Geraldine "Geri" Peroni (July 5, 1953 – August 3, 2004) was an American
film editor
Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology.
The film edi ...
who was best known for working with
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...
. She received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Film Editing
The Academy Award for Best Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. For 33 consecutive years, ...
for her work on Altman's 1992 film, ''
The Player''.
Life and career
Peroni was born in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
, New York City and grew up in the
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle ...
of
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
.
Her collaboration with Altman extended over eight films.
Altman said of Peroni "I trusted her totally with everything, I was planning on using her in the next film. She and I saw very much the same way — we just read each other so well."
She was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Film Editing
The Academy Award for Best Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. For 33 consecutive years, ...
, the
BAFTA Award for Best Editing
This is a list of winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Editing, which is presented to film editors, given out by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 1968.
The film-voting members of the Academy select the five nomi ...
, and the
American Cinema Editors Eddie for her work on ''
The Player'' (1992). In his obituary,
Tony Sloman
Anthony B. Sloman (born 6 May 1945 in Waltham Abbey, Essex) is an English film producer and screenwriter.
Tony Sloman is a cinema critic and historian, whose long career has encompassed many facets of film making. He has worked intermittent ...
discussed this film's editing:
Peroni's work on ''
Short Cuts
''Short Cuts'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film, directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver. The film has a Los Angeles setting, which is ...
'' (1993) has been discussed by Krin Gabbard, who wrote, "Altman has invited his audiences to provide connections among scenes that float loosely about each other at the same time that he has benefited from the intelligent choices made by the film's editor Geraldine Peroni."
Peroni was found dead at her home in 2004.
Her death was ruled a suicide by the New York coroner, a fact reportedly disputed by her family. She was in the midst of editing ''
Brokeback Mountain
''Brokeback Mountain'' is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, the screenplay was written b ...
''.
Dylan Tichenor
Dylan Tichenor'', A.C.E.'' (born 1968) is an American film editor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Critics' Choice Movie Award, a Hollywood Film Award and a Satellite Award, and has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award ...
completed Peroni's work; he later said, "I learned to edit from her, when she was Robert Altman's editor and I was her apprentice on ''The Player'', and I worked with her for five years. While she was cutting ''Brokeback Mountain'', she died rather suddenly, tragically. The first month was really difficult, seeing the work she'd done, all her selections and knowing her thinking behind it. Soon, it got to be cathartic and good to spend this time with her- I found myself thinking about her all the time through this process and it was a gift to me in that way." Tichenor and Peroni were nominated for numerous editing awards for ''Brokeback Mountain'', including the BAFTA Award and the American Cinema Editors Eddie.
''
The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2, ...
'' episode "
Back Burners" was dedicated to her memory. The credits of ''Brokeback Mountain'' also read "In Loving Memory of Geraldine Peroni".
Filmography
The director(s) of each film are listed in parentheses.
*1990: ''
Iron & Silk'' (Shirley Sun).
*1990: ''
Vincent & Theo'' (Altman; with Françoise Coispeau). Peroni's first film with Altman as editor. Altman was working in France and wanted an additional, English speaking editor. He had met Peroni when she was an assistant on ''O.C. and Stiggs''.
*1991: ''
Johnny Suede'' (
Tom DiCillo). This was the first film that DiCillo directed.
*1992: ''
The Player'' (Altman). Peroni was nominated for an Academy Award for her second film with Altman, this time as the sole editor.
*1992: ''
Thank God I'm a Lesbian'' (
Dominique Cardona
Dominique Cardona (born 1955) is an Argentinian-born Canadian film director, producer, and screenwriter. She works primarily but not exclusively in collaboration with Laurie Colbert.Seana Stevenson"Catch and Release Interview: Dominique Cardona a ...
and
Laurie Colbert)
*1993: ''
Short Cuts
''Short Cuts'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film, directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver. The film has a Los Angeles setting, which is ...
'' (Altman)
*1993: ''
Prêt-à-Porter
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothin ...
'' (Altman)
*1994: ''
Thick Lips Thin Lips'' (Paul Lee)
*1996: ''
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
'' (Altman)
*1996: ''
Michael'' (
Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for her romantic comedy films and was nominated three times for the Writers Guild of America Award and the Academy Award f ...
)
*1998: ''
The Gingerbread Man'' (Altman)
*1999: ''
Cradle Will Rock
''Cradle Will Rock'' is a 1999 American historical drama film written, produced and directed by Tim Robbins. The story fictionalizes the true events that surrounded the development of the 1937 musical ''The Cradle Will Rock'' by Marc Blitzstein; ...
'' (
Tim Robbins
Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...
). Robbins is also an actor who played parts in Altman's films ''The Player'', ''Short Cuts'', and ''Prêt-à-Porter''.
*1999: ''
Jesus' Son'' (
Alison Maclean)
*2000: ''
The Girl'' (
Sande Zeig)
*2000: ''
Dr. T and the Women'' (Altman)
*2001: ''
The Safety of Objects'' (
Rose Troche
Rose Troche (born 1964) is an American film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter.
Early life and education
Troche was born to Puerto Rican parents and grew up on the north side of Chicago. In an interview she stated, "M ...
)
*2002–2003: ''
The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2, ...
'' (TV)
*2003: ''
The Company
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
'' (Altman)
*2005: ''
Brokeback Mountain
''Brokeback Mountain'' is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, the screenplay was written b ...
'' (
Ang Lee
Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. Born in Pingtung County of southern Taiwan, Lee was educated in Taiwan and later in the United States. During his filmmaking career, he has received international critical and popul ...
). Peroni died while editing, which was completed by
Dylan Tichenor
Dylan Tichenor'', A.C.E.'' (born 1968) is an American film editor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Critics' Choice Movie Award, a Hollywood Film Award and a Satellite Award, and has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award ...
. The two editors were nominated for the
BAFTA Award for Best Editing
This is a list of winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Editing, which is presented to film editors, given out by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 1968.
The film-voting members of the Academy select the five nomi ...
and for an American Cinema Editors
Eddie Award
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...
.
See also
*
List of film director and editor collaborations
This list of film director and editor collaborations includes longstanding, notable partnerships of directors and editors. The list's importance is that directors and editors typically work together on the editing of a film, which is the ultimat ...
References
Further reading
*The
Motion Picture Editors Guild published an obituary for Peroni; she had joined the Guild in 1985. The obituary incorporates a quote from Robert Altman.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peroni, Geraldine
1953 births
2004 deaths
Artists from New York City
Suicides in New York City
American women film editors
American television editors
Women television editors
American film editors
2004 suicides
21st-century American women