Mark Boal
Encyclopedia
Mark Boal is an American
journalist
, screenwriter
and film producer
. He won Academy Awards
for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture for The Hurt Locker
(2009). His screenplay won six other major awards as well.
. He attended Bronx High School of Science
and was on the high school's Speech and Debate Team. He earned his undergraduate degree from Oberlin College
in 1995.
, Rolling Stone, and Playboy.
Boal's 2004 article "Death and Dishonor", about the 2003 murder of veteran
Richard T. Davis
after his return to the United States, was published in Playboy magazine. It inspired writer/director Paul Haggis
, who adapted it for his fictional screenplay for the film In the Valley of Elah
, which he also directed. Boal and Haggis have writing credit for the story.
As a journalist, Boal was embedded with troops and bomb squads in 2004 during the Iraq War. He wrote an article about one of the bomb experts, Sergeant Jeffrey S. Sarver, in an article entitled "The Man in the Bomb Suit", published in September 2005 in Playboy
magazine.
Boal went on to write an original screenplay titled The Hurt Locker about a fictional set of characters and events based on his interviews and observations in Iraq. He was also a producer for the 2009 film set in Iraq
, about an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal EOD
bomb squad. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow
, his business partner and co-producer.
In March 2010 (five days before the Academy Awards ceremony), Master Sergeant
Jeffrey S. Sarver announced he was suing the producers of The Hurt Locker because screenwriter Mark Boal allegedly based the main character and "virtually all of the situations" in the film on events involving him. Sarver also claimed to have coined the phrase "the hurt locker".
The producers' spokesperson has reiterated the screenplay is fictional. In addition, citations for the phrase "the hurt locker", date back to 1966 during the years of the Vietnam War
. The phrase has been used among military members for decades.
He wrote an essay in Rolling Stone
about US troops killing Afghan civilians.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He won Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture for The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is a 2009 American war film about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a US bomb...
(2009). His screenplay won six other major awards as well.
Early life and education
Mark Boal was born in 1973 in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He attended Bronx High School of Science
Bronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
and was on the high school's Speech and Debate Team. He earned his undergraduate degree from Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in 1995.
Career
Boal has worked as a freelance journalist and screenwriter. He has contributed articles to such magazines as The Village VoiceThe Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
, Rolling Stone, and Playboy.
Boal's 2004 article "Death and Dishonor", about the 2003 murder of veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
Richard T. Davis
Richard T. Davis
Specialist Richard T. Davis was an Infantryman in the United States Army. The son of two US Army veterans, Lanny and Remy Davis, he was born on an Army base in Germany...
after his return to the United States, was published in Playboy magazine. It inspired writer/director Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis
Paul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Early life and education:...
, who adapted it for his fictional screenplay for the film In the Valley of Elah
In the Valley of Elah
In the Valley of Elah is a 2007 film written and directed by Paul Haggis, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, and Susan Sarandon. The film’s title refers to the Biblical valley where the battle between David and Goliath is said to have taken place....
, which he also directed. Boal and Haggis have writing credit for the story.
As a journalist, Boal was embedded with troops and bomb squads in 2004 during the Iraq War. He wrote an article about one of the bomb experts, Sergeant Jeffrey S. Sarver, in an article entitled "The Man in the Bomb Suit", published in September 2005 in Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine.
Boal went on to write an original screenplay titled The Hurt Locker about a fictional set of characters and events based on his interviews and observations in Iraq. He was also a producer for the 2009 film set in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, about an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal EOD
EOD
EOD may refer to:* Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the disposal of bombs* End Of Day, a financial markets term* Evolve Or Die, A Political Party, started in Montana, with the beliefs that humanity must move forward or die out...
bomb squad. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Ann Bigelow is an American film director. Her best-known films are the cult horror film Near Dark , the surfer/bank robbery action picture Point Break , the science fiction/film noir Strange Days , the historical/mystery film The Weight of Water and the war drama The Hurt Locker...
, his business partner and co-producer.
In March 2010 (five days before the Academy Awards ceremony), Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
Jeffrey S. Sarver announced he was suing the producers of The Hurt Locker because screenwriter Mark Boal allegedly based the main character and "virtually all of the situations" in the film on events involving him. Sarver also claimed to have coined the phrase "the hurt locker".
The producers' spokesperson has reiterated the screenplay is fictional. In addition, citations for the phrase "the hurt locker", date back to 1966 during the years of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The phrase has been used among military members for decades.
He wrote an essay in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
about US troops killing Afghan civilians.
Filmography
- The Hurt LockerThe Hurt LockerThe Hurt Locker is a 2009 American war film about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a US bomb...
(2009), screenplay, producer - In the Valley of ElahIn the Valley of ElahIn the Valley of Elah is a 2007 film written and directed by Paul Haggis, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, and Susan Sarandon. The film’s title refers to the Biblical valley where the battle between David and Goliath is said to have taken place....
(2007), screenplay by Paul HaggisPaul HaggisPaul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Early life and education:...
; based on story by Mark Boal and Haggis
Awards
- The Hurt Locker (2009) - Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay)Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay)The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. Before 1940, there was an Academy Award for Best Story for writing. For 1940, it and the award in this article were separated into two awards. Beginning with the...
- The Hurt Locker (2009) - Academy Award for Best PictureAcademy Award for Best PictureThe Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
- The Hurt Locker (2009) - BAFTA Award for Best Original ScreenplayBAFTA Award for Best Original ScreenplayThe BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay is the British Academy Film Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. It has been awarded since 1984, when the original category was split into two awards, the other being the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted...
- The Hurt Locker (2009) - Writers Guild of AmericaWriters Guild of AmericaThe Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
Award for Best Original Screenplay - The Hurt Locker (2009) - Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original ScreenplayChicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original ScreenplayThe Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay is one of the annual awards given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-2000s:-2010s:-References:...
- The Hurt Locker (2009) - Nantucket International Film Festival - "The Showtime Tony Cox Award" for Screenwriting
- The Hurt Locker (2009) - Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Original ScreenplaySatellite Award for Best Original ScreenplayThe Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay is an annual award given by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :*1996: Lone Star*1996: The People vs...
- The Hurt Locker (2009) - Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best ScreenplayGolden Globe Award for Best ScreenplayThe Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture is one of the annual awards given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association."†" indicates the winner of the Academy Award for Best Writing "‡" indicates the winner of the Academy Award for Best Writing "§" indicates a Golden Globe Award...