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Gus Van Sant

Director

Gus Van Sant

Born July 24, 1952 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA49 films

Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Achievement in Directing for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, and won the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for his film Elephant. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

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His early career was devoted to directing television commercials in the Pacific Northwest. In his films, he has dealt with themes concerning homosexuality and other marginalized subcultures.

His filmography as writer and director includes an adaptation of Tom Robbins' novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, which features a diverse cast (Keanu Reeves, Roseanne Barr, Uma Thurman, and k.d. lang, with cameos by William S. Burroughs and Heather Graham, among others); and My Own Private Idaho, also starring Reeves as well as River Phoenix.

He wrote the screenplays for most of his early movies, and wrote one novel, Pink. A book of his photography has also been published, called 108 Portraits.

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The best way into Gus Van Sant's work
Good Will Hunting posterFirst watchGood Will Hunting19978.2Will Hunting is a headstrong, working-class genius who is failing the lessons of life. After one too many run-ins with the law, Will's last chance is a psychology professor, who might be…View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Milk poster7.2Milk2008Elephant poster7.0Elephant2003Finding Forrester poster7.1Finding Forrester2000My Own Private Idaho poster7.0My Own Private Idaho1991Paris Je T'aime poster6.8Paris Je T'aime2006Drugstore Cowboy poster7.1Drugstore Cowboy1989To Die For poster6.6To Die For1995Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot poster6.7Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot2018

Filmography

49 films as director
  1. TBAKilling GawkerDirector
  2. TBAMy FriendDirector
  3. TBAExplain it Like I’m FiveDirector
  4. TBANightmare TyphoonDirector
  5. TBAUntitled Hoyt Richards FilmDirector
  6. 2026Dead Man's WireDirector
  7. 2020Ouverture of Something That Never EndedDirector
  8. 2018Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on FootDirector
  9. 2016The Sea of TreesDirector
  10. 2012Promised LandDirector
  11. 2012My Own Private RiverDirector
  12. 2011RestlessDirector
  13. 2008MilkDirector
  14. 20088Director
  15. 2008Mansion on the HillDirector
  16. 2007To Each His Own CinemaDirector
  17. 2007Paranoid ParkDirector
  18. 2006Paris Je T'aimeDirector
  19. 2006Le MaraisDirector
  20. 2006Cinema16: American Short FilmsDirector
  21. 2006Best of Chris IsaakDirector
  22. 2005Last DaysDirector
  23. 2003ElephantDirector
  24. 2002GerryDirector
  25. 2002David Bowie: Best of BowieDirector
  26. 2000Finding ForresterDirector
  27. 2000EasterDirector
  28. 2000De Witt Clinton ChoirDirector
  29. 1998PsychoDirector
  30. 1997Good Will HuntingDirector
  31. 1997Ballad of the SkeletonsDirector
  32. 1996Four Boys in a VolvoDirector
  33. 1995To Die ForDirector
  34. 1994Even Cowgirls Get the BluesDirector
  35. 1991My Own Private IdahoDirector
  36. 1991Thanksgiving PrayerDirector
  37. 1991Flea SingsDirector
  38. 1989Drugstore CowboyDirector
  39. 1988Ken Death Gets Out of JailDirector
  40. 1988JuniorDirector
  41. 1987Mala NocheDirector
  42. 1987Five Ways to Kill YourselfDirector
  43. 1987My New FriendDirector
  44. 1985SwitzerlandDirector
  45. 1982The Discipline of D.E.Director
  46. 1979Psycho ShampooDirector
  47. 19731/2 of a Telephone ConversationDirector
  48. 1972Little JohnnyDirector
  49. 1971The Happy OrganDirector