canby in The New York Times.[17] The film subsequently received mixed to mildly positive reviews from other film critics. James Berardinelli gave the film 2 out of 4 stars and called it "a promising thriller [gone] badly wrong".[18] Jack Sommersby recommended it as "a first-rate thriller that only occasionally missteps", but reflected negatively on its story.[19] Derek Armstrong described it as "a diligent, suspenseful thriller" with "a tense, focused story", pointing out, however, the inferiority of the third act to the rest of the film as well as loose plot threads.[20] As of April 2021, the film holds a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 30 reviews with the consensus: "A likable cast and mostly solid story help The Bedroom Window transcend hollow Hitchcock pastiche."[21]
In 1990, Hanson directed Bad Influence, starring Rob Lowe and James Spader.[22] Hanson said he was "very fond" of the film but "it was an unhappy experience when that picture got released, because it coincided with that ridiculous Rob Lowe videotape scandal. Rob, who I thought was really good in the movie, had his performance overshadowed by this sort of tabloid approach to him and the movie... There were people who actually wrote in reviews that this picture had been put out to capitalize on the scandal. Which, of course, would have been impossible."[23]
In 1992 Hanson directed The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.[24] The film opened on January 10, 1992, and grossed $7.7 million in its opening weekend,[25] bringing Hook down to #2 at the US box office from its four-week stay at #1. The film lasted at #1 for four consecutive weeks, then was upended by Medicine Man, which was also released by Hollywood Pictures. By the end of its run, the film earned a total of $88 million in the United States and Canada[26][27] and $52 million internationally,[28] for a worldwide total of $140 million.
1993 to 2012: subsequent success[]
In 1994, Hanson directed the adventure film The River Wild starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, and David Strathairn.[29] It grossed a total of $94,216,343 worldwide, earning $46,816,343 in the United States and Canada and $47,400,000 internationally.[30]
In 1997, Hanson directed the noir film L.A. Confidential.[31] Prior, to the Warner Brothers acquisition of the James Elroy novel L.A. Confidential, and his hiring as a writer and director, Hanson had been a long time fan of the author. He had read half a dozen of James Ellroy's books before L.A. Confidential and was drawn to its characters, not the plot. He said, "What hooked me on them was that, as I met them, one after the other, I didn't like them—but as I continued reading, I started to care about them." Ellroy's novel also made Hanson think about Los Angeles and provided him with an opportunity to "set a movie at a point in time when the whole dream of Los Angeles, from that apparently golden era of the '20s and '30s, was being bulldozed." Furthermore, he was joined by screenwriter Brian Helgeland who had lobbied to be its writer prior to the hiring of Hanson. When they met, they found that they not only shared a love for Ellroy's fiction but also agreed on how to adapt Confidential into a film. According to Helgeland, they had to "remove every scene from the book that didn't have the three main cops in it, and then to work from those scenes out." According to Hanson, he "wanted the audience to be challenged but at the same time I didn't want them to get lost." They worked on the script together for two years, with Hanson turning down jobs and Helgeland writing seven drafts for free. Unknown Australian actors Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce were cast in leading part, Hanson explained that he wanted to "replicate my experience of the book. You don't like any of these characters at first, but the deeper you get into their story, the more you begin to sympathize with them. I didn't want actors audiences knew and already liked."[32]L.A. Confidential was a critical and commercial success. It grossed $126 million against a $35 million budget and received acclaim from critics, with praise for the acting, writing, directing, editing, and Jerry Goldsmith's musical score.[33][34] It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning two: Best Supporting Actress (Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2015, the Library of Congress selected L.A. Confidential for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[35][36][37]
In 2000 Hanson directed Wonder Boys a comedy drama starring Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire.[38] In its opening weekend, Wonder Boys opened at No. 7 in the US and Canadian box office and grossed a total of US$5.8 million in 1,253 theaters. It went on to gross $19,393,557 there and $14,033,031 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $33,426,588. Based on a $55 million budget, the film was a box office bomb.[39] The film received largely positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reports an 81% "Fresh" rating, based on 125 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's consensus states: "Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire do wonders in this clever dark comedy."[40] On Metacritic, the film has a 73 out of 100 score, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[41] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale.[42] In a four-star review, Roger Ebert, film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times, praised Wonder Boys as "the most accurate movie about campus life that I can remember. It is accurate, not because it captures intellectual debate or campus politics, but because it knows two things: (1) Students come and go, but the faculty actually lives there, and (2) many faculty members stay stuck in graduate-student mode for decades".[43]
In 2002, Hanson directed 8 Mile starring Eminem.[44] It received positive reviews, with critics praising the music and Eminem's performance. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports the film is "Certified Fresh", with 75% of 214 professional critics giving the film a positive review and a rating average of 6.70/10. The site's consensus is that "Even though the story is overly familiar, there's enough here for an engaging ride."[45] Also a box office success, it opened at Template:Numero in the US with $51.3 million grossed in its opening weekend and an eventual total of $242.9 million worldwide.[46]
In 2005, Hanson directed the comedy dramaIn Her Shoes, it stars Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette.[47]In Her Shoes has received generally positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 75% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 164 reviews, with an average rating of 6.80/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Honesty and solid performances make In Her Shoes a solid fit for all audiences".[48] The film opened at #3 at the U.S. box office, raking in $10,017,575 USD in its first opening weekend.[49] Its worldwide gross totaled $83,697,473.[49]
In 2007, Hanson directed Lucky You.[50] The film was initially set for release on December 16, 2005.[51] However, the film sat on the shelf for two years and went through numerous release date changes as Warner Bros. mandated a half-dozen different cuts of the film in response to negative test screenings.[52][53] Opening the same weekend as Spider-Man 3,[54] the film debuted at $2.7 million in ticket sales; the lowest saturated opening week since 1982.[55] It finished its theatrical run with $8,382,477 in total worldwide revenue. The film received generally negative reviews from critics. It holds a 28% approval rating based on 141 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The site's consensus states: "Lucky You tries to combine a romantic story with the high-stakes world of poker, but comes up with an empty hand."[56][57]
In 2011, Hanson directed the television film Too Big to Fail, based on the 2009 Andrew Ross Sorkin book of the same name about the beginnings of the financial crisis of 2007–2010. The film, produced by Hanson's production company Deuce Three Productions for HBO, featured among its cast William Hurt as Treasury Secretary and former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson, and Cynthia Nixon as his liaison to the press; James Woods as Richard Fuld of Lehman Brothers; and Paul Giamatti as Ben Bernanke.[58]
His last film was Chasing Mavericks in 2012, but he was unable to finish the film due to ill health. Michael Apted replaced him as director during the final days of shooting.[59]
Death[]
Hanson later retired from film work and was reported to have frontotemporal dementia. He died of natural causes at his Hollywood Hills home at the age of 71.[7][60]
Influences and style[]
Hanson said that he was heavily influenced by the directors Alfred Hitchcock and Nicholas Ray. In an interview with the New York Times in 2000, Hanson stated that Ray's film In a Lonely Place was among many that he watched in preparation for the filming of L.A. Confidential.[61] In 8 Mile, Kim Basinger's character watches Elia Kazan's Pinky on television. The film is about a mixed-race girl who passes as white; the reference to it in Hanson's film functions as an homage to the themes of racial mixing and boundary-crossing that are features of much of his work.[citation needed]
From the early 1980s into 1990s, Hanson directed a string of comedies and dramas. He directed thrillers, too: many of them deal with people who lose their sense of control or security when facing danger or under threat of death.[citation needed] Some, like the financial executive in Bad Influence and the police officers in L.A. Confidential, unexpectedly walk into violence and disaster.[citation needed]
