Peter Hedges
Encyclopedia
Peter Hedges is an American
novel
ist, screenwriter
, and film director
.
Hedges grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa
, and attended Valley High School, where he was involved in the theater department, including the improv
group and the mime
troupe, "The Bakers Dozen
". He later went to the North Carolina School of the Arts
. His novel What's Eating Gilbert Grape was adapted into a critically acclaimed movie of the same title
, which launched his film career.
In 2002, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay
for About a Boy
. In the same year, he wrote and directed Pieces of April
, starring Katie Holmes
, which he dedicated to his mother.
In 2007, he co-wrote and directed Dan in Real Life
.
In 2009, he was signed to write and direct The Odd Life of Timothy Green
, a film conceived by Ahmet Zappa
, to be produced by Zappa and Scott Sanders
and released by Walt Disney Pictures
.
His latest novel, The Heights was published March 4, 2010 by Dutton.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and film director
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:...
.
Hedges grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines is a city in Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 46,403; a special census taken in the spring of 2005 counted 51,744 residents and the United States Census Bureau estimated that 53,889 residents lived there in...
, and attended Valley High School, where he was involved in the theater department, including the improv
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
group and the mime
Mime artist
A mime artist is someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art, involving miming, or the acting out a story through body motions, without use of speech. In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a mummer...
troupe, "The Bakers Dozen
The Bakers Dozen
The Baker's Dozen is a Mime and Improv Troupe from Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa.The troupe started in 1969 and has been performing around the Des Moines area for over 40 years. The Baker's Dozen or BD as it is more commonly known, is a student run organization and currently consists...
". He later went to the North Carolina School of the Arts
North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the...
. His novel What's Eating Gilbert Grape was adapted into a critically acclaimed movie of the same title
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio. Peter Hedges wrote the screenplay adapted from his 1991 novel of the same name...
, which launched his film career.
In 2002, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay
Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay
The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. It is awarded each year to the writer of a screenplay adapted from another source...
for About a Boy
About a Boy (film)
About a Boy is a 2002 comedy-drama film directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, based on the novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. The film stars Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant as Will, Nicholas Hoult as Marcus, Academy Award nominee Toni Collette as Fiona, and Academy Award winner Rachel...
. In the same year, he wrote and directed Pieces of April
Pieces of April
Pieces of April is a 2003 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Hedges. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.- Plot :...
, starring Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes
Katherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...
, which he dedicated to his mother.
In 2007, he co-wrote and directed Dan in Real Life
Dan in Real Life
Dan in Real Life is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Peter Hedges, starring Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche.-Plot:Dan Burns is a newspaper advice columnist, a widower, and a controlling father to his children Jane, Cara and Lilly in the New Jersey suburbs. His column is in...
.
In 2009, he was signed to write and direct The Odd Life of Timothy Green
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
The Odd Life of Timothy Green is an upcoming American fantasy drama directed by Peter Hedges and scheduled to be released by Walt Disney Pictures on August 15, 2012. In the film, Cindy Green and Jim Green are unable to conceive, so they bury all their wishes for a baby in a box in their backyard...
, a film conceived by Ahmet Zappa
Ahmet Zappa
Ahmet Emuukha Rodan Zappa is an American musician, actor and novelist.-Early life:Ahmet was born in Los Angeles, California, the third of four children born to businesswoman Adelaide Gail Sloatman and musician Frank Zappa. Ahmet's father was of Sicilian, Greek-Arab and French descent and his...
, to be produced by Zappa and Scott Sanders
Scott Sanders (producer)
Scott Sanders is an American television producer and theatrical producer. He is best known for the theatrical musical version of Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple, of which he was Lead Producer along with Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and Harvey Weinstein, for producing Elaine Stritch: at...
and released by Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
.
His latest novel, The Heights was published March 4, 2010 by Dutton.
Filmography
- What's Eating Gilbert GrapeWhat's Eating Gilbert GrapeWhat's Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio. Peter Hedges wrote the screenplay adapted from his 1991 novel of the same name...
(1993) (writer) - A Map of the WorldA Map of the World (film)A Map Of The World is a drama released in the year 1999, based on the novel of the same name by Jane Hamilton. It was directed by Scott Eliott. The movie stars Sigourney Weaver, Julianne Moore, David Strathairn, and Chloe Sevigny...
(1999) (writer of screenplay) - About a BoyAbout a Boy (film)About a Boy is a 2002 comedy-drama film directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, based on the novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. The film stars Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant as Will, Nicholas Hoult as Marcus, Academy Award nominee Toni Collette as Fiona, and Academy Award winner Rachel...
(2002) (writer of screenplay) - Pieces of AprilPieces of AprilPieces of April is a 2003 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Hedges. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.- Plot :...
(2003) (writer and director) - Dan in Real LifeDan in Real LifeDan in Real Life is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Peter Hedges, starring Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche.-Plot:Dan Burns is a newspaper advice columnist, a widower, and a controlling father to his children Jane, Cara and Lilly in the New Jersey suburbs. His column is in...
(2007) (co-writer and director) - The Odd Life of Timothy GreenThe Odd Life of Timothy GreenThe Odd Life of Timothy Green is an upcoming American fantasy drama directed by Peter Hedges and scheduled to be released by Walt Disney Pictures on August 15, 2012. In the film, Cindy Green and Jim Green are unable to conceive, so they bury all their wishes for a baby in a box in their backyard...
(2012) (co-writer and director)
Plays
- Oregon (1984)
- Champions of the Average Joe (1985)
- The Age of Pie (1986)
- Andy and Claire (1986)
- Teddy by the Sea (1986)
- Imagining Brad (1988)
- Baby Anger (1993)
- Good as New (1995)
Novels
- What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1991)
- An Ocean in Iowa (1998)
- The Heights (2010)
External links
- The Heights: Facebook Fan Page
- Interview with Peter Hedges on KRUI's The Lit Show