Philip Kaufman - Career

Career

Kaufman relocated back to his native Chicago, ready to make a feature film. With his wife behind him, he proceeded to go around town looking for funding for his film, which became his directorial debut, Goldstein, co-written and co-directed with Benjamin Manaster. With that film in 1965, they were awarded the Prix de la Nouvelle Critique at the Cannes Film Festival. Acclaimed French director Jean Renoir called it the best American film in 20 years. Two years later, Kaufman went on to direct Fearless Frank which marked the debut of Jon Voight. While the movie didn't gain as much attention as Goldstein, it did help Kaufman land a contract in Universal Studios' Young Directors Program.

In 1972, Kaufman wrote and directed The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid starring Robert Duvall in a terrific performance as Jesse James.

In 1974, Kaufman directed the film The White Dawn, a drama based on the novel of the same name by James Houston. It is set in the Arctic and stars Warren Oates.

Kaufman had commenced directing The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) but was notoriously fired under Clint Eastwood's command by producer Bob Daley due to strong disagreements between the two. Eastwood's sacking of Kaufman resulted in Eastwood being fined (reported to be around $60,000) from the Directors Guild of America, who subsequently passed new legislation reserving the right to impose a major fine on a producer for discharging a director and replacing him with himself.

In 1978, Kaufman directed the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which would become his first hit.

In 1979, he directed The Wanderers, based on the novel by Richard Price.

In 1981, Kaufman became involved with the first Indiana Jones film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, for which he received story credit. While the character of Indiana Jones was created by George Lucas, it was Kaufman who came up with the story and the pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant.

In 1983, Kaufman directed the critically acclaimed film, The Right Stuff, an adaptation of the book of the same name by Tom Wolfe. The Right Stuff was nominated for 8 Oscars, including Best Picture. The film won 4 Oscars.

In 1988, Kaufman was nominated for an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay for The Unbearable Lightness of Being, based on the novel by Milan Kundera.

In 1990, he wrote and directed Henry & June, which was the first film to be given an NC-17 rating by the MPAA.

In 1993, he directed Rising Sun, an adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel which removed the anti-Japanese bias of the book. The film starred Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes.

In 1995, he narrated China: The Wild East a documentary directed by his son, Peter Kaufman.

In 2000, Kaufman directed Quills, a satirical thriller film about the increasingly desperate efforts of the Marquis de Sade's jailers to censor his licentious works, starring Geoffrey Rush, Joaquin Phoenix, Kate Winslet and Michael Caine.

In 2003, he directed Twisted, a thriller about a young policewoman whose casual sex partners are murdered while she herself suffers alcoholic blackouts. It starred Ashley Judd, Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Garcia.

Kaufman's wife Rose, who has a cameo appearance in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, co-wrote the screenplays of The Wanderers and Henry & June. Their son, Peter Kaufman, was the producer of Henry and June, Rising Sun and Quills, Twisted and Hemingway & Gellhorn.

Kaufman is based in San Francisco alongside other such luminaries as Francis Ford Coppola, Chris Columbus and nearby neighbor George Lucas, where he runs his production company Walrus and Associates with his family.

In June 2010, it was announced that Kaufman would be directing an HBO film about Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with Martha Gellhorn entitled Hemingway & Gellhorn that Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman will star in. The film will air on HBO on May 28. The film was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for Kaufman for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special.