Tom Hanks was born in concord CA. on July 9, 1956 at 11:17 AM. He grew up moving around a lot with step families. When his parents divorced, the details of it made them pioneers in that state in marriage dissolution. He remained with his father moving around a lot and was not able to form lasting relationships. He suffered no abuse just a confused childhood. Hanks attended Skyline high school in Hayward CA. where he pursued his interests in basketball, soccer and the track team. He became the loud one, a trick he learned to get attention in the numerous schools he attended (IMBD).He attended Chabot College and California State University in Sacramento. He married Samantha Lewes in 1978 and divorced in 1987, he has two children with her. She died of cancer fourteen years after their divorce. He married his current wife Rita Wilson in 1988 who he met on the set of Bosom Buddies and has two children with her.
Although he was successful in drama at Skyline he was unable to get cast in college. He auditioned for a community play and was asked by the director to go to Cleveland and this is when his acting career started. His first acting job was as Gremio in Taming of the Shrew for $210 a week. Hanks never returned to college but chose instead to learn about theatre at the civic theatre in Sacramento. He returned to Cleveland in 78 and 79 making a name for him. In 1980 he landed his role in Bosom Buddies which lasted two years. Ron Howard called hanks to audition for a secondary role in Splash but got the lead role because he was so good. This launched his film career and kept him busy throughout the eighties. Every Time We Say Goodbye earned Hanks his first million dollar pay check.
In 1993 Hanks was cast in Philadelphia and ended up receiving an Oscar for his portrayal of Andrew Beckett. In his acceptance speech he thanked his gay drama teacher and this was the basis for the film In & Out. The movie Philadelphia was the second movie to address the aids issue and signaled a shift in Hollywood that began to show gay men and lesbians in a more positive light. Even so more intimate scenes between him and Bandera’s were cut but are included in the DVD (TalkTalk).
Hanks remains a force in the film industry. His star has not dimmed, he won another Oscar in 1994 for Forest Gump making him the only man in 55 years to win back to back Oscars, the other being Spencer Tracy (IMBD). In 1994 he did Forest Gump, and as part of his salary accepted part of the box office, a very good move that brought him 70 million. In 95 he did the voice for Woody in Toy Story and Apollo 13. 1999 brought Saving Private Ryan and another chance to work with Steven Spielberg. Saving Private Ryan eventually gave way to the series Band of Brother. In 2005 he was once again on screen in The Da Vinci Code and reprised his role in Angels & Demons. It seems he is unstoppable. The shy confused child has been proclaimed a modern day Jimmy Stewart, being able to be funny, serious and emotional Tom Hanks has defined masculinity as a leading man in many different ways.
Some facts about Tom Hanks.
Dislocated his shoulder when he fell through a rotting floor in a building in Germany while scouting locations with Steven Spielberg for the HBO series "Band of Brothers" (2001) (1999).
Received American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, presented by fellow Oscar winner Steven Spielberg, the youngest ever to receive that award (12 June 2002).
Is a member of the International Thespian Society (a group supporting theatre for high school students internationally).
Lost 30 lbs. for his role in Philadelphia (1993).
Has been referred to by many as "the modern James Stewart".
His heroic Oscar-winning gay character Andrew Beckett in the 1993 film Philadelphia (1993) was ranked #49 on the Amerian Film Institute's heroes list of the 100 years of The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villians.
Has been Member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Actors Branch) since 2001.
Cited as America's Favorite Movie Star in Harris Polls conducted in 2002, 2004, 2005, a record number of times as the #1 favorite. Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood are the only other actors to have achieved that feat.
Sold popcorn and peanuts as a teenager at the Oakland Coliseum.
Sources.
http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/biography/artist/tom-hanks/biography/125
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000158/bio
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Bridges of Madison County: Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
She was born Mary Louise Streep in 1949 in Summit, New Jersey. She is considered by many reviewers to be the greatest living film actress. She has been nominated for the Academy Award and astonishing 16 times, and has won the award twice. She first set out with ambitions to become an opera singer. Her first role was in the film Julia where she gave an outstanding performance. The year after she was nominated for her first Oscar for her role in The Deer Hunter. She won the Academy Award for her role in Kramer vs. Kramer in 1979, and for Sophie's Choice in 1982. She is known as a perfectionist in her craft and when to numerous lengths to prepare for her roles. She stared and received praise for her roles in the films; Silkwood (1983); Out of Africa (1985); Ironweed (19870); and A Cry in the Dark (198
8). Just as her career seemed to be fading away in the 1990's, but she quickly regained her star status in 1995 with the hit, The Bridges of Madison County,
which earned her Nominations for best Actress at The Academy Awards, The Golden Globes, and The Screen Actors Guild Awards. A year later she stared as the daughter in Marvin's Room. She is a realist that is credited for saying; "...no matter what happens, my work will stand..."
Meryl Streep on working
with Clint Eastwood:
Eastwood on working with Streep:
Meryl Facts:
She learned to play the Violin for the role in Music of the Heart, a role that she would replace Madonna in. She has a fear of helicopters. She was educated at Yale University where she studied drama. Graduated from Vassar College in 1971. Before she made it big she started out at The Hotel Somerset in Somerville, New Jersey as a waitress. In high school she was a cheerleader and also the homecoming queen. She originally wanted to go to Law School but when she overslept the day of her interview she saw that as a sign that she was meant to do other things. Meryl also has a deviated septum, which she refuses to get fixed.
What has she done lately?
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Lions for Lambs (2007)
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Doubt (2008)
Julie & Julia (2009)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
It's Complicated (2009)
Sources:
www.IMBD.com
www.simplystreep.com
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Courage and Masculinity
The pairing is a traditional one, but one that bears examination and discussion, in part because courage can take so many different forms that have nothing to do with its traditional physical expression.
We had discussion during our session on Mississippi Masala on Demetrius’ flight rather than fight in his relationship with Mina. This could be interpreted in different ways, depending on how one understands his actions. The implication seemed to be perhaps he was giving in to social pressure to easily. I see his actions a bit differently, but regardless of how we interpret his actions here, we see how courage doesn’t always require physical action. Further, even seemingly courageous acts, something again aligned with a traditionally “masculine” act, such as political resistance, might be viewed in some contexts as the opposite. For example, Okelo accuses Jay (Mina’s father) of cowardice for openly criticizing Idi Amin because he’s really just afraid to leave Uganda
In a slightly different fashion, Clint Eastwood’s Dave Garber in Misty is constrained by social convention in retaliating too strongly against Evelyn, especially in public situations. Evelyn is ingenious in using the masculine against itself to give her the edge. Notice the look of helpless rage as Evelyn invades his interview with a prospective employer.
The helplessness comes through even more dire when he realizes the depth of Evelyn’s madness, something he doesn’t have anyway to retaliate or even defend himself against—a distinctly “unmanly” position to extent (though one might also note it is partly derived from his sympathy for her condition, a gentlemanly noblesse oblige). Evelyn of course depends on it to keep him near.
The look on his face in an extended dissolve reflects his situation and illustrates a reversal of the usually imposing Eastwood (and by implication “masculine”) gaze. Suddenly he appears a not so vulnerable, but equally suffering version of the Jefferson Smith imploring look.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Brief Bio of Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood is a very famous, and iconic Actor/Director. He was born in San Fransisco on May 31 1930. His father was a steel worker, and his mother worked in a factory. (IMBD) Eastwood began his lustrous film career in 1955, and has since stared in more than 40 movies. He has acted in movies, Directed numerous movies, and also acted and directed a number of films. Play misty for me was his first film he directed. He was also the lead role in this film. He also directed such films as bridges over Madison county, million dollar baby.(ebsco) Clint Eastwood is said to have a very unique style, and it is very evident in many of the roles he has stared in. He often portrays a cold, and somewhat silent type character that personifies masculinity, and what can be seen as a heroic figure. It is said that in April 1986 Eastwood fought and won the position of mayor of Carmel California, a city that he was a resident of for 15 years.(ebsco) To me this signifies the type of man Eastwood really is. As mentioned before he is often viewed, and cast in roles that portray a strong authority figure. Eastwood is also very well known for many of his catchy, yet somewhat comedic quotes in his films. Quotes from dirty harry, the good the bad and the ugly, as well as numerous other films can be heard all the time. Clint Eastwood is one of our eras most world renowned actors, as well as directors. He not only has a very amazing sense of creativity in his films, but many of the characters he has played portray a concrete yet dramatic sense of masculinity, and he at the same time some how seems to be able to sticks to his old school style of values.(ebsco) Clint Eastwood: Small-Town Mayor; By: Roessing, Walter. Saturday Evening Post, Sep87, Vol. 259 Issue 6, p42-45, 4p; Database: Academic Search Premier
(Ebsco)Clint Eastwood; Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 7/1/2010, p1-1, 1p
(IMBD) Clint Eastwood; http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000142/bio
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