John Sayles

John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for Passion Fish (1992) and Lone Star (1996). His film Men with Guns (1997) was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. His directorial debut, Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980), has been added to the National Film Registry.

John Sayles
John Sayles in March 2008
Born
John Thomas Sayles

(1950-09-28) September 28, 1950
Schenectady, New York, U.S.
Occupation
  • Director
  • screenwriter
  • editor
  • actor
  • author
Years active1978–present

Early life

Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary (née Rausch), a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator.[1] Both of Sayles's parents were Catholic and of half-Irish descent.[2] He attended Williams College with frequent collaborators Gordon Clapp and David Strathairn, as well as his longtime partner, Maggie Renzi. Sayles earned a B.A. in psychology in 1972.[3]

Career

After college, Sayles moved to Boston where he worked a variety of blue-collar jobs while writing short stories for The Atlantic.[4] These writings culminated in his first novel, The Pride of the Bimbos, published in 1975.

Like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, Sayles began his film career working with Roger Corman. In 1979, Sayles used $30,000 he earned writing scripts for Corman to fund his first film, Return of the Secaucus 7.[5] To make the film on a limited budget, he set the film in a large house so that he did not have to travel to or get permits for different locations, set the story over a three-day weekend to limit costume changes, and wrote about people his age so he could cast his friends in it. The film received near-unanimous critical acclaim at the time and has held its reputation. In November 1997, the National Film Preservation Board announced that Return of the Secaucus 7 would be one of the 25 films selected that year for preservation in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.

In 1983, after the films Baby It's You (starring Rosanna Arquette) and Lianna (a story in which a married woman becomes discontented with her marriage and falls in love with another woman), Sayles received a MacArthur Fellowship. He put the money into the science fiction feature The Brother from Another Planet,[6] a film about a three-toed humanoid who escapes bondage on another world and crashes-lands in New York harbour; because he is Africanoid in appearance, he finds himself at home among the people of Harlem, being pursued by European-looking alien enslavers men in black.

Sayles at the Miami Book Fair International, 2011

In 1989, Sayles created and wrote the pilot episode for the short-lived television show Shannon's Deal about a down-and-out Philadelphia lawyer played by Jamey Sheridan. Sayles received a 1990 Edgar Award for his teleplay for the pilot. The show ran for 16 episodes before being cancelled in 1991.

Sayles has funded most of his films by writing genre scripts, such as Piranha, Alligator, The Howling, and The Challenge[7] Having collaborated with Joe Dante on Piranha and The Howling, Sayles acted in Dante's movie, Matinee. Sayles gets the rest of his funding by working as a script doctor; he did rewrites for Apollo 13[8] and Mimic.

A genre script, called Night Skies, inspired what would eventually become the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.[9] That film's director, Steven Spielberg, later commissioned Sayles to write a script (unused) for the fourth Jurassic Park film.

He has written and directed his own films, including Lone Star, Passion Fish, Eight Men Out, The Secret of Roan Inish, and Matewan. He serves on the advisory board for the Austin Film Society.[10] Maggie Renzi has been John Sayles' long-time companion (and collaborator), but they have not married. Renzi has produced most of his films since Lianna. They met as students at Williams College.

Sayles works with a regular repertory of actors, most notably Chris Cooper, David Strathairn, and Gordon Clapp, each of whom has appeared in at least four of his films.

In early 2003, Sayles signed the Not In Our Name "Statement of Conscience" (along with Noam Chomsky, Steve Earle, Brian Eno, Jesse Jackson, Viggo Mortensen, Bonnie Raitt, Oliver Stone, Marisa Tomei, Susan Sarandon and others) which opposed the invasion of Iraq[11]

In February 2009, Sayles was reported to be writing an HBO series based on the early life of Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The drama, tentatively titled Scar Tissue, centers on Kiedis's early years living in West Hollywood with his father. At that time, Kiedis's father, known as Spider, sold drugs (according to legend, his clients included The Who and Led Zeppelin) and mingled with rock stars on the Sunset Strip, all while aspiring to get into show business.[12]

In February 2010, Sayles began shooting his 17th feature film, the historical war drama Amigo, in the Philippines. The film is a fictional account of events during the Philippine–American War, with a cast that includes Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, and Garret Dillahunt.[13]

His novel A Moment in the Sun, set during the same period as Amigo, in the Philippines, Cuba, and the U.S., was released in 2011 by McSweeney's. It includes an account of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 in North Carolina, the only coup d'état in United States history in which a duly elected government was overthrown.[14]

Legacy and honors
  • 1983 MacArthur Fellowship
  • 1990 Edgar Award, for teleplay for pilot of Shannon's Deal
  • In June 2014, Sayles donated his non-film archive to the University of Michigan. It will be accessible at the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. Sayles's film archive is held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.[15]

Filmography

Writer/director

Writer (film)

Writer (TV)

Actor (film)

Bibliography

Novels
  • Pride of the Bimbos (1975) (novel)
  • Union Dues (1977) (novel)
  • Los Gusanos (1991) (novel)
  • A Moment in the Sun (2011) (novel)
  • Yellow Earth (2020) (novel)[16]

Collections and non-fiction
  • The Anarchists' Convention (1979) (short story collection)
  • Thinking in Pictures: The Making of the Movie "Matewan" (1987) (non-fiction)
  • Dillinger in Hollywood (2004) (short story collection)

Music videos

Awards/nominations

Films

Awards for Honeydripper:

Award for Silver City:

  • Golden Seashell Award for Best Film (Nominated) – John Sayles – 2004 San Sebastián International Film Festival[22]

Awards for Sunshine State:

  • Golden Orange Award (Win) – John Sayles – 2002 Florida Film Critics Circle Awards[23]
  • Special Mention For Excellence In Filmmaking (Win) – 2002 National Board of Review[24]

Awards for Limbo:

Awards for Men with Guns/Hombres armados:

  • Best Foreign Independent Film (Nominated) – 1998 British Independent Film Awards[27]
  • Best Foreign Film (Nominated) – 1999 Golden Globes[28]
  • Peace Award (Nominated) – 1998 Political Film Society[29]
  • FIPRESCI Prize (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival
  • OCIC Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival
  • Solidarity Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival
  • Golden Seashell Award for Best Film (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival

Awards for Lone Star:

  • Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Academy Awards[30]
  • Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 BAFTA Awards[31]
  • Best Screenplay, Motion Picture (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Golden Globes
  • Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Writers Guild of America Award
  • Best Picture (Nominated) – 1997 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
  • Best Motion Picture Original Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 Golden Satellite Awards
  • Best Motion Picture – Drama (Nominated) – Maggie Renzi & R. Paul Miller – 1997 Golden Satellite Awards
  • Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Independent Spirit Awards
  • Best Film (Win) – Lone Star – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards
  • Best Director (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards
  • Best Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards
  • Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Feature Film (Win) – 1996 NCLR Bravo Awards
  • Best Director (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards

Awards for The Secret of Roan Inish:

Awards for Passion Fish:

  • Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1993 Academy Awards[32]
  • Golden Spur Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1993 Flanders International Film Festival
  • Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1993 Writers Guild of America

Awards for City of Hope:

Awards for Matewan:

  • Critics Award (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1987 Deauville American Film Festival
  • Best Director (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1988 Independent Spirit Awards
  • Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1988 Independent Spirit Award
  • Human Rights Award (Win) – 1988 Political Film Society[29]

Awards for The Brother from Another Planet:

Awards for Return of the Secaucus 7:

Other recognition

Sayles' first published story, "I-80 Nebraska", won an O. Henry Award; his novel, Union Dues, was nominated for a National Book Award as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award.

In 1983,[33] Sayles received the John D. MacArthur Award, given to 20 Americans in diverse fields each year for their innovative work. He has also been the recipient of the Eugene V. Debs Award, the John Steinbeck Award and the John Cassavetes Award. He was honored with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Writers Guild of America (1999).

Recurring collaborators

Actors who have regularly worked with Sayles include Maggie Renzi, David Strathairn, Joe Morton, Chris Cooper, Mary McDonnell, Vincent Spano, Kevin Tighe, Josh Mostel, Tom Wright, Gordon Clapp and Angela Bassett.[34]

ActorReturn of the Secaucus 7
(1980)		Lianna
(1983)		Baby It's You
(1983)		The Brother from Another Planet
(1984)		Matewan
(1987)		Eight Men Out
(1988)		City of Hope
(1991)		Passion Fish
(1992)		The Secret of Roan Inish
(1994)		Lone Star
(1996)		Men with Guns
(1997)		Limbo
(1999)		Sunshine State
(2002)		Casa de los Babys
(2003)		Silver City
(2004)		Honeydripper
(2007)		Amigo
(2010)		Go for Sisters
(2013)
Jace Alexander NNN
Eliot Asinof NN
Angela Bassett NNN
Jesse Borrego NN
Leo Burmester NNN
Gordon Clapp NNNN
Bill Cobbs NN
Chris Cooper NNNNN
Liane Alexandra Curtis NN
Vondie Curtis-Hall NN
Richard Edson NN
Miguel Ferrer NN
Kathryn Grody NN
Lisa Gay Hamilton NN
Daryl Hannah NN
Clifton James NNN
Kris Kristofferson NNN
Perry Lang NN
Susan Lynch NN
Vanessa Martinez NNNN
Mary McDonnell NN
Sam McMurray NN
Joe Morton NNN
Josh Mostel NNN
Bill Raymond NN
Maggie Renzi NNNNNNN
John Sayles NNNNNN
Vincent Spano NN
Mary Steenburgen NNN
Fisher Stevens NN
David Strathairn NNNNNNN
Kevin Tighe NNN
Ralph Waite NN
Tom Wright NNNNNN

See also

Further reading
  • Diane Carson and Heidi Kenaga, eds., Sayles Talk: New Perspectives on Independent Filmmaker John Sayles, Wayne State University Press, 2006
  • John Sayles, Thinking in Pictures: The Making of the Movie Matewan, Da Capo Press, 2003

References
  1. John Sayles Biography (1950–) from filmreference.com
  2. John Sayles Interview
  3. "John Sayles | Biography, Movies, Books, Assessment, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  4. "John Sayles | Biography, Movies, Books, Assessment, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  5. "8 Hollywood directors from the Roger Corman film school". Den of Geek. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  6. Richard Corliss (October 1, 1984). "Blues for Black Actors". Time. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
  7. "Dancing with Werewolves: John Sayles in Roger Corman's Hollywood". Bright Lights Film Journal. August 1, 2003. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  8. Johnson, Mary; Neff, Renfreu; Mercurio, Jim; Goldsmith, David F. (April 15, 2016). "John Sayles on Screenwriting". Creative Screenwriting. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  9. Miyamoto, Ken (December 10, 2018). "Where the Script Could Have Gone Wrong: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial". ScreenCraft. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  10. "Austin Film Society Board of Directors". austinfilm.org. Austin Film Society. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  11. "PRIDE OF THE BIMBOS - John Sayles 1975 1st edition 1st printing with dust jacket • $24.99". PicClick. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  12. Sayles red hot for HBO's 'Scar' from Variety
  13. Joel Torre believes 'Baryo' may stir controversy Archived January 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine from www.mb.com.ph
  14. "BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN SAYLES". johnsayles.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
  15. University of Michigan Acquires Archive of John Sayles
  16. "Yellow Earth". haymarketbooks.org. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  17. Tannenbaum, Rob; Marks, Craig (2012). I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. Plume. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-452-29856-9. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  18. Carlin, Peter Ames (October 30, 2012). Bruce. Simon and Schuster. p. 353. ISBN 978-1-4711-1235-5. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  19. "NAACP | List of NAACP Image Awards Winners". NAACP. February 14, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  20. "2007 Archives - National Board of Review". National Board of Review. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  21. "San Sebastian Film Festival". sansebastianfestival. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  22. "San Sebastian Film Festival". sansebastianfestival. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  23. "2002 FFCC Award Winners". Florida Film Critics Circle. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  24. "2002 Archives - National Board of Review". National Board of Review. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  25. "Golden Space Needle History 1990-1999". www.siff.net. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  26. "1999 Archives - National Board of Review". National Board of Review. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  27. "Winners Nominations · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. October 24, 1998. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  28. "Winners & Nominees 1999". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  29. "Previous Awards – Political Film Society". polfilms.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  30. "The 69th Academy Awards | 1997". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  31. "1997 Film Original Screenplay | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  32. "The 65th Academy Awards | 1993". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  33. Sayles, John. "MacArthur Foundation".
  34. Ryan, Jack (1998). John Sayles, Filmmaker: A Critical Study of the Independent Writer-director : with a Filmography and a Bibliography. McFarland. ISBN 9780786405299.page 6
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