Robert Jonathan Demme ( ;
February 22, 1944 – April 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker. Beginning his career under
B-movie
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feat ...
producer
Roger Corman, Demme made his directorial debut with the 1974
women-in-prison film ''
Caged Heat'', before becoming known for his casually humanist films such as ''
Melvin and Howard'' (1980), ''
Swing Shift'' (1984), ''
Something Wild'' (1986), and ''
Married to the Mob'' (1988). His direction of the 1991
psychological horror film ''
The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991) won him the
Academy Award for Best Director
The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibi ...
. His subsequent films earned similar acclaim, notably ''
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
'' (1993) and ''
Rachel Getting Married'' (2008).
Demme also directed numerous concert films such as ''
Stop Making Sense'' (1984), ''
Neil Young: Heart of Gold'' (2006), and ''
Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids'' (2016), and worked on several television series as both a producer and director.
Early life
Demme was born on February 22, 1944, in
Baldwin, New York
Baldwin is a town in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 818 at the 2020 census. The town name is derived from Thomas and Waterman Baldwin, two of the earliest settlers of the area. The town is east of Elmira. It is par ...
, the son of Dorothy Louise (''née'' Rogers) and Robert Eugene Demme, a public relations executive. He was raised in
Rockville Centre, New York and
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
,
where he graduated from
Southwest Miami High School before attending the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
.
Career
Early films
Demme broke into feature film working for
exploitation film producer
Roger Corman early in his career, co-writing and producing ''
Angels Hard as They Come'' (1971), a motorcycle movie very loosely based on ''
Rashomon
is a 1950 Jidaigeki psychological thriller/ crime film directed and written by Akira Kurosawa, working in close collaboration with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura as v ...
'',
and ''
The Hot Box'' (1972). He then moved on to directing three films for Corman's studio
New World Pictures
New World Pictures (also known as New World Entertainment and New World Communications Group, Inc.) was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia company. It was founded in 19 ...
: ''
Caged Heat'' (1974), ''
Crazy Mama
''Crazy Mama'' is a 1975 American action comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, produced by Julie Corman and starring Cloris Leachman. It marked the film debut of Bill Paxton and Dennis Quaid.
Plot
In 1958 Long Beach, California, Melba Stok ...
'' (1975), and ''
Fighting Mad'' (1976). After ''Fighting Mad'', Demme directed the comedy film ''
Handle with Care'' (originally titled ''Citizens Band'', 1977) for
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
. The film was well received by critics, but received little promotion,
and performed poorly at the box office. He also directed a 1978 episode of ''Columbo''.
Demme's next film, ''
Melvin and Howard'' (1980), did not get a
wide release, but received a groundswell of critical acclaim and film award recognition, including Academy Award nominations, winning two of its three nominations (
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress –
Mary Steenburgen, and
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with th ...
–
Bo Goldman). This acclaim led to the signing of Demme to direct the
Goldie Hawn and
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (1963–1964). In the late 1960s, he signed a ten-year contract with The ...
star vehicle ''
Swing Shift'' (1984). Intended as a prestige picture for
Warner Bros. as well as a major commercial vehicle for Demme,
it instead became a troubled production due to the conflicting visions of Demme and star Hawn. Demme ended up renouncing the finished product, and when the film was released in May 1984, it was generally panned by critics and neglected by moviegoers.
After ''Swing Shift'', Demme stepped back from Hollywood to make the
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talki ...](_blank)
concert film ''
Stop Making Sense'' (also 1984) which won the
National Society of Film Critics
The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) is an American film critic organization. The organization is known for its highbrow tastes, and its annual awards are one of the most prestigious film critics awards in the United States. In January 2014, ...
Award for best documentary; the eclectic screwball action-romantic comedy ''
Something Wild'' (1986); a film-version of the stage production ''
Swimming to Cambodia
''Swimming to Cambodia'', also known as ''Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia'', is a 1987 American concert film written by and starring Spalding Gray, and directed by Jonathan Demme. The performance film is of Gray's play and monologue, which c ...
'' (1987), by monologist
Spalding Gray
Spalding Gray (June 5, 1941 – January 11, 2004) was an American actor, novelist, playwright, screenwriter and performance artist. He is best known for the autobiographical monologues that he wrote and performed for the theater in the 1980s a ...
; and the New York Mafia-by-way-of Downtown comedy ''
Married to the Mob'' (1988).
Demme formed his production company, Clinica Estetico, with producers
Edward Saxon
Edward Bradley Saxon (born November 17, 1956) is an American film producer.
Early life
Saxon was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and educated at Kirkwood High School from 1972 to 1976.
He studied at McGill University from 1976 to 1980 ...
and
Peter Saraf
Peter Saraf is an American film producer whose feature film credits include ''Adaptation'' (2002), ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), ''Our Idiot Brother'' (2011), and ''The Kings of Summer'' (2013). In 2004, he co-founded the film production compan ...
in 1987. They were based out of New York City for fifteen years.
Later films
Demme won the Academy Award for ''
The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991)—one of only three films to win all the major categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress).
Inspired by his friend
Juan Suárez Botas's illness with
AIDS and fueled by his own moral convictions,
Demme then used his influence to make ''
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
'' (1993),
one of the first major films to address the
AIDS crisis and which garnered star
Tom Hanks his first
Best Actor Oscar.
He also co-directed (with his nephew
Ted) the music video for
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
's
Best Song Oscar-winning "
Streets of Philadelphia" from the film's soundtrack.
Jonathan used several of the same actors for both movies.
Subsequently, his films included an adaptation of
Toni Morrison
Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, '' The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' S ...
's ''
Beloved
Beloved may refer to:
Books
* ''Beloved'' (novel), a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison
* ''The Beloved'' (Faulkner novel), a 2012 novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner
*''Beloved'', a 1993 historical romance about Zenobia, by Bertrice Small
Film ...
'' (1998), and remakes of two films from the 1960s: ''
The Truth About Charlie'' (2002), based on ''
Charade
Charade or charades may refer to:
Games
* Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game
Films/TV
* ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason
* ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and Au ...
'', that starred
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mark Wahlberg, multiple accolades, including a B ...
in the
Cary Grant
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...
role; and ''
The Manchurian Candidate'' (2004), with
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...
and
Meryl Streep. Demme's documentary film ''
Man from Plains
''Man from Plains'' (originally titled ''He Comes in Peace'') is a 2007 American documentary film written and directed by Jonathan Demme, which chronicles former President of the United States Jimmy Carter's book tour across America to publicize hi ...
'' (2007), a documentary about former U.S. President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
's promotional tour publicizing his book ''
Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid'', had its premiere at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
and
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
.
His art-house hit ''
Rachel Getting Married'' (2008) was compared by many critics to Demme's films of the late 1970s and 1980s.
It was included in many 2008 "best of" lists, and received numerous awards and nominations, including an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination for
Best Actress by lead
Anne Hathaway. In 2010, Demme made his first foray into theater, directing ''Family Week'', a play by
Beth Henley
Elizabeth Becker Henley (born May 8, 1952) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actress. Her play ''Crimes of the Heart'' won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 1981 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play, and a ...
. The play was produced by
MCC Theater
MCC Theater (Manhattan Class Company) is an off-Broadway theater company located in New York City, founded in 1986 by artistic directors Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey and William Cantler. Blake West joined the company in 2006 as executive direc ...
and co-starred
Rosemarie DeWitt and
Kathleen Chalfant.
At one time, Demme was signed on to direct, produce, and write an adaptation of
Stephen King's sci-fi novel ''
11/22/63'', but later left due to disagreements with King on what should be included in the script.
He returned to the concert documentary format with ''
Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids'' (2016), which he described as a "performance film, but also a portrait of an artist at a certain moment in the arc of his career",
and his last project was a history of rock & roll for the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame compiled from footage from Hall of Fame induction ceremonies set to debut in summer 2017.
Demme directed music videos for artists such as
Suburban Lawns
Suburban Lawns were an American post-punk band formed in Long Beach, California in 1978 by CalArts students William "Vex Billingsgate" Ranson and Sue "Su Tissue" McLane. They later recruited Richard "Frankie Ennui" Whitney, Charles "Chuck Roast" ...
,
New Order,
KRS-One's H.E.A.L. project and
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
. He also produced a compilation of
Haitian music called ''Konbit: Burning Rhythms of Haiti'' that was released in 1989. (
Lou Reed selected ''Konbit...'' as one of his 'picks of 1989').
Demme was on the board of directors at
Jacob Burns Film Center in
Pleasantville, New York. In addition to his role on the board, he curated and hosted a monthly series called ''Rarely Seen Cinema''.
Style
Throughout 1986–2004, Demme was known for his dramatic close-ups in films. This style of close-ups involves the character looking directly into the camera during crucial moments. According to Demme, this was done to put the viewer into the character's shoes. Beginning with ''
Rachel Getting Married'' (2008), Demme adopted a documentary style of filmmaking. He was known for his use of recurring supporting players, including
Charles Napier,
Harry Northup,
Tracey Walter,
Ann Dowd, and his former producer
Roger Corman, as well as casting musicians and bands in roles. These included
Sister Carol,
Chris Isaak,
Tunde Adebimpe,
The Feelies,
Charles Aznavour, Steve Scales,
The Flirtations,
Manno Charlemagne
Joseph Emmanuel "Manno" Charlemagne (April 14, 1948 – December 10, 2017) was a Haitian political folk singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist, political activist and politician. He recorded his political chansons in both French and in Creole. ...
,
Bernie Worrell,
David Johansen,
Beau Sia
Beau Sia (, born 1976) is an American slam poet.
Life and career
Sia was born in Ohio. He is of Chinese-Filipino descent. Raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Sia discovered spoken word poetry on MTV as a teenager. When not participating in his ...
,
Q Lazzarus, and
Rick Springfield. In addition to Corman, Demme cast a number of other fellow directors in cameos, including
John Sayles,
Agnès Varda,
Sidney Lumet, and
John Waters.
Writer/director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. He made his feature-film debut with '' Hard Eight'' (1996). He found critical and commercial success with ''Boogie Nights'' (1997) and received ...
has paid homage to Demme in his films and has cited him as a major influence in his work. In an interview, Anderson jokingly stated that the three filmmakers who inspired him the most are "Jonathan Demme, Jonathan Demme and Jonathan Demme." Other directors such as Alexander Payne and Wes Anderson have been known to be inspired by his close-ups in their own work.
Political activism
Demme was involved in various political projects. In 1981, he directed a series of commercials for the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way. The Television advertisement, spots, titled "Eggs", "Music", and "Sports", were produced by Norman Lear and featured Muhammad Ali, Carol Burnett, and
Goldie Hawn celebrating Freedom of speech in the United States, Freedom of Expression. In 1985, he directed a video for Artists United Against Apartheid. The short, featured various international musicians including Afrika Bambaataa, Rubén Blades, Jimmy Cliff, Herbie Hancock, Steven Van Zandt, Little Steven, Run–D.M.C., and
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
, calling for a boycott of the South African luxury resort Sun City, North West, Sun City during Apartheid. His documentary ''Haiti Dreams of Democracy'' (1988) captured Haiti's era of democratic rebuilding after dictatorship, while his documentary ''The Agronomist'' (2008) profiled Haitian journalist and human rights activist Jean Dominique. Demme spent six years on the documentary ''I'm Carolyn Parker'' (2011), which highlighted rebuilding efforts in New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina.
Personal life
Demme was married twice, first to Evelyn Purcell and then Joanne Howard, with whom he had three children: Ramona, Brooklyn, and Jos.
He was the uncle of film director Ted Demme, who died in 2002.
Demme's cousin was the Robert W. Castle, Rev. Robert Wilkinson Castle Jr., an Episcopal priest who appeared in some of Demme's films.
Demme was a member of the steering committee of the Friends of the Apollo Theatre (Oberlin, Ohio), Apollo Theater, Oberlin, Ohio, along with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. In 2013, he returned to Oberlin as part of an alumni reunion during the class of 2013 graduation ceremony and received the award for Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts.
In 2009, Demme signed a petition in support of director Roman Polanski, who had been detained while traveling to a film festival in relation to his 1977 Roman Polanski sexual abuse case, sexual abuse charges, which the petition argued would undermine the tradition of film festivals as a place for works to be shown "freely and safely", and that arresting filmmakers traveling to neutral countries could open the door "for actions of which no-one can know the effects."
Demme was an avid collector and devotee of Haitian art; in particular of Hector Hyppolite; so much so that he called it "an addiction". In 2014, he held an auction in Philadelphia selling thousands from his collection, much of which was donated to a cultural center in Port-au-Prince.
Death
Demme died at his home in Manhattan on April 26, 2017, from complications from esophageal cancer and Cardiovascular disease, heart disease; he was 73.
Director Brady Corbet dedicated his 2018 film ''Vox Lux'' to Demme's memory,
as did Luca Guadagnino with his 2018 film ''Suspiria (2018 film), Suspiria'' and Paul Thomas Anderson with his 2017 film ''Phantom Thread'' starring Daniel Day Lewis. Demme is thanked in the credits of Spike Lee's 2020 concert film ''American Utopia (film), American Utopia'' starring David Byrne. The album ''A Beginner's Mind'' by musicians Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine is dedicated to Demme, with one of its songs, "Cimmerian Shade", mentioning him and referencing ''The Silence of the Lambs'' within its lyrics.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Storefront Demmemedia-party.com
Jonathan Demme Special Collections Library, University of Michigan
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Demme, Jonathan
1944 births
2017 deaths
American documentary film directors
American film producers
American male screenwriters
American music video directors
American television directors
Artists from Miami
Best Directing Academy Award winners
People from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York
People from Rockville Centre, New York
University of Florida alumni
Silver Bear for Best Director recipients
Directors Guild of America Award winners
Film directors from Florida
Film directors from New York (state)
Deaths from cancer in New York (state)
Deaths from esophageal cancer
Screenwriters from New York (state)