Lisa Cholodenko
Encyclopedia
Lisa Cholodenko is an American film and television writer/director. She is best known for her highly acclaimed 2010 comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right
which was nominated for a number of awards including four Academy Awards
, Best Picture among them.
), in the San Fernando Valley
, Cholodenko got her start in the film industry in New York in the early 1990s. She landed positions as assistant editor on Boyz n the Hood
and Used People
. She then enrolled at Columbia University School of the Arts
, earning an MFA
in screenwriting and directing. After writing and directing several acclaimed short films including Dinner Party, she made her feature film debut with High Art
which won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival
as well as the National Society of Film Critics award for Ally Sheedy
's performance. Both High Art and Laurel Canyon
premiered at Cannes Director's Fortnight.
Cholodenko has also worked in television, with her adaptation of the novel Cavedweller
for Showtime earning Independent Spirit Award nominations for Kyra Sedgwick
and Aidan Quinn
. She also directed episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street
, Six Feet Under
and The L Word
.
In 2009, Cholodenko directed the film The Kids Are All Right
, which she co-wrote with Stuart Blumberg, garnering an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination, a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay
nomination, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
nomination. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
In 2010, she was awarded the Women in Film Dorothy Arzner Directors Award.
in the 11th grade. Her grandparents emigrated from Ukraine
. She is in a relationship with musician Wendy Melvoin
. Cholodenko gave birth to their son, Calder, by way of an anonymous sperm donor. She also has two dogs, Rocket and Magnus.
describes how working with Cholodenko was quite rewarding.
The Kids Are All Right (film)
The Kids Are All Right is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Lisa Cholodenko and written by Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg.One of Sundance 2010's breakout hits, it opened in limited release on July 9, 2010, expanding to more theaters on July 30, 2010. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray...
which was nominated for a number of awards including four Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, Best Picture among them.
Career
Having grown up in a Jewish family (immigrants from UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, Cholodenko got her start in the film industry in New York in the early 1990s. She landed positions as assistant editor on Boyz n the Hood
Boyz N the Hood
Boyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood film written and directed by John Singleton. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett and Regina King, the film depicts life in poor South Central Los Angeles, California and was filmed and released...
and Used People
Used People
Used People is a 1992 American romantic comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron. The screenplay by Todd Graff, adapted from his 1988 off-Broadway play The Grandma Plays , takes a humorous look at a highly dysfunctional family living in the New York City borough of Queens circa 1969...
. She then enrolled at Columbia University School of the Arts
Columbia University School of the Arts
The Columbia University School of the Arts , also known simply as the School of the Arts or as SoA, is the division of the university that offers Master of Fine Arts degrees in Film, Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, and Writing, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Film Studies...
, earning an MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
in screenwriting and directing. After writing and directing several acclaimed short films including Dinner Party, she made her feature film debut with High Art
High Art
High Art is an independent film directed by Lisa Cholodenko and starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell.- Synopsis :Sydney , age 24, is a woman who has her whole life mapped out in front of her...
which won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
as well as the National Society of Film Critics award for Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
's performance. Both High Art and Laurel Canyon
Laurel Canyon (film)
Laurel Canyon is a 2002 American drama film written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko. The film stars Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, and Alessandro Nivola.-Plot:...
premiered at Cannes Director's Fortnight.
Cholodenko has also worked in television, with her adaptation of the novel Cavedweller
Cavedweller
Cavedweller is the second novel from critically acclaimed author Dorothy Allison. Much like her award-winning novel, Bastard Out of Carolina, Cavedweller deals with domestic violence, friendship among women, mother-daughter bonds, and poverty in the small-town South...
for Showtime earning Independent Spirit Award nominations for Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Minturn Sedgwick is an American actress.Sedgwick is best known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama The Closer. Sedgwick's role in the series won her a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010...
and Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn
-Early life:Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois to Irish parents. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic and raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, and his father, Michael Quinn, was a professor of...
. She also directed episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
, Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under is an American drama television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on June 3, 2001 and ended on August 21, 2005, spanning five seasons and 63 episodes. The show was produced by Actual Size Films and The...
and The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
.
In 2009, Cholodenko directed the film The Kids Are All Right
The Kids Are All Right (film)
The Kids Are All Right is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Lisa Cholodenko and written by Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg.One of Sundance 2010's breakout hits, it opened in limited release on July 9, 2010, expanding to more theaters on July 30, 2010. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray...
, which she co-wrote with Stuart Blumberg, garnering an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination, a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay
BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay
The BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay is the British Academy Film Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. It has been awarded since 1984, when the original category was split into two awards, the other being the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted...
nomination, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
The Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture is one of the annual awards given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association."†" indicates the winner of the Academy Award for Best Writing "‡" indicates the winner of the Academy Award for Best Writing "§" indicates a Golden Globe Award...
nomination. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
In 2010, she was awarded the Women in Film Dorothy Arzner Directors Award.
Personal life
Cholodenko is from a "liberal Jewish" family and came out as a lesbianLesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
in the 11th grade. Her grandparents emigrated from Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. She is in a relationship with musician Wendy Melvoin
Wendy Melvoin
Wendy Melvoin is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Prince as part of his backing band The Revolution, and for her collaboration with Lisa Coleman as one half of the duo Wendy & Lisa....
. Cholodenko gave birth to their son, Calder, by way of an anonymous sperm donor. She also has two dogs, Rocket and Magnus.
Directorial style
Mark RuffaloMark Ruffalo
Mark Alan Ruffalo is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He starred in films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Zodiac, Shutter Island, Just Like Heaven, You Can Count on Me and The Kids Are All Right for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best...
describes how working with Cholodenko was quite rewarding.
It takes a special kind of director to trust an actor, and to open themselves up to having an actor bring something that maybe wasn't what they saw or thought. Lisa is a rare director that knows actors, by the time you've finished your first week of shooting, probably know the characters better than the writer or the director. She creates a safe environment, and she casts well. She knows what to bring out of people.
Because of that, you feel free to move and live between the lines. She lingers on a scene. She loves behavior. She's not afraid to explore. You're not getting, "Well, the line is actually... I really just want you to say the line like it is." It's not that formal. You get a chance to stretch yourself out. That's a fun way of working.
As Director
- Souvenir (1994)
- Dinner Party (1997)
- High ArtHigh ArtHigh Art is an independent film directed by Lisa Cholodenko and starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell.- Synopsis :Sydney , age 24, is a woman who has her whole life mapped out in front of her...
(1998) - Homicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
(episode: "The Same Coin") (1999) - Six Feet Under (episode: "Familia") (2001)
- Push, NevadaPush, NevadaPush, Nevada is an American mystery television series set in the fictional town of Push, Nevada. It premiered on September 17, 2002 on the ABC network, and ran for 7 episodes before it became one of the first shows to be cancelled during the Fall 2002 season.Created by Ben Affleck and Sean Bailey ,...
(episode: "The Letter of the Law") (2002) - Laurel CanyonLaurel Canyon (film)Laurel Canyon is a 2002 American drama film written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko. The film stars Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, and Alessandro Nivola.-Plot:...
(2002) - CavedwellerCavedweller (film)Cavedweller is a 2004 film directed by Lisa Cholodenko. It stars Kyra Sedgwick and Aidan Quinn. It was nominated for a numerous amount of awards in 2004 and 2005.-Cast:*Kyra Sedgwick as Delia Byrd*Aidan Quinn as Clint Windsor*Sherilyn Fenn as MT...
(2004) - The L WordThe L WordThe L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
(episode: "Lynch Pin") (2005) - The Kids Are All RightThe Kids Are All Right (film)The Kids Are All Right is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Lisa Cholodenko and written by Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg.One of Sundance 2010's breakout hits, it opened in limited release on July 9, 2010, expanding to more theaters on July 30, 2010. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray...
(2010)
As Writer
- Souvenir (1994/II)
- Dinner Party (1997)
- High Art (1998)
- Laurel CanyonLaurel Canyon (film)Laurel Canyon is a 2002 American drama film written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko. The film stars Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, and Alessandro Nivola.-Plot:...
(2002) - The Kids Are All RightThe Kids Are All Right (film)The Kids Are All Right is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Lisa Cholodenko and written by Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg.One of Sundance 2010's breakout hits, it opened in limited release on July 9, 2010, expanding to more theaters on July 30, 2010. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray...
(2010)
As Miscellaneous Crew
- Boyz n the HoodBoyz N the HoodBoyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood film written and directed by John Singleton. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett and Regina King, the film depicts life in poor South Central Los Angeles, California and was filmed and released...
(1991) (post-production assistant) - Used PeopleUsed PeopleUsed People is a 1992 American romantic comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron. The screenplay by Todd Graff, adapted from his 1988 off-Broadway play The Grandma Plays , takes a humorous look at a highly dysfunctional family living in the New York City borough of Queens circa 1969...
(1992) - The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in LoveThe Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in LoveThe Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love is a 1995 film, written and directed by Maria Maggenti, of the story of two very different high school girls who fall in love. It generated good notices and publicity at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. It also launched the film careers of Laurel...
(1995) - Some of These Days (1996) (first assistant director)
As Herself
- Intimate PortraitIntimate Portrait (TV series)Intimate Portrait is a biographical television series on the Lifetime Television cable network focusing on different celebrities, which includes interviews with each subject....
(episode: "Ally Sheedy") (1999) (TV) - In the Company of Women (2004) (TV)
- Notes on the Death of Kodachrome (2006)