Martha Coolidge
Encyclopedia
Martha Coolidge is an American film director
and former President of the Directors Guild of America
.
, Ms. Coolidge first made her reputation by directing many award winning documentaries in New York
before moving out to Hollywood in 1976. She spent several years as a part of the Zoetrope Studio created by Francis Coppola. Her breakthrough film in Hollywood was the independently produced Valley Girl
(1983). In that film she launched the career of Nicolas Cage
. Her film Rambling Rose
(1991) won three IFP Independent Spirit Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Diane Ladd
, and earned Oscar
and Golden Globe nominations for Ms. Ladd and Laura Dern
(Best Actress). Rambling Rose was universally well reviewed and made virtually all the top ten lists for the year. Despite a limited release hampered by economic problems suffered by the production company the film played for months without advertising and earned many honors. In 1992, she was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry.Ms. Coolidge's Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
(1999) for HBO was nominated for numerous Emmy Awards, winning five including Best Actress for Halle Berry and earned Ms. Coolidge a nomination for Best Director for an Emmy and from the DGA (Director's Guild of America). Halle Berry
won the Best Actress Golden Globe, Screen Actor's Guild Best Actress Award and the NAACP Best Actress Award and Entertainer of the Year for her portrayal of Dorothy Dandridge the first African American Actress to be nominated for an Oscar. Ms. Berry went on to later earn the first Oscar for Best Actress ever won by an African American.
Ms. Coolidge has enjoyed a diverse career including independent films, TV movies and television series. She also served on the board of the Directors Guild of America, the Academy of Motion Pictures and the American Film Institute among others.
Ms. Coolidge studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design
changing that to become the first Film major of the school. She earned her MFA from New York University Tisch School of the Arts and helped found the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers and the IFP in New York. She is a grand daughter of Arthur W. Coolidge
former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and cousin of President Calvin Coolidge
.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and former President of the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
.
Career
Born in New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Ms. Coolidge first made her reputation by directing many award winning documentaries in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
before moving out to Hollywood in 1976. She spent several years as a part of the Zoetrope Studio created by Francis Coppola. Her breakthrough film in Hollywood was the independently produced Valley Girl
Valley Girl (film)
Valley Girl is a 1983 romantic comedy film, starring Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, Elizabeth Daily, Cameron Dye, and Joyce Heiser. The film was the directorial debut of Martha Coolidge, and was the first film in which Nicolas Coppola was billed as Nicolas Cage.The American release of Valley Girl...
(1983). In that film she launched the career of Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
. Her film Rambling Rose
Rambling Rose (film)
Rambling Rose is a 1991 American film set in Georgia during the Great Depression starring Laura Dern, Diane Ladd and Robert Duvall, directed by Martha Coolidge....
(1991) won three IFP Independent Spirit Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Diane Ladd
Diane Ladd
Diane Ladd is an American actress, film director, producer and published author. She has appeared in over 120 roles, on television, and in miniseries and feature films, including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore , Wild at Heart , Rambling Rose , Ghosts of Mississippi, Primary Colors, 28 Days , and...
, and earned Oscar
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...
and Golden Globe nominations for Ms. Ladd and Laura Dern
Laura Dern
Laura Elizabeth Dern is an American actress, film director and producer. Dern has acted in such films as Smooth Talk , Blue Velvet , Fat Man and Little Boy , Wild at Heart , Jurassic Park and October Sky...
(Best Actress). Rambling Rose was universally well reviewed and made virtually all the top ten lists for the year. Despite a limited release hampered by economic problems suffered by the production company the film played for months without advertising and earned many honors. In 1992, she was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry.Ms. Coolidge's Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge is a television film directed by Martha Coolidge. Filmed over a span of a few weeks in early 1998, the film was aired in the United States on August 21, 1999. The original music score was composed by Elmer Bernstein. The film is marketed with the tagline: "Right woman....
(1999) for HBO was nominated for numerous Emmy Awards, winning five including Best Actress for Halle Berry and earned Ms. Coolidge a nomination for Best Director for an Emmy and from the DGA (Director's Guild of America). Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
won the Best Actress Golden Globe, Screen Actor's Guild Best Actress Award and the NAACP Best Actress Award and Entertainer of the Year for her portrayal of Dorothy Dandridge the first African American Actress to be nominated for an Oscar. Ms. Berry went on to later earn the first Oscar for Best Actress ever won by an African American.
Ms. Coolidge has enjoyed a diverse career including independent films, TV movies and television series. She also served on the board of the Directors Guild of America, the Academy of Motion Pictures and the American Film Institute among others.
Ms. Coolidge studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
changing that to become the first Film major of the school. She earned her MFA from New York University Tisch School of the Arts and helped found the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers and the IFP in New York. She is a grand daughter of Arthur W. Coolidge
Arthur W. Coolidge
Arthur William Coolidge was a Massachusetts politician who served multiple positions within the state government....
former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and cousin of President Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
.
Selected filmography
- Valley GirlValley Girl (film)Valley Girl is a 1983 romantic comedy film, starring Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, Elizabeth Daily, Cameron Dye, and Joyce Heiser. The film was the directorial debut of Martha Coolidge, and was the first film in which Nicolas Coppola was billed as Nicolas Cage.The American release of Valley Girl...
(1983) - City GirlCity Girl (1984 film)City Girl is a 1984 film directed by Martha Coolidge. The film marked her directorial debut, although it did not receive distribution until her film Valley Girl became a surprise hit.-Plot:...
(1984) - National Lampoon's Joy of SexNational Lampoon's Joy of SexNational Lampoon's Joy of Sex is a 1984 film directed by Martha Coolidge. It was written by Kathleen Rowell and J.J...
(1984) - Real GeniusReal GeniusReal Genius is a 1985 satirical comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. The film's screenplay was written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft and Peter Torokvei. It stars Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret....
(1985) - Sledge Hammer!Sledge Hammer!Sledge Hammer! is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and stars David Rasche as Inspector Sledge Hammer, a preposterous caricature of the standard "cop on the edge" character,...
(1986) (TV) - The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
(1986) (TV) - Plain ClothesPlain Clothes (1988 film)Plain Clothes is a 1988 comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. The film stars Arliss Howard and was released by Paramount Pictures. As of 2011, it is available on VHS and 'Internet video streaming' through Netflix.-Plot summary:...
(1988) - Trenchcoat in ParadiseTrenchcoat in Paradise-Plot:The main character, Eddie Mazda , is a hard nosed private investigator originally from Jersey City, New Jersey. After working a job for a widow named Nan Thompson , he soon after is confronted by mob boss Dom Gellatti , the man who killed Mrs. Thompson's husband...
(1989) (TV) - Rambling RoseRambling Rose (film)Rambling Rose is a 1991 American film set in Georgia during the Great Depression starring Laura Dern, Diane Ladd and Robert Duvall, directed by Martha Coolidge....
(1991) - Lost in YonkersLost in YonkersLost in Yonkers is a 1991 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Neil Simon. After eleven previews, the Broadway production, produced by Emanuel Azenberg and directed by Gene Saks, opened on February 21, 1991 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, where it ran for 780 performances...
(1993) - Angie (1994)
- Three WishesThree Wishes (film)Three Wishes is a 1995 drama-fantasy film directed by Martha Coolidge and starring Patrick Swayze, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Joseph Mazzello.-Plot:...
(1995) - Out to SeaOut to SeaOut to Sea is a 1997 romantic comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon and Brent Spiner. The film was directed by Martha Coolidge, with a screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs...
(1997) - Introducing Dorothy DandridgeIntroducing Dorothy DandridgeIntroducing Dorothy Dandridge is a television film directed by Martha Coolidge. Filmed over a span of a few weeks in early 1998, the film was aired in the United States on August 21, 1999. The original music score was composed by Elmer Bernstein. The film is marketed with the tagline: "Right woman....
(1999) (TV) - If These Walls Could Talk 2If These Walls Could Talk 2If These Walls Could Talk 2 is an Emmy Award-winning 2000 television movie in the United States, broadcast on HBO. It follows three separate storylines about lesbian couples in three different time periods...
(2000) (TV) - Leap YearsLeap YearsLeap Years is a 2001 drama television series that aired on the Showtime cable network. The show was created by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, who had created the American version of the series Queer as Folk. It followed a group of friends in New York City...
(2001) (TV) - Sex and the CitySex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
(2002) (TV) - Hidden HillsHidden HillsHidden Hills is an American sitcom that aired on NBC during the 2002-2003 TV season. Based on the book Surviving Suburbia, the series was created by Peter Segal and Ric Swartzlander. The theme song was Pleasant Valley Sunday by the Monkees.-Cast:...
(2003) (TV) - Masterpiece Theater ("The Ponder Heart") (2003) (TV)
- The Prince and MeThe Prince and MeThe Prince and Me is a 2004 romantic comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge, and starring Julia Stiles, Luke Mably, and Ben Miller, with Miranda Richardson, James Fox, and Alberta Watson...
(2004) - HuffHuff (TV series)Huff is an American television dramedy series produced by Sony Pictures Television for Showtime. The series was created by Bob Lowry and features Hank Azaria as Dr. Craig "Huff" Huffstodt, a psychiatrist whose life changes abruptly when a 15-year-old client commits suicide in his office...
(2005) (TV) - Material GirlsMaterial GirlsMaterial Girls is a 2006 American satirical teen comedy film starring Hilary and Haylie Duff. It is based on a script written by John Quaintance and is directed by Martha Coolidge It also stars Anjelica Huston, Lukas Haas, and Brent Spiner...
(2006) - Related (2006) (TV)
- CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
(2006) (TV) - SharkShark (TV series)Shark is an American legal drama created by Ian Biederman that originally aired on CBS from September 21, 2006 to May 20, 2008. The series stars James Woods.-Synopsis:...
(2007) (TV) - WeedsWeeds (TV series)Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
(2007) (TV) - PsychPsychPsych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts...
(2007) (TV) - An American Girl: Chrissa Stands StrongAn American Girl: Chrissa Stands StrongAn American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong is the fifth film in the American Girl series, starring actress and singer Sammi Hanratty. It is based on the Chrissa books in the American Girl range written by [Mary Casanova]....
(2009)