Scott Hicks
Encyclopedia
Robert Scott Hicks is a film director
from Australia
. He is best known as the screenwriter and director of Shine
, the Oscar-winning biopic of pianist David Helfgott
. Hicks's work has been nominated for an Academy Award
as well as winning an Emmy Award
.
, the son of a homemaker and a civil engineer
. He lived in Kenya
, just outside Nairobi, until the age of ten. His family then moved, first to England and, when he was 14, on to Adelaide
, South Australia
. Though British citizens, his father and grandfather were born in Burma and the West Indies
respectively, and spent their lives in far-flung locales as civil engineers building railways, bridges and harbours. His mother is Scottish. Scott lives with his wife and collaborator/producer Kerry Heysen in Adelaide, where they maintain their own Yacca Paddock Vineyard on the Fleurieu Peninsula
. Their two sons, Scott and Jethro also live in Adelaide.
in South Australia (BA Honours) in 1975 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1997. He graduated into an industry which was emerging from decades of inactivity, stimulated by renewed government support for the arts. South Australia was at the forefront of this Australian film
revival, with established directors Peter Weir
and Bruce Beresford
coming to Adelaide to make their films. Hicks worked as a crew member on a dozen features over the next few years. At the same time, he was successful in bidding for contracts to write and direct short dramas and sponsored documentaries.
In his very early working years in the early 1980s, Hicks worked three times with WEA Records (Australia), firstly the movie Freedom filmed in and around Adelaide and featuring the music of Cold Chisel
's Don Walker
and the vocals of INXS
lead singer Michael Hutchence
. Following this, Hicks made a (very expensive for its time) music film clip utilizing 16mm film (not video) for popular South Australian band "Vertical Hold" who had a No.1 single in 1981, and another top 5 hit in 1982. Hicks's film clip was for their third single "Shotdown (In Love)" released in 1983 and was shown first on TV in Australia and then overseas including Hong Kong, Switzerland and at a U.S. "Aussie" Music Festival (in Los Angeles) late in 1983.
He is, however, best known as the screenwriter and director of Shine
, the Oscar-winning biopic of pianist David Helfgott
. Geoffrey Rush
won the Academy Award for Best Actor
, for his portrayal as Helfgott, and the film was also nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
(Armin Mueller-Stahl), Best Director, Best Film Editing
, Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
, Best Picture
and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. The AFI Awards
gave it significant recognition as well, with nine nominations total.
Hicks's first Hollywood studio film Snow Falling on Cedars
(1999) starring Ethan Hawke
, Max von Sydow
and Sam Shepard
, and based on David Guterson
's novel of the same title, also received an Academy Award nomination. This was followed in 2001 by the adaptation of Stephen King
's novel Hearts in Atlantis
starring Anthony Hopkins
.
After working on Hearts in Atlantis, Hicks decided to take time off and enjoy living at home. In that time, he fell into working on television commercials. Hicks also enjoyed success in the world of American television commercials (which he terms "multi-million dollar mini-movies") – one of which was inducted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art
in New York.
More than six years later, Hicks resurfaced as a director in No Reservations
. He followed that up with a more personal project, shooting a feature length documentary on the iconic composer Philip Glass
, glass: a portrait of Philip in twelve parts. This film premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
, to great acclaim, and has since been released in the U.S. and at film festivals around the world. His latest project The Boys Are Back
, an Australian-UK co-production which stars Clive Owen
.
Hicks is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
. Hicks was a finalist in 2008 for the Australian of the Year
Awards.
Writer:
Producer:
Cinematographer:
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director:
Miscellaneous Crew:
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He is best known as the screenwriter and director of Shine
Shine (film)
Shine is a 1996 Australian film based on the life of pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions. It stars Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgrave, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, John Gielgud, Googie Withers, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd, Nicholas Bell, Chris...
, the Oscar-winning biopic of pianist David Helfgott
David Helfgott
David Helfgott is an Australian concert pianist. He is as well known for having schizoaffective disorder as he is for his piano playing. Helfgott's life inspired the Oscar-winning film Shine, in which he was played by Geoffrey Rush....
. Hicks's work has been nominated for an Academy Award
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...
as well as winning an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
.
Personal life
Hicks was born in UgandaUganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, the son of a homemaker and a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
. He lived in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, just outside Nairobi, until the age of ten. His family then moved, first to England and, when he was 14, on to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Though British citizens, his father and grandfather were born in Burma and the West Indies
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
respectively, and spent their lives in far-flung locales as civil engineers building railways, bridges and harbours. His mother is Scottish. Scott lives with his wife and collaborator/producer Kerry Heysen in Adelaide, where they maintain their own Yacca Paddock Vineyard on the Fleurieu Peninsula
Fleurieu Peninsula
The Fleurieu Peninsula is a peninsula located south of Adelaide in South Australia, Australia. It was named after the French explorer and hydrographer Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin as he mapped the south coast of Australia in 1802.Towns of interest in the...
. Their two sons, Scott and Jethro also live in Adelaide.
Career
Hicks graduated from Flinders UniversityFlinders University
Flinders University, , is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.The university has established a reputation as a leading research...
in South Australia (BA Honours) in 1975 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1997. He graduated into an industry which was emerging from decades of inactivity, stimulated by renewed government support for the arts. South Australia was at the forefront of this Australian film
Cinema of Australia
Cinema of Australia, more commonly referred to as the Australian film industry, refers to the system of production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Australia. Film production commenced in Australia in 1906 with the production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the earliest feature film made...
revival, with established directors Peter Weir
Peter Weir
Peter Lindsay Weir, AM is an Australian film director. After playing a leading role in the Australian New Wave cinema with his films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave and Gallipoli, Weir directed a diverse group of American and international films—many of them major box office...
and Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...
coming to Adelaide to make their films. Hicks worked as a crew member on a dozen features over the next few years. At the same time, he was successful in bidding for contracts to write and direct short dramas and sponsored documentaries.
In his very early working years in the early 1980s, Hicks worked three times with WEA Records (Australia), firstly the movie Freedom filmed in and around Adelaide and featuring the music of Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
's Don Walker
Don Walker (musician)
Don Walker is an Australian musician and songwriter known for writing many of the hits for Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel. He played piano and keyboard with the band from 1973 to 1983, when they disbanded. He has since continued to record and tour, both solo and with Tex, Don and Charlie,...
and the vocals of INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
lead singer Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
. Following this, Hicks made a (very expensive for its time) music film clip utilizing 16mm film (not video) for popular South Australian band "Vertical Hold" who had a No.1 single in 1981, and another top 5 hit in 1982. Hicks's film clip was for their third single "Shotdown (In Love)" released in 1983 and was shown first on TV in Australia and then overseas including Hong Kong, Switzerland and at a U.S. "Aussie" Music Festival (in Los Angeles) late in 1983.
He is, however, best known as the screenwriter and director of Shine
Shine
Shine may refer to:* Reflection* Shine , a 1996 Australian film starring Geoffrey Rush* Shine * Shine Guitars* LG Shine, mobile phone* Donal Shine, Gaelic footballer...
, the Oscar-winning biopic of pianist David Helfgott
David Helfgott
David Helfgott is an Australian concert pianist. He is as well known for having schizoaffective disorder as he is for his piano playing. Helfgott's life inspired the Oscar-winning film Shine, in which he was played by Geoffrey Rush....
. Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
won the Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
, for his portrayal as Helfgott, and the film was also nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
(Armin Mueller-Stahl), Best Director, Best Film Editing
Academy Award for Film Editing
The Academy Award for Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since 1981, every film selected as Best Picture has also been nominated for the Film Editing...
, Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
Academy Award for Original Music Score
The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
, Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The 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...
and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. The AFI Awards
AFI Awards
AFI Awards may refer to:* The American Film Institute Awards* The Australian Film Institute Awards...
gave it significant recognition as well, with nine nominations total.
Hicks's first Hollywood studio film Snow Falling on Cedars
Snow Falling on Cedars
Snow Falling on Cedars is a 1994 novel written by American writer David Guterson. Guterson, who was a teacher at the time, wrote the book in the early morning hours over a ten-year period...
(1999) starring Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Green Hawke is an American actor, writer and director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with the science fiction movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role...
, Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...
and Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
, and based on David Guterson
David Guterson
David Guterson is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, journalist, and essayist.-Early life:David Guterson was born May 4, 1956, in Seattle, Washington. During his childhood, he attended Seattle public schools and later attended the University of Washington where he earned Bachelor of...
's novel of the same title, also received an Academy Award nomination. This was followed in 2001 by the adaptation of Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's novel Hearts in Atlantis
Hearts in Atlantis (film)
Hearts in Atlantis is a 2001 American/Australian drama thriller directed by Scott Hicks. It is loosely adapted from Stephen King's novella "Low Men in Yellow Coats", from his story collection Hearts in Atlantis.-Plot:...
starring Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
.
After working on Hearts in Atlantis, Hicks decided to take time off and enjoy living at home. In that time, he fell into working on television commercials. Hicks also enjoyed success in the world of American television commercials (which he terms "multi-million dollar mini-movies") – one of which was inducted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York.
More than six years later, Hicks resurfaced as a director in No Reservations
No Reservations (film)
No Reservations is a 2007 American romantic drama film directed by Scott Hicks. The screenplay by Carol Fuchs is an adaptation of an original script by Sandra Nettelbeck, which served as the basis for the 2001 German film Mostly Martha.-Plot:...
. He followed that up with a more personal project, shooting a feature length documentary on the iconic composer Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
, glass: a portrait of Philip in twelve parts. This film premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, to great acclaim, and has since been released in the U.S. and at film festivals around the world. His latest project The Boys Are Back
The Boys Are Back
The Boys Are Back may refer to:*The Boys Are Back , a 1989 album by Sawyer Brown*The Boys Are Back , a 2009 album by The Oak Ridge Boys*The Boys Are Back , a 1994 American sitcom...
, an Australian-UK co-production which stars Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
.
Hicks is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
. Hicks was a finalist in 2008 for the Australian of the Year
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
Awards.
Filmography
Director:- The Lucky OneThe Lucky One (film)The Lucky One is the film adaption of Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name. Film stars Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling and Blythe Danner in lead roles and is directed by Scott Hicks...
(2012) - The Boys Are BackThe Boys Are Back (film)The Boys Are Back is a 2009 Australian/British drama film directed by Scott Hicks, produced by Greg Brenman and starring Clive Owen. Based on the book The Boys Are Back In Town by Simon Carr, the film features a score composed by Hal Lindes and a soundtrack by Sigur Rós.-Plot:Joe Warr is a British...
(2009) - Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts (2007)
- No ReservationsNo Reservations (film)No Reservations is a 2007 American romantic drama film directed by Scott Hicks. The screenplay by Carol Fuchs is an adaptation of an original script by Sandra Nettelbeck, which served as the basis for the 2001 German film Mostly Martha.-Plot:...
(2007) - I'm Only Looking – The Best of INXS (2004) (V) (video Don't Change)
- Hearts in AtlantisHearts in Atlantis (film)Hearts in Atlantis is a 2001 American/Australian drama thriller directed by Scott Hicks. It is loosely adapted from Stephen King's novella "Low Men in Yellow Coats", from his story collection Hearts in Atlantis.-Plot:...
(2001) - Snow Falling on CedarsSnow Falling on Cedars (film)Snow Falling on Cedars is a film directed by Scott Hicks. It is based on David Guterson's novel of the same title. It was released in 1999 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.-Plot:...
(1999) - ShineShine (film)Shine is a 1996 Australian film based on the life of pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions. It stars Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgrave, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, John Gielgud, Googie Withers, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd, Nicholas Bell, Chris...
(1996) - The Ultimate Athlete: Pushing the Limit (1996) (TV)
- The Space Shuttle (1994) (TV)
- Submarines: Sharks of Steel (1993)
- Finders KeepersThe FinderThe Finder, also known as Finders Keepers, is an Australian children's television show, directed by Scott Hicks, that first aired on 28 October 1991, based on a book by Emily Rodda...
(1991) TV series - Call Me Mr. Brown (1990)
- The Great Wall of Iron (1989) TV series
- Sebastian and the Sparrow (1988)
- The INXS: Swing and Other Stories (1985) (V)
- Family Tree (1985)
- Vertical Hold -: "Shotdown (In Love)" (1983) (V)
- One Last Chance (1983)
- Freedom (1982)
- The Hall of Mirrors: A Festival (1982)
- Women Artists of Australia (1981) TV series
- No Going Back (1981) (TV)
- Bert Flugelman: Public Sculptor (1980)
- Assertive Skills Training (1980) (V)
- You Can't Always Tell (1979)
- Down the Wind (1975)
- The Wanderer (1974)
Writer:
- Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) (screenplay)
- Shine (1996) (story)
- The Space Shuttle (1994) (TV) (writer)
- Submarines: Sharks of Steel (1993) (writer)
- Call Me Mr. Brown (1990) (writer)
- Sebastian and the Sparrow (1988) (writer)
Producer:
- Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts (2007) (producer)
- The Ultimate Athlete: Pushing the Limit (1996) (TV) (producer)
- Sebastian and the Sparrow (1988) (producer)
- You Can't Always Tell (1979) (producer)
- Down the Wind (1975) (producer)
Cinematographer:
- Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts (2007)
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director:
- Final Cut (1980) (first assistant director)
- 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) (first assistant director) - Harvest of Hate (1979) (TV) (second assistant director)
- The PlumberThe PlumberThe Plumber is a 1979 Australian film. Written and directed by Peter Weir, The Plumber was originally made and broadcast as a television film in Australia in 1979 but was subsequently released to theaters in several countries beginning with the United States in 1981...
(1979) (TV) (second assistant director) - Dawn!Dawn!Dawn! is a 1979 Australian sports biopic about the three-time Olympic gold medallist swimmer Dawn Fraser, starring Bronwyn Mackay-Payne, written by Joy Cavill and directed by Ken Hannam.- Plot :...
(1979) (third assistant director) - Blue FinBlue FinBlue Fin is a 1978 family movie that stars Hardy Krüger, Greg Rowe and Elspeth Ballantyne. It is based on an Australian novel written by Colin Thiele and published in 1969.-Plot:...
(1978) (second assistant director) - 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) (third assistant director)
Miscellaneous Crew:
- The Irishman (1978) (production assistant)
- Storm BoyStorm Boy (film)Storm Boy is a 1976 Australian film based on a children's book, by Colin Thiele, about a boy and his pelican.Storm Boy likes to wander alone along the fierce deserted coast of South Australia's Coorong. He and his father live a reclusive life among the dunes that face out into the Southern Ocean...
(1976) (runner)
External links
- LOVEFiLM Blog Scott Hicks at the London Film Festival screening of The Boys are Back (Oct 2009)