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Adrian Lyne is the
creative force
behind some of the
most talked-about
movies of the late
twentieth century,
among them,
Fatal Attraction,
Nine 1/2 Weeks,
Flashdance,
Indecent Proposal
and
Jacob's Ladder.
Born in Peterborough, England and raised in London, Lyne attended the Highgate school, where his father was a teacher. In his twenties, he also played trumpet with a jazz group. An avid moviegoer during his school days, he was inspired to make his own films by the work of French New Wave directors like Godard, Truffaut and Chabrol. Two of his early short films, "The Table" and "Mr. Smith," were official entries in the London Film Festival. From the mid-70s to the early 80s, Adrian Lyne directed TV commercials, like those for DIM underwear (France, 1975-76), or Apple's Lisa computer (1983) starring the then unknown Kevin Costner. He made his feature filmmaking debut in 1980 with Foxes, a perceptive look at the friendship of four teenage girls growing up in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, starring Jodie Foster. His next film, Flashdance, an innovative blend of rock 'n' roll, new dance styles, and breathtaking imagery, created a sensation in 1983. Lyne's bravura visuals, perfectly wedded to Giorgio Moroder's powerful score, propelled the story of an aspiring ballerina (Jennifer Beals, in her film debut) who works in a factory by day and dances in a club at night. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, with the theme song, "What a Feeling," winning the Oscar for Best Song. Lyne also directed the "Maniac" music video for Michael Sembello. Producer Michael Douglas considered him as director of Starman (1984), but the job went to John Carpenter. In 1986, Lyne attracted controversy with Nine 1/2 Weeks. Based on a novel by Elizabeth McNeill, the tale of a sexually-obsessive relationship starred Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. Although considered too explicit by its American distributor, and cut for U. S. release, it became a huge hit abroad in its unedited version. Adrian was set to direct Stand by Me (1986), but couldn't do it because Nine 1/2 Weeks went over schedule. Lyne's fourth film was the box-office phenomenon Fatal Attraction, which to date his generated over $450 million in revenues worldwide. The story of a happily-married lawyer (Michael Douglas) who tries to break off an affair with an attractive single woman (Glenn Close), only to have her become obsessed with him and endanger his family, the film struck a powerful chord with audiences and was one of the most successful films of the year. Deemed "the Zeitgeist hit of the decade" by TIME Magazine, "Fatal Attraction" won six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Glenn Close), Best Supporting Actress (Anne Archer), Best Screenplay and Best Editing. In 1990, Lyne pushed the boundaries of psychological terror with the thriller Jacob's Ladder. Written by Academy Award-winner Bruce Joel Rubin ("Ghost") and starring Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Pena and Danny Aiello, the film took audiences on a tortuous ride through Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer's (Robbins) nightmarish world of reality and unexplainable hallucinations to reveal a shocking and intensely-debated conclusion. The film won Best Picture at the Avoriaz Film Festival. With Indecent Proposal, Lyne examined how the sexes look at relationships and money. Starring Robert Redford, Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore, Indecent Proposal became a worldwide hit. His 1997 film Lolita, based on the modern classic novel by Vladimir Nabokov, was filmed for theatrical release, but American distributors shied away from it due to its controversial subject matter. The film premiered on Showtime, and was so well-received that national theatrical distribution soon followed. The release of Unfaithful (2002) found Lyne returning to the familiar subject of marital infidelity, and audiences once again flooded the theaters en masse, keeping the film comfortably in the Top Ten for nearly a month following its lukewarm opening weekend debut and a fairly ambivalent reception from critics. When not working in the United States, Lyne lives with his family in a rural village in Southern France. * Born on 03/04/1941 in Peterborough, England * Job Titles: Director Family * Daughter: Amy Lyne. Born c. 1975; mother, Samantha Lyne Significant Others * Wife: . divorced; mother of Lyne's three older children Education * Highgate School, London, England Milestones * 1971 Debuted his first film short, the 10-minute "The Table" at the London Film festival * 1974 Second film, the 40-minute "Mr Smith" received excellent reviews; also showcased at the London Film Festival * 1980 Helmed first feature, "Foxes" starring Jodie Foster and Scott Baio * 1983 Scored a huge commercial success with "Flashdance" starring Jennifer Beals in the lead role * 1986 Savaged by American critics, "9 1/2 Weeks" became a huge hit abroad when showed in its uncensored entirety * 1987 Helmed one of the year's most successful films, "Fatal Attraction" starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close; received Golden Globe, DGA and Oscar nominations for Best Director * 1990 Faltered with "Jacob's Ladder," a tale of a haunted Vietnam vet * 1993 Directed the successful feature, "Indecent Proposal" starring Robert Redford, Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson * 1997 Helmed the second screen adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita"; due to it controversial subject, the film had a great deal of trouble finding a distributor in the US and eventually premiered on Showtime * 2002 Directed (also produced) Diane Lane and Richard Gere in "Unfaithful" * Directed numerous commercials for British TV |
