Incubator escapee wiki

John Sayles

Article Discussion
Revision as of 17:51, 31 May 2025 by imported>Ser Amantio di Nicolao (→‎Executive Producer)
(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Template:Short description Template:BLP sources Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox person John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He is known for writing and directing the films The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Matewan (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), Passion Fish (1992), The Secret of Roan Inish (1994), Lone Star (1996), and Men with Guns (1997).

For Eight Men Out, Sayles was nominated for the USC Scripter Award. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for Passion Fish and Lone Star. At the 56th Golden Globe Awards, Men with Guns was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His directorial debut, Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980), as well as Matewan were added to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1997 and 2023, respectively.

Early lifeEdit

Sayles was born on September 28, 1950, in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary (née Rausch), a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Both of Sayles's parents were Catholic and of half-Irish descent. Sayles has referred to himself as a "Catholic atheist".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He attended Williams College with frequent collaborators Gordon Clapp and David Strathairn, as well as his longtime partner, Maggie Renzi. Sayles earned a B.A. in psychology in 1972.<ref name=britannica>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

CareerEdit

Template:BLP sources section After college, Sayles moved to Boston where he worked a variety of blue-collar jobs while writing short stories for The Atlantic.<ref name=britannica/> These writings culminated in his first novel, The Pride of the Bimbos, published in 1975.

Sayles began his film career working with Roger Corman, along with Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Ron Howard who also had stints with Corman early in their careers. Sayles was discovered by Frances Doel, who worked in the script department for Corman's New World Pictures. Sayles has been called "the greatest screenwriter to ever work at New World."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Directorial debutEdit

In 1979, Sayles used $30,000 he earned writing scripts for Corman to fund his first film, Return of the Secaucus 7.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> To make the film on a limited budget, he set the film in a large house so that he did not have to travel to or get permits for different locations, set the story over a three-day weekend to limit costume changes, and wrote about people his age so he could cast his friends in it. The film received near-unanimous critical acclaim at the time and has held its reputation. In November 1997, the National Film Preservation Board announced that Return of the Secaucus 7 would be one of the 25 films selected that year for preservation in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.

In 1983, after the films Baby It's You (starring Rosanna Arquette) and Lianna (a story in which a married woman becomes discontented with her marriage and falls in love with another woman), Sayles received a MacArthur Fellowship. He put the money into the science fiction feature The Brother from Another Planet,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> a film about a three-toed humanoid who escapes bondage on another world and crash-lands in New York harbor; because he is Africanoid in appearance, he finds himself at home among the people of Harlem, being pursued by European-looking alien enslavers men in black.

File:Sayles, John IMGP2516-A.jpg
Sayles at the Miami Book Fair International, 2011

In 1989, Sayles created and wrote the pilot episode for the short-lived television show Shannon's Deal about a down-and-out Philadelphia lawyer played by Jamey Sheridan. Sayles received a 1990 Edgar Award for his teleplay for the pilot. The show ran for 16 episodes before being cancelled in 1991.

Sayles has funded most of his films by writing genre scripts, such as Piranha, Alligator, The Howling, and The Challenge.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Having collaborated with Joe Dante on Piranha and The Howling, Sayles acted in Dante's movie, Matinee. Sayles gets the rest of his funding by working as a script doctor; he did rewrites for Apollo 13<ref name="Sayles">Template:Cite news</ref> and Mimic.

A genre script, called Night Skies, inspired what would eventually become the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> That film's director, Steven Spielberg, later commissioned Sayles to write a script (unused) for the fourth Jurassic Park film.

He has written and directed his own films, including Lone Star, Passion Fish, Eight Men Out, The Secret of Roan Inish, and Matewan. He serves on the advisory board for the Austin Film Society.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Maggie Renzi has been John Sayles's long-time companion (and collaborator), but they have not married. Renzi has produced most of his films since Lianna. They met as students at Williams College.

Sayles works with a regular repertory of actors, most notably Chris Cooper, David Strathairn, and Gordon Clapp, each of whom has appeared in at least four of his films.

In early 2003, Sayles signed the Not In Our Name "Statement of Conscience" (along with Noam Chomsky, Steve Earle, Brian Eno, Jesse Jackson, Viggo Mortensen, Bonnie Raitt, Oliver Stone, Marisa Tomei, Susan Sarandon and others) which opposed the invasion of Iraq.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In February 2009, Sayles was reported to be writing an HBO series based on the early life of Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The drama, tentatively titled Scar TissueTemplate:Update inline, centers on Kiedis's early years living in West Hollywood with his father. At that time, Kiedis's father, known as Spider, sold drugs (according to legend, his clients included The Who and Led Zeppelin) and mingled with rock stars on the Sunset Strip, all while aspiring to get into show business.<ref>Sayles red hot for HBO's 'Scar' from Variety</ref>

In February 2010, Sayles began shooting his 17th feature film, the historical war drama Amigo, in the Philippines. The film is a fictional account of events during the Philippine–American War, with a cast that includes Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, and Garret Dillahunt.<ref>Joel Torre believes 'Baryo' may stir controversy Template:Webarchive from www.mb.com.ph</ref>

His novel A Moment in the Sun, set during the same period as Amigo, in the Philippines, Cuba, and the U.S., was released in 2011 by McSweeney's. It includes an account of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 in North Carolina, the only coup d'état in United States history in which a duly elected government was overthrown.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Legacy and honorsEdit

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

FilmographyEdit

FilmEdit

Year Title Director Writer Editor
1978 Piranha Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1979 The Lady in Red Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1980 Return of the Secaucus 7 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
Battle Beyond the Stars Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
Alligator Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1981 The Howling Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1982 The Challenge Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1983 Lianna Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
Baby It's You Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1984 The Brother from Another Planet Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
1986 The Clan of the Cave Bear Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1987 Wild Thing Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
Matewan Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No
1988 Eight Men Out Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No
1989 Breaking In Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1991 City of Hope Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
1992 Passion Fish Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
1994 The Secret of Roan Inish Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
Men of War Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1995 Apollo 13 Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
1996 Lone Star Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
1997 Men with Guns Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
1999 Limbo Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
2002 Sunshine State Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
2003 Casa de los babys Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
2004 Silver City Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
2007 Honeydripper Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
2008 The Spiderwick Chronicles Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
2010 Amigo Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
2013 Go for Sisters Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
2018 The Devil's Highway Template:No Template:Yes Template:No

Executive producerEdit

Acting rolesEdit

Year Title Role
1978 Piranha Soldier
1980 Return of the Secaucus 7 Howie
1983 Lianna Jerry
1984 The Brother from Another Planet Man in Black #2
1986 Something Wild Motorcycle Cop
1987 Matewan Hardshell Preacher
1988 Eight Men Out Ring Lardner
1991 City of Hope Carl
1992 Malcolm X FBI Agent
1992 Passion Fish Soap Doctor
1993 Matinee Bob
1996 Gridlock'd Cop
2009 In the Electric Mist Michael Goldman
2012 The Normals Dr. Marx

TelevisionEdit

BibliographyEdit

NovelsEdit

  • Pride of the Bimbos (1975) (novel)
  • Union Dues (1977) (novel)
  • Los Gusanos (1991) (novel)
  • A Moment in the Sun (2011) (novel)
  • Yellow Earth (2020) (novel)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Jamie MacGillivray (2023) (novel)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • To Save the Man (2025) (novel)

Collections and non-fictionEdit

  • The Anarchists' Convention (1979) (short story collection)
  • Thinking in Pictures: The Making of the Movie "Matewan" (1987) (non-fiction)
  • Dillinger in Hollywood (2004) (short story collection)

Music videosEdit

Awards/nominationsEdit

Template:BLP unreferenced section

FilmsEdit

Awards for Honeydripper:

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Best Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 2007 San Sebastián International Film Festival (Tied with Gracia Querejeta and David Planell for Siete mesas de billar francés (2007))<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Award for Silver City:

  • Golden Seashell Award for Best Film (Nominated) – John Sayles – 2004 San Sebastián International Film Festival<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Awards for Sunshine State:

  • Golden Orange Award (Win) – John Sayles – 2002 Florida Film Critics Circle Awards<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Special Mention For Excellence In Filmmaking (Win) – 2002 National Board of Review<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Awards for Limbo:

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Outstanding Indies (Win) – 1999 National Board of Review<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Awards for Men with Guns/Hombres armados:

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • FIPRESCI Prize (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival
  • OCIC Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival
  • Solidarity Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival
  • Golden Seashell Award for Best Film (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival

Awards for Lone Star:

  • Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Academy Awards<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 BAFTA Awards<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Best Screenplay, Motion Picture (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Golden Globes
  • Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Writers Guild of America Award
  • Best Picture (Nominated) – 1997 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
  • Best Motion Picture Original Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 Golden Satellite Awards
  • Best Motion Picture – Drama (Nominated) – Maggie Renzi & R. Paul Miller – 1997 Golden Satellite Awards
  • Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Independent Spirit Awards
  • Best Film (Win) – Lone Star – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards
  • Best Director (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards
  • Best Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards
  • Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Feature Film (Win) – 1996 NCLR Bravo Awards
  • Best Director (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards

Awards for The Secret of Roan Inish:

Awards for Passion Fish:

  • Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1993 Academy Awards<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Golden Spur Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1993 Flanders International Film Festival
  • Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1993 Writers Guild of America

Awards for City of Hope:

Awards for Matewan:

  • Critics Award (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1987 Deauville American Film Festival
  • Best Director (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1988 Independent Spirit Awards
  • Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1988 Independent Spirit Award
  • Human Rights Award (Win) – 1988 Political Film Society<ref name=":1" />

Awards for The Brother from Another Planet:

Awards for Return of the Secaucus 7:

Other recognitionEdit

Sayles's first published story, "I-80 Nebraska", won an O. Henry Award; his novel, Union Dues, was nominated for a National Book Award as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award.

In 1983,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sayles received the John D. MacArthur Award, given to 20 Americans in diverse fields each year for their innovative work. He has also been the recipient of the Eugene V. Debs Award, the John Steinbeck Award and the John Cassavetes Award. He was honored with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Writers Guild of America (1999).

Recurring collaboratorsEdit

Actors who have regularly worked with Sayles include Maggie Renzi, David Strathairn, Joe Morton, Chris Cooper, Mary McDonnell, Vincent Spano, Kevin Tighe, Josh Mostel, Tom Wright, Gordon Clapp and Angela Bassett.<ref>Template:Cite bookpage 6</ref>

rowspan=2 Template:Diagonal split header 2 Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small
Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth Template:Verth
Jace Alexander Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Eliot Asinof Template:X mark Template:X mark
Angela Bassett Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Jesse Borrego Template:X mark Template:X mark
Leo Burmester Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Gordon Clapp Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Bill Cobbs Template:X mark Template:X mark
Chris Cooper Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Liane Alexandra Curtis Template:X mark Template:X mark
Vondie Curtis-Hall Template:X mark Template:X mark
Richard Edson Template:X mark Template:X mark
Miguel Ferrer Template:X mark Template:X mark
Kathryn Grody Template:X mark Template:X mark
Lisa Gay Hamilton Template:X mark Template:X mark
Daryl Hannah Template:X mark Template:X mark
Clifton James Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Kris Kristofferson Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Perry Lang Template:X mark Template:X mark
Susan Lynch Template:X mark Template:X mark
Vanessa Martinez Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Mary McDonnell Template:X mark Template:X mark
Sam McMurray Template:X mark Template:X mark
Joe Morton Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Josh Mostel Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Bill Raymond Template:X mark Template:X mark
Maggie Renzi Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
John Sayles Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Vincent Spano Template:X mark Template:X mark
Mary Steenburgen Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Fisher Stevens Template:X mark Template:X mark
David Strathairn Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Kevin Tighe Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark
Ralph Waite Template:X mark Template:X mark
Tom Wright Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark Template:X mark

See alsoEdit

Further readingEdit

  • Diane Carson and Heidi Kenaga, eds., Sayles Talk: New Perspectives on Independent Filmmaker John Sayles, Wayne State University Press, 2006
  • John Sayles, Thinking in Pictures: The Making of the Movie Matewan, Da Capo Press, 2003

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:Sister project links 

 | name/{{#if:{{#invoke:ustring|match|1=626|2=^nm}}
   | Template:Trim/
   | nm0000626/
   }}
 | {{#if: {{#property:P345}}
   | name/Template:First word/
   | find?q=%7B%7B%23if%3A+%0A++++++%7C+%7B%7B%7Bname%7D%7D%7D%0A++++++%7C+%5B%5B%3ATemplate%3APAGENAMEBASE%5D%5D%0A++++++%7D%7D&s=nm
   }}
 }}{{#if: 626  {{#property:P345}} | {{#switch: 
 | award | awards = awards Awards for | biography | bio = bio Biography for
 }}}} {{#if: 
 | {{{name}}}
 | Template:PAGENAMEBASE
 }}] at IMDb{{#if: 626{{#property:P345}}
 | Template:EditAtWikidata
 | Template:Main other

}}{{#switch:{{#invoke:string2|matchAny|^nm.........|^nm.......|nm|.........|source=626|plain=false}} 

 | 1 | 3 =  Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning
 | 4 = Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning

}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:IMDb name with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|showblankpositional=1| 1 | 2 | id | name | section }}

Template:John Sayles Template:Navboxes

Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://zalansite.site/mediawiki/index.php?title=John_Sayles&oldid=10273"