Latest news with #KramervsKramer
eNCA
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- eNCA
'Kramer vs Kramer' director Robert Benton dies: representative
LOS ANGELES - Robert Benton, the Oscar-winning writer and director of "Kramer vs Kramer," has died in his US home, his representative said. He was 92. Benton was also known for the 1984 film "Places in the Heart" and had extensive writing and directing credits for influential movies throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The New York Times reported that Benton died on Sunday. Hillary Bibicoff from the law firm Feig Finkel, which represented him, confirmed his death to AFP. Benton co-wrote Arthur Penn's groundbreaking crime thriller "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) -- starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty -- with David Newman. But he is probably best known for his script and direction on "Kramer vs Kramer," the 1979 film that offered an unflinching look at divorce and became one of the most awarded films of its time. It picked up nine Oscar nominations, and brought home five -- Benton's Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress for Meryl Streep and the year's grand prize of Best Picture. He and Newman co-wrote Peter Bogdanovich's "What's Up, Doc?," which was released in 1972, the same year that Benton made his directorial debut with "Bad Company." In 1978, Benton teamed up again with Newman and Newman's wife Leslie to write the screenplay for "Superman" (1978) starring Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando and Margot Kidder. Despite coaxing Oscar-winning performances out of a host of 20th-century legends of the silver screen, Benton was known in Hollywood as a self-effacing director. "There are directors who can get great performances out of actors. I am not one of them," the filmmaker once said. Appearing at a fan event in Hollywood in 2018, he remained modest about his stellar career. "I have found actors -- through luck, through the judgment of casting directors or through my own instinct -- that are extraordinarily good," he told the crowd. "There's a thing you've just got to gamble with, and when you see it and it works, it's brilliant." Asked how he got some of Tinseltown's biggest stars to perform for him, he deadpanned: "I tried not to get in their way... that's not so easy."
7NEWS
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Robert Benton dies aged 92
Robert Benton has died at the age of 92, the Oscar-winning director's longtime assistant Marisa Forzano confirmed to the New York Times newspaper. Best known for writing and directing the 1979 drama movie Kramer vs Kramer, Benton was the art director at Esquire magazine in the early 1960s before joining the film industry with the help of acclaimed screenwriter David Newman. Benton once explained in an interview: 'I had been working as an art director at Esquire and I got fired. 'I decided to write a screenplay. I am dyslexic. I cannot spell or punctuate. I knew a young editor at Esquire, a wonderful writer, David Newman. I sold him on the glamorous life of the Hollywood screenwriter.' Benton wrote his first screenplay with Newman for Bonnie and Clyde, the 1967 biographical crime film that starred Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. The iconic movie - which also featured Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, and Estelle Parsons - proved to be a big success, earning Benton and Newman an Academy Award nomination. What's more, Bonnie and Clyde made $US70 million ($A110 million) from a budget of just $US2.5 million ($A4 million). Benton and Newman reunited to work on What's Up, Doc?, the 1972 screwball comedy film that starred Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. The Peter Bogdanovich-directed movie - which paid homage to comedy films of the 1920s, '30s and '40s - was another critical and commercial success, becoming the third highest-grossing film of the year. Benton received his first individual credit in 1977, when he wrote and directed The Late Show, the neo-noir comedy-mystery film that starred Art Carney, Lily Tomlin, Bill Macy, Eugene Roche and Joanna Cassidy. The movie earned Benton a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Benton and Newman joined forces once again to work on Superman, the 1978 superhero movie that featured Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman. The film was a critical and financial hit, despite being the most expensive movie ever made up to that point, with a budget of $US55 million. Then, in 1979, Benton wrote and directed Kramer vs Kramer, the legal drama film based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel. The movie featured Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, and earned nine nominations at the Academy Awards. Benton won the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The acclaimed filmmaker subsequently won a third Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Places in the Heart, the 1984 drama film that he also wrote. He directed Nicole Kidman in 1991's Billy Bathgate, one of the Aussie actress's first Hollywood projects which also starred Dustin Hoffman; and The Human Stain, with Anthony Hopkins. Benton's last directing credit was in 2007 for Feast of Love, a drama that starred Morgan Freeman and Selma Blair. Benton - who was working on his memoir before he passed away - is survived by a son, John.
Mint
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Robert Benton, Oscar winning filmmaker and director of 'Kramer vs Kramer', dies at 92
Robert Benton, the Oscar-winning writer and director of "Kramer vs Kramer," has died in his US home, his representative said Tuesday. He was 92. Benton was also known for the 1984 film "Places in the Heart" and had extensive writing and directing credits for influential movies throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The New York Times reported Benton died on Sunday. Hillary Bibicoff from the law firm Feig Finkel, which represented him, confirmed his death to AFP. Benton co-wrote Arthur Penn's groundbreaking crime thriller "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) -- starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty -- with David Newman. But he is probably best known for his script and direction on "Kramer vs Kramer," the 1979 film that offered an unflinching look at divorce and became one of the most awarded films of its time. It picked up nine Oscar nominations, and brought home five -- Benton's Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress for Meryl Streep and the year's grand prize of Best Picture. He and Newman co-wrote Peter Bogdanovich's "What's Up, Doc?," which was released in 1972, the same year that Benton made his directorial debut with "Bad Company." In 1978, Benton teamed up again with Newman and Newman's wife Leslie to write the screenplay for "Superman" (1978) starring Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando and Margot Kidder. Despite coaxing Oscar-winning performances out of a host of 20th century legends of the silver screen, Benton was known in Hollywood as a self-effacing director. "There are directors who can get great performances out of actors. I am not one of them," the filmmaker once said. Appearing at a fan event in Hollywood in 2018, he remained modest about his stellar career. "I have found actors -- through luck, through the judgment of casting directors or through my own instinct -- that are extraordinarily good," he told the crowd. "There's a thing you've just got to gamble with, and when you see it and it works, it's brilliant." Asked how he got some of Tinseltown's biggest stars to perform for him, he deadpanned: "I tried not to get in their way... that's not so easy." The Times reported Benton is survived by his son, John. His wife of six decades, Sallie, died in 2023.
RTHK
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTHK
'Kramer vs Kramer' director Robert Benton dies aged 92
'Kramer vs Kramer' director Robert Benton dies aged 92 Benton was also known for the 1984 film "Places in the Heart". File photo: AFP Robert Benton, the Oscar-winning writer and director of "Kramer vs Kramer," has died in his US home, his representative said on Tuesday. He was 92. Benton was also known for the 1984 film "Places in the Heart" and had extensive writing and directing credits for influential movies throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The New York Times reported Benton died on Sunday. Hillary Bibicoff from the law firm Feig Finkel, which represented him, confirmed his death to AFP. Benton co-wrote Arthur Penn's groundbreaking crime thriller "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) -- starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty -- with David Newman. But he is probably best known for his script and direction on "Kramer vs Kramer," the 1979 film that offered an unflinching look at divorce and became one of the most awarded films of its time. It picked up nine Oscar nominations, and brought home five -- Benton's Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress for Meryl Streep and the year's grand prize of Best Picture. He and Newman co-wrote Peter Bogdanovich's "What's Up, Doc?," which was released in 1972, the same year that Benton made his directorial debut with "Bad Company." In 1978, Benton teamed up again with Newman and Newman's wife Leslie to write the screenplay for "Superman" (1978) starring Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando and Margot Kidder. Despite coaxing Oscar-winning performances out of a host of 20th century legends of the silver screen, Benton was known in Hollywood as a self-effacing director. "There are directors who can get great performances out of actors. I am not one of them," the filmmaker once said. Appearing at a fan event in Hollywood in 2018, he remained modest about his stellar career. "I have found actors -- through luck, through the judgment of casting directors or through my own instinct -- that are extraordinarily good," he told the crowd. "There's a thing you've just got to gamble with, and when you see it and it works, it's brilliant." Asked how he got some of Tinseltown's biggest stars to perform for him, he deadpanned: "I tried not to get in their way... that's not so easy." The Times reported Benton is survived by his son, John. His wife of six decades, Sallie, died in 2023. (AFP)
ABC News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Robert Benton, Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Kramer vs. Kramer, dies aged 92
Robert Benton, the Oscar-winning writer and director of Kramer vs. Kramer, has died aged 92. Benton's son, John Benton, said that he died on Sunday at his home in Manhattan of "natural causes." During a 40-year screen career, the Texas native received six Oscar nominations and won three times: for writing and directing Kramer vs. Kramer and for writing Places in the Heart. He co-wrote Arthur Penn's groundbreaking crime thriller Bonnie and Clyde, starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, with David Newman. But it is his script and direction on Kramer vs. Kramer — the 1979 film that offered an unflinching look at divorce and went on to become one of the most awarded films of its time — that he is arguably best known for. The movie picked up nine Oscar nominations and brought home five: Benton's Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress for Meryl Streep and the year's grand prize of Best Picture. Benton was also widely appreciated by actors as attentive and trusting, and directed Oscar-winning performances by Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Sally Field. But despite coaxing winning performances out of a host of 20th-century legends, Benton was known in Hollywood as a self-effacing director. "I have found actors — through luck, through the judgement of casting directors or through my own instinct — that are extraordinarily good," he told the crowd. "There's a thing you've just got to gamble with, and when you see it and it works, it's brilliant." Asked how he got some of Tinseltown's biggest stars to perform for him, he deadpanned: "I tried not to get in their way … that's not so easy." Benton was an art director for Esquire magazine in the early 1960s when a love for French New Wave movies and old gangster stories (and news that a friend got $25,000 for a Doris Day screenplay) inspired him and Newman to draft a treatment about the lives of Depression-era robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, imagining them as prototypes for 1960s rebels. Their project took years to complete as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard were among the directors who turned them down before Warren Beatty agreed to produce and star in the movie. Bonnie and Clyde, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Beatty and Faye Dunaway, overcame initial critical resistance in 1967 to the film's shocking violence and became one of the touchstones of 1960s culture and the start of a more open and creative era in Hollywood. Over the following decade, none of Benton's films approached the same impact, although he continued to have critical and commercial success. His writing credits included Superman and What's Up, Doc? and he directed and co-wrote The Late Show, a melancholy comedy for which his screenplay received an Oscar nomination. But his career soared in 1979 with his adaptation of the Avery Corman novel Kramer vs. Kramer, about a self-absorbed advertising executive who becomes a loving parent to his young son after his wife walks out, only to have her return and ask for custody. Starring Hoffman and Streep, the movie was praised as a perceptive, emotional portrait of changing family roles and expectations and received five Academy Awards, including best picture. Hoffman, disenchanted at the time with the film business, would cite Kramer vs. Kramer and Benson's direction for reviving his love for movie acting. "Somebody asked me once when the Academy Award nominations came out and I'd been nominated, 'What's the great thing about the Academy Awards?'" Benton told Venice magazine. "I said, 'When you go to the awards and you see people, some of whom you've had bitter fights with, some of whom you're close friends with, some people you haven't seen in 10 years, some people you just saw two days before — it's your family'. "It's home. And home is what I've spent my life looking for." Five years later, Benton was back in the Oscars race with a more personal film, Places in the Heart, in which he drew upon family stories and childhood memories for his 1930s-set drama starring Fields as a mother of two in Texas who fights to hold on to her land after her husband is killed. Benton was born in Waxahachie, Texas, outside of Dallas. He owed his early love for movies to his father, telephone company employee Ellery Douglass Benton, who, instead of asking about homework, would take his family to the picture shows. The elder Benton would also share memories of attending the funerals of outlaws Barrow and Parker, Texas natives who grew up in the Dallas area. The filmmaker studied at the University of Texas and Columbia University, then served in the US Army from 1954 until 1956. Between hits, Benton often endured long dry spells. His latter films included such disappointments as the thrillers Billy Bathgate, The Human Stain and Twilight. He had much more success with Nobody's Fool, a wry comedy released in 1994 and starring Paul Newman, in his last Oscar-nominated performance, as a small-town troublemaker in upstate New York. Benton, whose film was based on Russo's novel, was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. The filmmaker is survived by his son. His wife of six decades, Sallie, died in 2023. AP/AFP
