Deric Washburn is an American

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. Washburn graduated from Harvard College in 1959. He began his career as a playwright, penning the off-Broadway plays ''Ginger Anne'' and ''The Love Nest''. He is best known for having written the original screenplay of ''

The Deer Hunter ''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro ...

'' after having co-written the story with

Michael Cimino Michael Antonio Cimino ( ; February 3, 1939 – July 2, 2016) was an American filmmaker. One of the " New Hollywood" directors, Cimino achieved fame with ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Bes ...

. The film won the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categ ...

in 1978. Washburn and Cimino spent three days writing the story, and then Washburn spent a month writing the script. Cimino then tried to deny him screenwriting credit. Washburn went to arbitration and was given full credit.

Filmography

* ''

Silent Running ''Silent Running'' is a 1972 American environmental-themed apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic science fiction film. It is the directorial debut of Douglas Trumbull, and stars Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, and Jesse ...

'' (1972) * ''

'' (1978) * '' The Border'' (1982) * '' Extreme Prejudice'' (1987)

Unproduced scripts

*''Heavy Dust'', adapted from ''Manhunt'' by

Peter Maas Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

. *''Gun for Sale'', adapted from the book of the same name by

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

Awards

As a member of the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founde ...

playwriting project, he received a $1500.00 award from the Edward Albee Foundation in 1964. As a writer, Washburn was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Writing (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 the ...

and a

WGA Award WGA may refer to: In arts and entertainment: * Web Gallery of Art * Writers Guild of Alberta * Writers Guild of America, an American union ** Writers Guild of America, East ** Writers Guild of America, West Other uses: * Wagga Wagga Airport ...

for "Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen" for ''

'', along with

Quinn Redeker Quinn may refer to: People * Quinn (soccer) (born 1995), Canadian soccer player and Olympic gold medalist * Quinn (given name) * Quinn (surname) * Quinn (musician) Places in the United States * Quinn, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Quinn ...

Louis A. Garfinkle Louis Alan Garfinkle (1928-2005) was an American scriptwriter and the co-developer of the Collaborator computer screenwriting program. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with four others for ''The Deer Hunter''. He ...

and

References

External links

* American male screenwriters Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Harvard College alumni 1937 births {{US-screen-writer-stub