Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes | |
---|---|
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | January 2, 1961
Alma mater | Brown University (BA) Bard College (MFA) |
Occupation | Filmmaker |
Years active | 1985–present |
Todd Haynes (/heɪnz/; born January 2, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films span four decades with themes examining the personalities of well-known musicians, dysfunctional and dystopian societies, and blurred gender roles.
Haynes first gained public attention with his controversial short film
Haynes received further acclaim for his second feature film, Safe (1995), a symbolic portrait of a housewife who develops multiple chemical sensitivity. Safe was later voted the best film of the 1990s by The Village Voice Film Poll. His next feature, Velvet Goldmine (1998), is a tribute to the 1970s glam rock era. The film received the Special Jury Prize for Best Artistic Contribution at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
Haynes gained acclaim and a measure of mainstream success with
Early life and education
Haynes was born January 2, 1961, in Los Angeles, and grew up in the city's Encino neighborhood.[3][4] His father, Allen E. Haynes, was a cosmetics importer, and his mother, Sherry Lynne (née Semler), studied acting. Haynes is Jewish on his mother's side.[5][6] His younger sister is Gwynneth Haynes of the band Sophe Lux.[7]
Haynes developed an interest in film at an early age, and produced a short film, The Suicide (1978), while still in high school. He studied art and semiotics at Brown University, where he directed his first short film Assassins: A Film Concerning Rimbaud (1985), inspired by the French poet Arthur Rimbaud (a personality Haynes would later reference in his film I'm Not There). At Brown, he met Christine Vachon, who would go on to produce all of his feature films. After graduating from Brown, Haynes moved to New York City and became involved in the independent film scene, launching Apparatus Productions, a non-profit organization for the support of independent film.[1]
According to Cinematic/Sexual: An Interview with Todd Haynes, in response to whether his academic background affected his film-making practice, Haynes stated that his high school teacher taught him a valuable lesson: "Reality can't be a criterion for judging the success or failure of a film, or its effect on you. It was a simple, but eye-opening, way of approaching film."[8]
Career
1987–1993: Early work and feature debut
In 1987, while an MFA student at
Superstar featured extensive use of Carpenter songs, showcasing Haynes's love of popular music (which would be a recurring feature of later films). Haynes failed to obtain proper licensing to use the music, prompting a lawsuit from Karen's brother Richard for copyright infringement. Carpenter was reportedly also offended by Haynes's unflattering portrayal of him as a narcissistic bully, along with several broadly dropped suggestions that he was gay and in the closet. Carpenter won his lawsuit, and Superstar was removed from public distribution; to date, it may not be viewed publicly.[1] Bootlegged versions of the film are still circulated, and the film is sporadically made available on YouTube.[9][10]
Haynes's 1991 feature film debut,
Poison was partially funded with a grant from the
Haynes's next short film, Dottie Gets Spanked (1993), explored the experiences of a quiet and gentle six-year-old boy in the early 1960s who has various indirect encounters with spanking, most significantly involving his idol, a TV sitcom star named Dottie. The film was aired on PBS.[1]
1995–1998: Rise to prominence
Haynes's second feature film,
The film is notable for its critical (though not entirely unsympathetic) treatment of its main character. Julie Grossman argues in her article "The Trouble With Carol" that Haynes concludes the film as a challenge to traditional Hollywood film narratives of the heroine taking charge of her life, and that Haynes sets Carol up as the victim both of a repressive male-dominated society, and also of an equally debilitating self-help culture that encourages patients to take sole responsibility for their illness and recovery.[18] Carol's illness, although unidentified, has been read as an analogy for the AIDS crisis of the mid-1980s, as a similarly uncomfortable and largely unspoken "threat" in 1980s Reaganist America.[1][19] Safe was critically acclaimed, giving Moore her first leading role in a feature film, and gave Haynes a measure of mainstream critical recognition.[1] It was voted the best film of the 1990s by the Village Voice's Critic Poll.[20] The film historian David Thomson later described it as "one of the most arresting, original and accomplished films of the 1990s".[21]
Haynes took a radical shift in direction for his next feature,
The film follows the character of Arthur (Bale) an English journalist once enraptured by glam rock as a 1970s teenager, who returns a decade later to hunt down his former heroes: Brian Slade (Rhys Meyers), a feather boa-wearing
Haynes was keen to use original music from the glam rock period, and (learning his lesson from Superstar)[
2002–2014: Career progression and acclaim
Haynes achieved his greatest critical and commercial success to date with
Far from Heaven debuted at the Venice Film Festival to widespread critical acclaim and garnered a slew of film awards, including the Volpi Cup for Moore, and four Academy Award nominations: lead actress for Moore, Haynes's original screenplay, Elmer Bernstein's score, and Edward Lachman's cinematography. Far from Heaven lost in all four categories, but the film's success was hailed as a breakthrough for independent film achieving mainstream recognition and brought Haynes to the attention of a wider mainstream audience.[1]
In another radical shift in direction, Haynes's next film I'm Not There (2007) returned to the mythology of popular music, portraying the life and legend of Bob Dylan through seven fictional characters played by six actors: Richard Gere, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw and Christian Bale. Haynes obtained Dylan's approval to proceed with the film, and the rights to use his music in the soundtrack, after presenting a one-page summary of the film's concept to Jeff Rosen, Dylan's long-time manager.[25] I'm Not There premiered at the Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim, where Haynes won the Grand Jury Prize and Blanchett won the Volpi Cup, eventually receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.[26][27]
Haynes's next project was
2015–2019: Established career
Haynes's sixth feature film,
On October 20, 2017, Haynes's
Haynes directed a film titled
2021–present
Haynes's premiered his first documentary feature, The Velvet Underground, at the Cannes Film Festival on July 7, 2021, and it went on to be released on October 15, 2021, in theaters and on Apple TV+, to critical acclaim. The film rejects documentary biopic tropes, evoking a place and time through extensive use of montage. “What montage can do is always more sophisticated than we give it credit for,” Haynes says. “I wanted the audience to fill in the holes themselves and make their own discoveries and feel like these ideas are alive again, because they’re coming through you, and they’re not just being told to us like in a lecture.”[47] Haynes was nominated for the Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best First Documentary Feature.[48]
Haynes's latest film, May December, reunites him with frequent collaborator Julianne Moore and co-stars Natalie Portman and Charles Melton. The film, loosely based around the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal, revolves around a married couple whose relationship is put through a test after an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past. From a script by Samy Burch, with a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik.[49][50] The film was shot in Savannah, Georgia, and wrapped filming in December 2022.[51] The film received positive reviews[52] with Peter Debruge of Variety writing, "Todd Haynes unpacks America’s obsession with scandal and the impossibility of ever truly knowing what motivates others in this layered look at the actor’s process."[53] The film went on to receive nominations for four Golden Globe Awards including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.[54] Haynes himself was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director.[55]
Upcoming projects
In 2015 he was reported to be developing a TV series based on the 2012 documentary The Source Family for HBO.[38][56]
Haynes is set to direct a Peggy Lee biopic, titled Fever, based on a screenplay originally drafted by Nora Ephron before her death in 2012, starring Michelle Williams in the title role after Reese Witherspoon backed out of the role to produce instead. Billie Eilish is in early talks to executive produce. The primary screenwriter is now Doug Wright.[57]
Haynes said in September 2023 that he has been working on a sexually explicit film about a "love story between two men set in the 30s", starring Joaquin Phoenix.[58] Haynes is reportedly set to direct the HBO series Trust, based on Hernan Diaz's novel of the same name, with Kate Winslet as the lead after working together on Mildred Pierce.[59]
Style and themes
Haynes's work is preoccupied with
Haynes's films often feature formal cinematic or narrative devices that challenge received notions of identity and sexuality and remind the audience of the artificiality of film as a medium. Examples include using Barbie dolls instead of actors in Superstar or having multiple actors portray the protagonist in I'm Not There. Stylistically, Haynes favors formalism over naturalism, often appropriating and reinventing cinematic styles, including the documentary form in Poison, Velvet Goldmine and I'm Not There, the reinvention of the Douglas Sirk melodrama in Far from Heaven and extensive referencing of 1960s art cinema in I'm Not There.[citation needed]
Personal life
Haynes is openly gay,[61][62][63] and identifies as irreligious.[64] After living in New York City for more than a decade, Haynes moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2002.[4][65] He has been in a relationship with Bryan O'Keefe, an archival producer, since 2002.[66]
An edited book of personal interviews was published in 2014, titled Todd Haynes: Interviews.[67]
Filmography
Short films
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Actor | Role |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | The Suicide | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
1985 | Assassins: A Film Concerning Rimbaud | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Himself |
1987 | Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Todd Donovan, Disc Jockey |
1989 | La Divina | No | No | Yes | No | |
He Was Once | No | No | Yes | Yes | Randy |
Feature films
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | Poison | Yes | Yes | No |
1995 | Safe | Yes | Yes | No |
1998 | Velvet Goldmine | Yes | Yes | No |
2002 | Far from Heaven | Yes | Yes | No |
2007 | I'm Not There | Yes | Yes | No |
2015 | Carol | Yes | No | No |
2017 | Wonderstruck | Yes | No | No |
2019 | Dark Waters | Yes | No | No |
2021 | The Velvet Underground | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2023 | May December | Yes | No | No |
Executive producer
- Quinceañera (2006)
- Old Joy (2006)
- Wendy and Lucy (2008)
- Meek's Cutoff (2010)
- Buoy (2012)
- Night Moves (2013)
- Certain Women (2016)
Television
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | Dottie Gets Spanked | Yes | Yes | No | TV short |
2011 | Mildred Pierce | Yes | Yes | Yes | Miniseries[68] |
2013 | Enlightened | Yes | No | No | Episode: "All I Ever Wanted" |
Six by Sondheim | Yes | No | No | Segment: "I'm Still Here" |
Commercials
Year | Title | Subject |
---|---|---|
2008 | "Share the Good"[69] | Heineken Premium Light |
Awards and nominations
Directed Academy Award performances
Year | Performer | Film | Result | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Academy Award for Best Actress | |||||||
2003 | Julianne Moore | Far from Heaven | Nominated | ||||
2016 | Cate Blanchett | Carol | Nominated | ||||
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||||||
2008 | Cate Blanchett | I'm Not There | Nominated | ||||
2016 | Rooney Mara | Carol | Nominated |
See also
Notes
- ^ Haynes had not obtained proper licensing to use the Carpenters' music, prompting a lawsuit from Richard Carpenter, whom the film portrayed in an unflattering light, banning the film's distribution.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rebecca Flint Marx (2016). "Todd Haynes – Biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ISBN 9781905674886.
- ^ "UPI Almanac for Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019". United Press International. January 2, 2019. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
filmmaker Todd Haynes in 1961 (age 58)
- ^ a b Rothkoph, Joshua (August 30, 2023). "Todd Haynes on his new 'May December,' a 'corrupt, twisted kind of fairy tale'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ Pfefferman, Naomi (March 6, 2003). "Heavenly Friendship". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Pfefferman, Naomi (March 29, 2011). ""Mildred Pierce," Todd Haynes and Me". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Scott, Aaron (March 15, 2011). "The Ladies' Man". Portland Monthly. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Leyda, Julia. "Todd Haynes: Interviews". University Press of Mississippi.
- ^ Turner, Kyle (November 24, 2015). "The Films of Todd Haynes: Performance, Desire, and Identity". The Film Stage. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ Matheson, Whitney (February 4, 2013). "Today in history: Karen Carpenter died 30 years ago". USA Today. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.October 23, 2017.
- ^ "The Visually Rich Cinema of Todd Haynes | The VICE Guide To Film" – via www.youtube.com.
- New York Times. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Lim, Dennis (November 5, 2010). "When 'Poison' Was a Cinematic Antidote". The New York Times. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Brunick, Paul (November 12, 2010). "Todd Haynes's Poison". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Levy, Emanuel (June 27, 2015). "Gay Pride 2015: Celebrating Todd Haynes' Poison". EmmanuelLevy. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Dillard, Clayton (April 3, 2013). "Hearth of Darkness: Rob White's Todd Haynes". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Grossman, Julie (January 2005). "The Trouble with Carol: The Costs of Feeling Good in Todd Haynes's [Safe] and the American Cultural Landscape". Other Voices. University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Dillard, Clayton (December 14, 2014). "Safe". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ Tobias, Scott (December 18, 2014). "Todd Haynes on the unsafe world of Safe". The Dissolve. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ Mackenzie, Suzie (February 1, 2003). "The Hidden Star". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-78565-365-0.
- ^ "Todd Haynes". Film Independent. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ "The 71st Academy Awards − 1999". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- Independent Filmmaker Project. August 6, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ "The Official Academy Awards Database". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ "Mildred Pierce Awards & Nominations". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
- ^ "Golden Globes 2012: The Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. January 15, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
- ^ "Cannes: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara Drama 'Carol' Wins Queer Palm Award". TheWrap. May 23, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
- ^ "Cannes: 'Dheepan' Wins the Palme d'Or". The Hollywood Reporter. May 24, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ "Carol Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- ^ "Oscar Nominations: Complete List". Variety. January 14, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
- ^ "Golden Globe Nominations: The Complete List". The Hollywood Reporter. December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: 'Carol' and 'Bridge of Spies' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reported. January 7, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ^ "'Carol,' 'Spotlight,' 'Beasts of No Nation' Lead Spirit Awards Nominations". Variety. November 24, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ^ "Carol, film review: Cate Blanchett stars in a moving tale of forbidden love". The Independent. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ a b "Todd Haynes is 'Wonderstruck'". Screen International. May 18, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
- Indiewire. December 9, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
- ^ Montagne, Renee (October 15, 2017). "Todd Haynes on 'Wonderstruck,' And Evolution of Deaf Culture In The U.S". npr. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (September 21, 2018). "'Carol' Helmer Todd Haynes To Direct 'Dry Run' Drama For Participant Media". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (September 21, 2018). "Todd Haynes to Direct Drama 'Dry Run' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (September 21, 2018). "Todd Haynes Sets 'Dry Run' as Next Film, Eyes Mark Ruffalo to Star in Du Pont Family-Inspired Drama". IndieWire. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (January 9, 2019). "Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, More Join Mark Ruffalo In Todd Haynes-Participant Drama About DuPont Pollution Scandal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Kieswetter, John (December 27, 2018). "'Lots Of Extras' Needed For Todd Haynes' 'Dry Run' Movie". WVXU. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 26, 2019). "Todd Haynes' 'Dark Waters' Will Start To Bubble In Late Fall". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ Reed, Connor. "Todd Haynes's New Velvet Underground Doc Opts for Immersion over Handholding". Portland Monthly. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "'Ascension' and 'Summer of Soul' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Nominations". IndieWire. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (June 11, 2021). "Todd Haynes to Direct Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in 'May December,' Set for Cannes Market". IndieWire. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (June 11, 2021). "Natalie Portman And Julianne Moore To Star In Todd Haynes' 'May December' – Cannes Market". Deadline. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Natalie Portman on Instagram: "And we've wrapped May December. I couldn't believe my luck to work with one of my all-time favorite directors, Todd Haynes, one of the greatest actresses and humans ever, @juliannemoore, and the brilliant Charles Melton in dreamy Savannah, Georgia. Can't wait for you all to see it next year! 📷: Charles Melton"".
- ^ "May December (2023)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ "'May December' Review: Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore Play Different Angles on a Tabloid Enigma". Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Golden Globes 2024: Full Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "'American Fiction,' 'May December,' 'Past Lives' Lead 2024 Indie Spirits Noms". IndieWire. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Tedder, Michael (November 23, 2015). "Todd Haynes Talks Carol, His Potential New HBO Show and Keeping It Semiotic After All These Years". Paper. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (February 4, 2021). "Michelle Williams To Play Peggy Lee In Todd Haynes Directed Biopic 'Fever'; MGM In Talks To Acquire, Billie Eilish In Early Discussions To Exec Produce". Deadline. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "Todd Haynes Teases 'Sexually Explicit' Project With Joaquin Phoenix, Talks About New Oscar Contender 'May December'". Variety. September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ O'Connor, Rory (August 31, 2022). "Todd Haynes on the Genius of Douglas Sirk and Collaborating with Kelly Reichardt". Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ "Todd Haynes". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ "Out100: Todd Haynes". Out.com. November 9, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- ^ Voss, Brandon (July 22, 2017). "Todd Haynes' Time-Hopping New Film Trailer Has Us 'Wonderstruck': The gay director's follow-up to 'Carol' stars Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams". newnownext.com. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- Huffington Post. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
I asked Todd why he, a gay male director, so often privileged the disempowered woman as the main character in his films, from his Barbie Doll Karen Carpenter to the paranoid allergic housewife in Safe.
- ^ Pierce, Nev. "Calling the Shots: No.1: Todd Haynes". BBC. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ Libby, Brian (November 1, 2002). "Far from New York and loving it". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ "Todd Haynes Interviews". National Library of Australia. June 24, 2014.
- ^ "HBO: Mildred Pierce". HBO. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ "Full credits and video on Boards". Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
Further reading
- Adams, Sam (March 25, 2011). Todd Haynes. A.V. Club.
- Allen, Nick (November 17, 2015). The Act of Looking: Todd Haynes on "Carol". RogerEbert.com.
- Bellamy, Jason and Howard, Ed (August 16, 2010). The Conversations: Todd Haynes. Slant Magazine.
- Davis, Nick (November/December 2015). The Object of Desire. Film Society of Lincoln Center.
- Leyda, Julia (October 31, 2012). "Something That Is Dangerous and Arousing and Transgressive": An Interview with Todd Haynes. Bright Lights Film Journal.
- MacKenzie, Steven (April 6, 2016). Todd Haynes Interview: Cinema still has a problem with women Archived February 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. The Big Issue.
- MacLean, Alison (Summer 1995). Todd Haynes. Bomb.
- Marcus, Greil (November 29, 2007). Bob Dylan Times Six: An Interview with 'I'm Not There' Director Todd Haynes. Rolling Stone.
- Morgan, Kim (October 28, 2015). The Masked Woman: Todd Haynes on Carol. Filmmaker.
- Van Sant, Gus (November 2015). Todd Haynes. Issue Magazine.
- Visco, Gerry (November 21, 2007). Probing Identity's Reliability. Gay City News. (archive)
- Wyatt, Justin (Spring 1993). Cinematic/Sexual Transgression: An Interview with Todd Haynes. Film Quarterly. University of California Press.
- Books
- Ducharme, Olivier (2016). Todd Haynes: cinéaste queer. Liberté, identité, résistance. Éditions Varia, Cinéma. ISBN 978-2-89606-068-9.
- Hastie, Amelie; Joyrich, Lynne; Penley, Constance (2004). Todd Haynes: A Magnificent Obsession. ISBN 0822366290.
- Leyda, Julia, ed. (2014). Todd Haynes: Interviews. ISBN 9781617039836. Archived from the originalon May 1, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- Padva, Gilad (2014). "Claiming Lost Gay Youth, Embracing Femininostalgia: Todd Haynes's Dottie Gets Spanked and Velvet Goldmine". Queer Nostalgia in Cinema and Pop Culture. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 72–97. ISBN 9781137266330.
- White, Rob (2013). Todd Haynes. ISBN 9780252079108.
External links
- Todd Haynes at IMDb
- Todd Haynes interviews M Blash on "Lying" at The Doomed Planet (archive)
- Todd Haynes: I'm Not There video interview at CNETTV UK (archive)
- Career interview with filmmaker Todd Haynes at British Film Institute (BFI)
- Todd Haynes at Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database
- Todd Haynes at Virtual History