Gus van sant was born on july 24, 1952 in louisville, kentucky, usa as gus greene van sant junior. Getting the scoop on gus van sant s elephant took some serious globehopping. Gus van sants new lowbudget indie will upset people because it intentionally recallsindeed, it closely imitatesthe infamous. Guss father was a clothing manufacturer and traveling salesman, who rapidly worked his way into middle class prosperity, holding executive marketing positions that included being president of the white stag manufacturing companys. In the years that followed his debut in 1985 with mala noche, van sant established himself as one of the most vital directorial voices in the u. Described as a love letter to the movies, cousins visits the key sites in the history of cinemal from hollywood to mumbai. Van sant was born and raised in louisville, kentucky, the son of betty nee seay and gus green van sant sr. Featuring a script by obscure actors matt damon and ben affleck and direction by gus van sant, previously a director who avoided the mainstream, good will hunting beat all odds to become a huge success. Gus van sants elephant is a record of a day at a high school like columbine, on the day of a massacre much like the one that left dead. Gus van sant goes from auteur to author in an brilliant, inventive, and endlessly entertaining first novel that reads like a warholian mix of kurt. His last movie, milk, won two oscars and thanks to a providential release date became part of the national debate over.
The 10 best movies of gus van sant page 2 taste of cinema. It takes place in the fictional watt high school, in the suburbs of portland, oregon, and chronicles the events surrounding a school shooting, based in part on the 1999 columbine high school massacre. He is a director and producer, known for elephant 2003, my own private idaho 1991 and drugstore cowboy 1989. I was really excited to read the script, im not sure if theres more versions, but i enjoyed the fact that in many ways, it was so different from the film. Gus van sant s elephant made me sick in the stomach. Even cowgirls get the blues by gus van sant based on the novel by tom robbins 1993. For such an ambitious project by van sant, there are some flaws, but its still arguably one of the most important things gus van sant ever done in cinema. Van sant, who also directed good will hunting, filmed much.
Gus van sants embattled film mangles its profound subject matter at every turn. Get all the latest updates on your favorite movies from new releases to timeless classics, get the scoop on moviefone. Powerful and unsettling, masterful in its direction, editing and sound design. Never have i seen a film deglamourise violence in this way. He is a twotime nominee of the academy award for best directorfor good will hunting 1997 and milk 2008, both of which were also nominated for best pictureand won the palme dor at the cannes film festival for his film elephant 2003. Aftering landing behind bars, will gets an unexpected getoutofjail free card from professor lambeau. A longtime musician himself, van sant has directed music videos for many top recording artists including david bowie, elton john, the red hot chili peppers, and hanson. Gus van sants last days is a film about the death of kurt cobain. Gus van sant s last days is a film about the death of kurt cobain. Mar 17, 2008 gus van sant in the light of bela tarr.
Gus van sant, joaquin phoenix reunite with dont worry, he. Portland is the setting for several of his independent films, which portray the bohemian youth culture of the city and its grittier landmarks, including rail yards, warehouses, rooftops, and. It is apparent that van sant knows nothing about the area talking about highways, for example, that simply do not exist. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay andor viewings of elephant. In a style most reminiscent of tom robbins whose even cowgirls get the blues van sant brought ineptly to the screen, van sant indirectly mourns the deaths of kurt cobain and river. While the name of the main character has been changed from kurt to blake and the setting of the suicide changed from a greenhouse in seattle to a greenhouse in upstate new york, theres no mistaking this film is the product of van sant s imagination pursuing the final, lonely. There are scenes that take place in orlando, fl, where i lived for a few years. Gus van sants elephant made me sick in the stomach. Gus van sant, joaquin phoenix reunite with dont worry.
Pink by gus van sant, gus van sant, paperback barnes. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultures, in particular homosexuality. With pink, gus van sant brings his unique and playful genius to the novel, and the result is both delirious and disarmingly tender. Elephant is a 2003 american drama film written, directed, and edited by gus van sant. The novel itself is a trifle bizzare a cross between tom robbins, douglas coupland and the movies of gus van sant but it maintains a momentum that pulls you through despite the ending feeling a little slapdash and the concept of pink an alternate dimension being shoehorned in at the end and only partially developed. Pink 9780385488280 by van sant, gus and a great selection of similar. Pink is the first novel by filmmaker gus van sant, whose films include drugstore cowboy, my own private idaho and good will hunting. The director gus van sant is one of those creators synonymous with the youth culture of the 90s, when the fringes hit the mainstream. While the name of the main character has been changed from kurt to blake and the setting of the suicide changed from a greenhouse in seattle to a greenhouse in upstate new york, theres no mistaking this film is the product of van sants imagination pursuing the final, lonely. You may prefer to read about this movie after having seen it. Dedicated to river, the book starred a thinly disguised version of him.
It was released to theaters in the united states on july 22, 2005 and was produced by hbo. Aug 15, 2016 the trailer for a new gus van sant film made in massachusetts was released ahead of the films major theater debut later this month. Jul 17, 2018 gus van sant already has carved his own place in film history, but theres one aspect of his distinguished career that no other feature film director can claim. Gus van sant goes from auteur to author in an brilliant, inventive, and endlessly entertaining first novel that reads like a warholian mix of kurt vonnegut and tom robbins. Good will hunting by gus van sant gus van sant, matt damon. The section biography of this page contains content from the ed wikipedia article gus van sant. I was really excited to read the script, im not sure if theres more versions, but i enjoyed the fact that in. Jul 29, 2016 the director gus van sant is one of those creators synonymous with the youth culture of the 90s, when the fringes hit the mainstream. Gus van sants dont worry berlinale competition titles. Gus van sant goes from auteur to author in an brilliant, inventive, and endlessly.
Gus green van sant is an american film director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. Jan 01, 1997 the novel itself is a trifle bizzare a cross between tom robbins, douglas coupland and the movies of gus van sant but it maintains a momentum that pulls you through despite the ending feeling a little slapdash and the concept of pink an alternate dimension being shoehorned in at the end and only partially developed. Good will hunting by gus van sant gus van sant, matt. River phoenix and the hollywood he left behind, is available now and can be purchased online here. It was published in 1997 on the nan talese imprint of doubleday. As a coldly realistic look at troubled teens and violence, much of elephants disturbing power derives from its ability to draw you in and surprise you. Log in to get better recommendations with a free account. Uploaded by tracey gutierres on september 12, 2014. In the town of sasquatch, oregon, spunky davis, middleaged maker of infomercials, is trying to find his next assignment, finish the screenplay that he hopes. Gus van sant has never been much for hoeing the same old row. And if his later releases like gerry, last days, and paranoid park, did not seem as impactful. Finally, after vetoing it in the past, stating that slain san francisco supervisor harvey milk should be honored locally, governor arnold schwarzenegger signed a bill recognizing may 22 milks birthday. Seattle james fogle was in prison when a critically acclaimed movie based on his novel drugstore cowboy was released in 1989. The gus van santdirected pilot for dustin lance blacks abc miniseries about the gay rights movement is accessible more than confrontational and all the more important for it.
Oct 20, 2011 gus van sant has never been much for hoeing the same old row. Daily script movie scripts and movie screenplays movie. Gavin edwardss latest book, last night at the viper room. He died on march 12, 1968 in miami beach, florida, usa. Last may, i attended the press conference for elephant at cannes, following the world premiere screening, where van sant was flanked by his producer, colin callendar, head of hbo films.
Finally, the elephant script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the gus van sant movie based on columbine. It was published in 1997 on the nan talese imprint of doubleday summary. Dec 18, 2017 gus van sants dont worry, he wont get far on foot is among the first several competition titles to be unveiled for the 2018 berlinale. Van sant studied painting and cinema, and credits the actor james franco with nudging him, in recent years, to pick up his paintbrush again. Best known as the awardwinning director of films such as good will hunting and milk, gus van sant is also a photographer, musician, and painter of figurative watercolors. Elephant 2003 it features a high school in portland, on a day thats apparently normal, and two students are at home playing violent video games. Gus van sant tells the story of a young african american man named jamal who confronts his talents while living on the streets of the bronx. Gus van sants own private hollywood the new york times. Publication date 1998 topics authors publisher new york. Lists all of gus van sants appearances on the charlie rose program on. The drugstore cowboy ok, it came out in 89, but you know what i mean and especially my own private idaho 91 made him more than an instant cult figure. Jul 17, 2005 for a guy with one mainstream smash good will hunting and strong ties to major stars, gus van sant remains uncannily innerdirected.
An audience member asked him who had hoisted river phoenixs body. Last days is a 2005 american drama film directed, produced and written by gus van sant. Pink tells the story of industrial filmmaker spunky davis and his close encounters with two strange young men whose disturbing aura attracts spunkys curiosity especially as one of them strongly reminds him of a dazzling young star of the infomercial world. My own private idaho is one of my favorite films of all time and i cant really explain why. This is not the official video, just an excerpt from the gus van sant s movie. Biographie gus van sant, scenariste et realisateur. It is a fictionalized account of the last days of a musician, loosely based on kurt cobain. It is littered with characters about whom we give not a damn. Van sant studied painting and cinema, and credits the actor james franco with nudging. He accidentally runs into an old writer named forrester who discovers his passion for writing. Elephant script transcript from the screenplay andor gus.
James fogle, drugstore cowboy author, arrested the new. Pink is a jumbled, nearly indecipherable mess of a novel. Novel in oregon, middleaged infomercial creator, spunky davis, mourns the death of his favorite presenter, teen idol felix arroyo, when jack and matt arrive from a dimension beyond time known as pink and invite spunky to join them on their voyage of transcendence and recovery. A book of his photography has also been published, called 108 portraits. I know, i know, i still need to get the cast names in there and ill be eternally tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to drop me a line. In 1997, van sant was doing a reading at a bookstore from his novel pink. Powered by miramaxs marketing muscle, its real life ragstoriches story mirrored the fortunes of titular, troubled math genius will hunting. The 10 best movies of gus van sant page 2 taste of. This is not the official video, just an excerpt from the gus van sants movie.
Conversations with gus van sant often turn on the subject of luck, roll of chance in artistic career. The story is set in saquatch, oregon, united states, and details the life of spunky davis, a middleaged maker of infomercials who is trying to find his next assignment and finish the sciencefiction screenplay that he hopes will bring him hollywood glory. The film begins a short time before the shooting occurs, following the lives of several characters both in and. Pink is a novel written by film maker gus van sant. Gus van sant 1952 by edwin battistella gus van sant, oregons most celebrated filmmaker, has lived and worked in portland for more than thirty years. Gus van sant grew up in darien, connecticut, and attended the rhode island school of design. A director who is capable of crafting both deeply unconventional independent films and mainstream crowdpleasers, gus van sant has managed to carve an enviable niche for himself in hollywood. He wrote the screenplays for most of his early movies, and wrote one novel, pink. A last kiss filmed as the last kiss by paul haggis 2006 october 23, 2003. The film stars michael pitt as the character blake, based on kurt cobain. The trailer for a new gus van sant film made in massachusetts was released ahead of the films major theater debut later this month. Novel in oregon, middleaged infomercial creator, spunky davis, mourns the death of his favorite presenter, teen idol felix arroyo, when jack. To some people might be boring or without interest but to me, it is all kinds of amazing. Gus van sant already has carved his own place in film history, but theres one aspect of his distinguished career that no other feature film director can claim.
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