Bruce Beresford
Encyclopedia
Bruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.
, and went to The King's School, Parramatta. He made several short films in his teens.
He completed a bachelor's degree in humanities majoring in English at Sydney University, and then moved to England in 1962 in search of film work. He could not break into the British film scene, so he answered an advertisement for an editing job in Nigeria
, where he worked for two years, in Enugu
. He then returned to England and worked for the British Film Institute
as a producer of short films by first-time directors.
, and spent the next 10 years working in Australia's developing film industry.
He established his reputation as one of Australia's best directors with a series of notable films in the 1970s, including Don's Party
, The Getting of Wisdom
, The Club
and Breaker Morant
.
Following the critical success of Breaker Morant (widely regarded as a classic of Australian cinema) Beresford moved to Hollywood. His first film made in the US, Tender Mercies
, earned him his only Academy Award nomination for Best Director in 1982. He also directed Driving Miss Daisy
which won the Academy award for best film in 1990, and Black Robe
, considered one of the best of his later films. After what might fairly be called a lean patch in his career, at least in comparison with his earlier output, the 2009 film, Mao's Last Dancer
broke records at the Australian box office and won numerous film-festival honors.
Asked if he minded not even being nominated for the Best Director Oscar for Driving Miss Daisy, Beresford said: "No, not at all. I didn’t think it was that well directed. It was very well written. When the writing's that good, you’ve really just got to set the camera up and photograph it."
In addition to films, Bruce Beresford has also directed several operas and theatre productions.
with critic and documentary maker Clive James
, art critic and officionado, Robert Hughes
, activist and author Germaine Greer
, journalist Bob Ellis
, Ken Horler, and writer Mungo McCallum
.
His contemporary and friend actor and theatre director John Bell
, shared a house and also did some film acting.
Beresford remains close friends with Australian comedian, satirist and character actor Barry Humphries
best known for his on-stage/television alter ego Dame Edna Everage
, and his family.
Early life
Beresford was born in Paddington, Sydney, the son of Lona (née Warr) and Leslie Beresford, who sold electrical goods. He grew up in the then outer-western suburb of ToongabbieToongabbie, New South Wales
Toongabbie is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Toongabbie is located 30 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region...
, and went to The King's School, Parramatta. He made several short films in his teens.
He completed a bachelor's degree in humanities majoring in English at Sydney University, and then moved to England in 1962 in search of film work. He could not break into the British film scene, so he answered an advertisement for an editing job in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, where he worked for two years, in Enugu
Enugu
Enugu is the capital of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in the southeastern area of Nigeria and is largely populated by members of the Igbo ethnic group. The city has a population of 722,664 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Enu Ugwu...
. He then returned to England and worked for the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
as a producer of short films by first-time directors.
Career
Beresford returned to Australia in 1970 to make his first feature film, The Adventures of Barry McKenzieThe Adventures of Barry McKenzie
The Adventures of Barry McKenzie is a 1972 Australian film starring Barry Crocker, telling the story of an Australian 'yobbo' on his travels to the United Kingdom. Barry McKenzie was originally a character created by Barry Humphries for a cartoon strip in Private Eye...
, and spent the next 10 years working in Australia's developing film industry.
He established his reputation as one of Australia's best directors with a series of notable films in the 1970s, including Don's Party
Don's Party
Don's Party is a 1971 play by David Williamson set during the 1969 Australian federal election. The film based on the play was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.-Plot:...
, The Getting of Wisdom
The Getting of Wisdom
The Getting of Wisdom is a novel by Australian novelist Henry Handel Richardson. It was first published in 1910, and has almost always been in print ever since.-Plot introduction:...
, The Club
The Club
-Music:*The Club , a dance music program that is broadcast on Australian youth radio station Triple J*"The Club ", a song by Korean group The Grace* The Club, a song from the musical In The Heights...
and Breaker Morant
Breaker Morant
Harry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant was an Anglo-Australian drover, horseman, poet, soldier and convicted war criminal whose skill with horses earned him the nickname "The Breaker"...
.
Following the critical success of Breaker Morant (widely regarded as a classic of Australian cinema) Beresford moved to Hollywood. His first film made in the US, Tender Mercies
Tender Mercies
Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas...
, earned him his only Academy Award nomination for Best Director in 1982. He also directed Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy is a 1989 American comedy-drama film adapted from the Alfred Uhry play of the same name. The film was directed by Bruce Beresford, with Morgan Freeman reprising his role as Hoke Colburn and Jessica Tandy playing Miss Daisy...
which won the Academy award for best film in 1990, and Black Robe
Black Robe (film)
Black Robe is a 1991 film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay was written by Northern Irish-Canadian author Brian Moore, who adapted it from his novel of the same name....
, considered one of the best of his later films. After what might fairly be called a lean patch in his career, at least in comparison with his earlier output, the 2009 film, Mao's Last Dancer
Mao's Last Dancer (film)
Mao's Last Dancer is a 2009 Australian biographical film, directed by Bruce Beresford, based on ballet dancer Li Cunxin's autobiography Mao's Last Dancer. Li Cunxin is portrayed by Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Dancer Chi Cao , Australian Ballet dancer Chengwu Guo and Huang Wen Bin...
broke records at the Australian box office and won numerous film-festival honors.
Asked if he minded not even being nominated for the Best Director Oscar for Driving Miss Daisy, Beresford said: "No, not at all. I didn’t think it was that well directed. It was very well written. When the writing's that good, you’ve really just got to set the camera up and photograph it."
In addition to films, Bruce Beresford has also directed several operas and theatre productions.
Memoir
In August 2007 he published a memoir, Josh Hartnett Definitely Wants To Do This... True Stories From A Life In The Screen Trade.Contemporaries and friends
Beresford attended the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
with critic and documentary maker Clive James
Clive James
Clive James, AM is an Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet and memoirist, best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, for his chat shows and documentaries on British television and for his prolific journalism...
, art critic and officionado, Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes (critic)
Robert Studley Forrest Hughes, AO is an Australian-born art critic, writer and television documentary maker who has resided in New York since 1970.-Early life:...
, activist and author Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
, journalist Bob Ellis
Bob Ellis
Bob Ellis is an Australian writer, journalist, film-maker and political commentator. He was a student at the University of Sydney at the same time as other notable Australians including Clive James, Germaine Greer, Les Murray, John Bell, Ken Horler, and Mungo McCallum...
, Ken Horler, and writer Mungo McCallum
Mungo Wentworth MacCallum
Mungo Wentworth MacCallum is an Australian political journalist and commentator.He is the son of Mungo Ballardie MacCallum , and Diana Wentworth a great granddaughter of the Australian explorer and politician William Charles Wentworth...
.
His contemporary and friend actor and theatre director John Bell
John Bell (actor)
John Anthony Bell, AO, OBE is an Australian actor and theatre director.Bell was born 1 November 1940 in the town of Maitland, New South Wales where he was educated at the Marist Brothers....
, shared a house and also did some film acting.
Beresford remains close friends with Australian comedian, satirist and character actor Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
best known for his on-stage/television alter ego Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna is a character created and played by Australian dadaist performer and comedian, Barry Humphries, famous for her lilac-coloured or "wisteria hue" hair and cat eye glasses or "face furniture," her favorite flower, the gladiola and her boisterous greeting: "Hello Possums!" As Dame Edna,...
, and his family.
Filmography
- The Adventures of Barry McKenzieThe Adventures of Barry McKenzieThe Adventures of Barry McKenzie is a 1972 Australian film starring Barry Crocker, telling the story of an Australian 'yobbo' on his travels to the United Kingdom. Barry McKenzie was originally a character created by Barry Humphries for a cartoon strip in Private Eye...
(1972) - Barry McKenzie Holds His OwnBarry McKenzie Holds His OwnBarry McKenzie Holds His Own is the 1974 sequel to the 1972 Australian comedy film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie.Returning from the original film is Barry Crocker in the title role, as well as Barry Humphries in the role of Barry's aunt, Dame Edna. Also returning in the director's chair is Bruce...
(1974) - Side by Side (1975)
- Don's PartyDon's PartyDon's Party is a 1971 play by David Williamson set during the 1969 Australian federal election. The film based on the play was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.-Plot:...
(1976) - The Getting of WisdomThe Getting of Wisdom (film)The Getting of Wisdom is a 1977 Australian film based on a novel by the same name by Henry Handel Richardson and directed by Bruce Beresford. Set in 1890s Victoria, Laura enters an exclusive Melbourne ladies' college...
(1978) - Money MoversMoney MoversMoney Movers is a 1978 crime action drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The film was based on the book Money Movers by Devon Minchin, founder of Metropolitan Security Services...
(1978) - Breaker MorantBreaker Morant (film)Breaker Morant is a 1980 Australian film about the court martial of Breaker Morant, directed by Bruce Beresford and starring British actor Edward Woodward as Harry "Breaker" Morant...
(1980) - The ClubThe Club (play)The Club is a satirical play by Australian playwright David Williamson, that follows the fortunes of a football club over the course of a season. It explores the clashes between "human loyalty versus materialistic gain". It was inspired by the backroom dealings and antics of the Victorian Football...
(1980) (Writer: David WilliamsonDavid WilliamsonDavid Keith Williamson AO is one of Australia's best-known playwrights. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.-Biography:...
) (a. k. a. David Williamson's The Club and Players) - Puberty BluesPuberty BluesPuberty Blues is a 1981 Australian film directed by Bruce Beresford. The film is based on the 1979 novel Puberty Blues, by Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette, which is a proto-feminist teen novel about two 13 year-old girls from the Sutherland Shire in Sydney, Australia...
(1981) - Tender MerciesTender MerciesTender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas...
(1983) - King DavidKing David (film)King David is a 1985 film about the second king of Israel, David. It was filmed in 1984 in Matera and Craco, Italy. It was directed by Bruce Beresford and starred Richard Gere in the title role.-Cast:*Richard Gere as "David"*Edward Woodward as "Saul"...
(1985) - The Fringe DwellersThe Fringe DwellersThe Fringe Dwellers is a 1961 novel written by the Western Australian author Nene Gare. It was made into a 1986 film directed by Bruce Beresford.-The Film:...
(1986) - Crimes of the HeartCrimes of the Heart (film)Crimes of the Heart is a 1986 American black comedy film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Beth Henley is adapted from her Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name.-Plot:...
(1986) - Aria (1988)
- Her AlibiHer AlibiHer Alibi is a 1989 American romantic comedy directed by Bruce Beresford, written by Charlie Peters, and starring Paulina Porizkova, Tom Selleck, and William Daniels.-Plot summary:...
(1989) - Driving Miss DaisyDriving Miss DaisyDriving Miss Daisy is a 1989 American comedy-drama film adapted from the Alfred Uhry play of the same name. The film was directed by Bruce Beresford, with Morgan Freeman reprising his role as Hoke Colburn and Jessica Tandy playing Miss Daisy...
(1989) - Mister JohnsonMister JohnsonMister Johnson is a 1990 American drama film based on the 1939 novel by Joyce Cary. The film was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival, where Maynard Eziashi won the Silver Bear for Best Actor.The film was shot in Toro, Nigeria...
(1990) - Black RobeBlack Robe (film)Black Robe is a 1991 film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay was written by Northern Irish-Canadian author Brian Moore, who adapted it from his novel of the same name....
(1991) - Rich in LoveRich in LoveRich in Love is a 1993 drama film based on the 1987 novel with the same name by Josephine Humphreys. The film stars Albert Finney, Katherine Erbe, Kyle MacLachlan, Jill Clayburgh, Suzy Amis, and Ethan Hawke.-Plot:...
(1993) - A Good Man in AfricaA Good Man in Africa (film)A Good Man in Africa is a 1994 film, based on the novel A Good Man in Africa , and directed by Bruce Beresford.-Synopsis:...
(1994) - Silent FallSilent FallSilent Fall is a 1994 mystery film about a boy with autism who is the only witness to a savage double murder. The film was directed by Bruce Beresford, and stars Richard Dreyfuss, Linda Hamilton, John Lithgow, J. T. Walsh, and Liv Tyler.-Plot:...
(1994) - Last DanceLast Dance (film)Last Dance is a 1996 film starring Sharon Stone, Rob Morrow, Randy Quaid and Peter Gallagher. The prison where the film was shot is in Ridgeland, South Carolina.-Plot:...
(1996) - Paradise Road (1997)
- Sydney – A Story of a City (1999)
- Double JeopardyDouble Jeopardy (film)Double Jeopardy is a 1999 thriller film directed by Bruce Beresford and starring Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd. The film is about a woman who is framed for the murder of her husband.-Plot:...
(1999) (a. k. a. Doppelmord and Double condemnation) - Bride of the WindBride of the WindBride of the Wind is a 2001 period drama directed by Academy Award-nominee Bruce Beresford and written by first-time screenwriter Marilyn Levy. Loosely based on the life of Alma Mahler, Bride of the Wind recounts Alma's marriage to famed composer Gustav Mahler and her romantic exploits...
(2001) (a. k. a. Die Windsbraut) - EvelynEvelyn (film)Evelyn is a 2002 drama film, loosely based on the true story of Desmond Doyle and his fight against the Irish courts to be reunited with his children. The film stars Sophie Vavasseur in the title role, Pierce Brosnan as her father and Aidan Quinn, Julianna Margulies and Stephen Rea as supporters to...
(2002) - And Starring Pancho Villa as HimselfAnd Starring Pancho Villa as HimselfAnd Starring Pancho Villa as Himself is a 2003 television film starring Antonio Banderas as Pancho Villa.At the time of production, this was the most expensive 2-hour television/cable movie ever made, with a budget of over $30 million....
(2003) (TV) - The Contract (2006)
- Mao's Last DancerMao's Last Dancer (film)Mao's Last Dancer is a 2009 Australian biographical film, directed by Bruce Beresford, based on ballet dancer Li Cunxin's autobiography Mao's Last Dancer. Li Cunxin is portrayed by Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Dancer Chi Cao , Australian Ballet dancer Chengwu Guo and Huang Wen Bin...
(2009) - Peace, Love and MisunderstandingPeace, Love and MisunderstandingPeace, Love & Misunderstanding is an independent comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford and starring Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Elizabeth Olsen, Nat Wolff, Marissa O'Donnell, Chace Crawford, Kyle MacLachlan, and Rosanna Arquette...
(2011) - The House Gun (Film) (2012)
External links
- Official Website
- ABC interview transcript (Talking Heads, 2007)
- Bruce Beresford – portrait photo by Mark-Steffen Göwecke
- http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/summary/summary.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;page=0;parentid=;query=Number%3A359085%20|%20Number%3A355245%20|%20Number%3A353523%20|%20Number%3A354271%20|%20Number%3A356560%20|%20Number%3A355807%20|%20Number%3A563265%20|%20Number%3A560167%20|%20Number%3A353650%20|%20Number%3A349255;querytype=;resCount=10Bruce Beresford at the National Film and Sound Archive]
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3zWVze4oac – Youtube interview