Chris Columbus (filmmaker)

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Not to be confused with Christopher Columbus.

Chris Columbus
Columbus at New York Comic Con in 2013
Born
Chris Joseph Columbus

(1958-09-10) September 10, 1958 (age 65)
Spangler, Pennsylvania, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationJohn F. Kennedy High School
Alma materNew York University
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active1984–present
Notable workAdventures in Babysitting, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Mrs. Doubtfire, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Help
SpouseMonica Devereux (m. 1983)
Children4

Chris Joseph Columbus[1][2] (born September 10, 1958) is an American filmmaker. Columbus is known for directing movies such as Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), and for writing movies such as Gremlins (1984) and The Goonies (1985).

Home Alone received a British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Film. Columbus received an Academy Award nomination for producing The Help (2011).

Early life

Columbus was born in Spangler, Pennsylvania and raised in Champion, Ohio, the son of Mary Irene (née Puskar), a factory worker, and Alex Michael Columbus, an aluminum plant worker and coal miner.[3][4][5]

Columbus is of Italian and Czech descent.[6] He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Warren, Ohio and went on to study at New York University's film school at the Tisch School of the Arts, where he was a schoolmate of writer/director Charlie Kaufman[7] and Alec Baldwin.[8]

Although he received a scholarship, he forgot to renew it and was forced to take a factory job to pay for schooling.[9] While on shifts he secretly worked on a 20-page screenplay, which one of his teachers would later use to help him get an agent.[9] Columbus would later state the experience "saved my life" noting that he was able to experience "the terrifying reality I faced of having to live and work in that factory for the rest of my life in that town if I didn't make it".[9]

Career

Columbus worked as a screenwriter with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, working on Gremlins (1984), The Goonies (1985) and Young Sherlock Holmes (1985). He wrote the first episodes of the animated series Galaxy High (1986) and later made his directorial debut with the teen comedy Adventures in Babysitting (1987) and Heartbreak Hotel (1988).

His directorial work includes Home Alone (1990), Only the Lonely (1991), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Nine Months (1995), Stepmom (1998), Bicentennial Man (1999), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Rent (2005), I Love You Beth Cooper (2009), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) and most recently Pixels (2015)

He was the producer of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), the third film in the Harry Potter film series, and received an Academy Award nomination for producing The Help (2011).

Columbus founded his production company named 1492 Pictures in 1995.

The character types preferred by Columbus are the everyday American men, women, and children who struggle to uphold family traditions against a changing, sometimes intimidating society.[3] In 1993, he said: "I can understand the validity of showing people the ugliness of the world, but I also think there is a place for movies to leave people with a sense of hope. If your film isn't going to do that, I just don't think it's worth making."[3]

Columbus created the House of Secrets book series with Ned Vizzini[10] and co-founded a new animation studio called ZAG Animation Studios with Saban Capital Group and ZAG Entertainment.[11]

Personal life

In 1982, Columbus married Monica Devereux, with whom he has four children: Eleanor (born 1989), Violet (born 1994), Brendan (born 1992), and Isabella. Columbus lives in San Francisco's Pacific Heights. Columbus and his wife listed their Pacific Heights home for sale in September 2013 for $12.995M. His children attend or previously attended Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. He donated money to the school for a new building, and the school's "piazza" is named after him.

Many of Columbus' family members —including his children, his wife, his mother, his father-in-law, and his cousin Robert Ayres— have appeared in cameo roles in his films. Particularly, his own daughter, Eleanor, portrayed the Hogwarts student Susan Bones in the first two Harry Potter films.[citation needed]

Filmography

Year Title Writer Director Producer Cameo
1984 Reckless Yes
Gremlins Yes
1985 The Goonies Yes
Young Sherlock Holmes Yes
1987 Adventures in Babysitting Yes
1988 Heartbreak Hotel Yes Yes
1989 Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland Yes
1990 Home Alone Yes
1991 Only the Lonely Yes Yes
1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Yes Man in toy store (uncredited)
1993 Mrs. Doubtfire Yes
1995 Nine Months Yes Yes Yes
1996 Jingle All the Way Yes
1998 Stepmom Yes Yes
1999 Bicentennial Man Yes Yes
2001 Monkeybone Yes
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Yes Yes
2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Yes Yes
2004
Christmas with the Kranks Yes Yes
2005 Fantastic Four Yes
Rent Yes Yes Angry man in car (uncredited)
2006 Night at the Museum Yes
2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Yes
2009 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Yes
I Love You, Beth Cooper Yes Yes
2010 Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Yes Yes
2011 The Help Yes
2013 Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Yes
2014 Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Yes
2015 Pixels Yes Yes
The Witch Yes
It Had to Be You Yes
2016 The Young Messiah Yes
Tallulah Yes
2017 I Kill Giants Yes
TBA Hello Ghost[12] Yes Yes
Melody[13] Yes
Miraculous Yes

Critical reception

Year Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
1987 Adventures in Babysitting 76%[14] N/A
1988 Heartbreak Hotel 38%[15] N/A
1990 Home Alone 54%[16] 63%[17]
1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York 24%[18] N/A
1993 Mrs. Doubtfire 71%[19] 53%[20]
1995 Nine Months 28%[21] N/A
1998 Stepmom 44%[22] 58%[23]
1999 Bicentennial Man 37%[24] 42%[25]
2001 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 80%[26] 64%[27]
2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 82%[28] 63%[29]
2005 Rent 46%[30] 53%[31]
2009 I Love You, Beth Cooper 14%[32] 32%[33]
2010 Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief 49%[34] 47%[35]
2015 Pixels 17%[36] 27%[37]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Film Result
1985 Saturn Award Best Writing Gremlins Nominated
1986 Young Sherlock Holmes Nominated
2002 Amanda Award Best Foreign Feature Film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Nominated
Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film Best Film Shared with David Heyman Nominated
BAFTA Children's Award Best Feature Film Shared with David Heyman and Steve Kloves Nominated
Hugo Award Best Dramatic Presentation Shared with Michael Barnathan, Duncan Henderson, David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and Mark Radcliffe Nominated
Saturn Award Best Director Nominated
2003 Amanda Award Best Foreign Feature Film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Nominated
BAFTA Children's Award Best Feature Film Shared with David Heyman and Steve Kloves Nominated
Hugo Award Best Dramatic Presentation Shared with Steve Kloves and J.K. Rowling Nominated
Mainichi Film Award Best Foreign Language Film Won
Saturn Award Best Director Nominated
2004 BAFTA Children's Award Best Feature Film Shared with Alfonso Cuarón, David Heyman, and Mark Radcliffe Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Won
2005 Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film Best Film Shared with Alfonso Cuarón, David Heyman, and Mark Radcliffe Nominated
Satellite Award Outstanding Director Rent Nominated
2012 Academy Award Best Picture Shared with Michael Barnathan and Brunson Green The Help Nominated
AFI Award Movie of the Year Shared with Michael Barnathan and Brunson Green Won
Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film Best Film Shared with Michael Barnathan and Brunson Green Nominated
Black Reel Award Best Film Shared with Michael Barnathan and Brunson Green Won
Christopher Award Best Feature Films Shared with Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, Michael Barnathan, Jennifer Blum, Brunson Green, Sonya Lunsford, John Norris, Mark Radcliffe, Jeff Skoll, and Tate Taylor Won
Producers Guild of America Award Best Theatrical Motion Pictures Shared with Michael Barnathan and Brunson Green Nominated
2016 Golden Raspberry Award Worst Picture Shared with Adam Sandler, Mark Radcliffe, and Allen Covert Pixels Nominated

See also

References

  1. ^ In the Matter of CERTAIN PRODUCTS WITH GREMLINS CHARACTER DEPICTIONS, p. 54
  2. ^ https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/26/chris-columbus-childrens-novel-house-secrets
  3. ^ a b c Wazir, Burhan (October 28, 2001). "Hogwarts and all". The Guardian. London. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  4. ^ Filmreference Biography
  5. ^ Europa Publications (2003). The International Who's Who 2004. Routledge. p. 346. ISBN 1857432177.
  6. ^ Janusonis, Michael (November 28, 1993). "Chris Columbus discovers a new joy in directing 'Mrs. Doubtfire'". Providence Journal. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
  7. ^ Box Office Prophets Archived August 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Here's the Thing: Chris Columbus - WNYC". WNYC. September 16, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c Lipworth, Elaine. "Chris Columbus: My dad said, 'Don't do a job you hate'". Guardian. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  10. ^ Kellogg, Carolyn (April 18, 2013). "Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini open up about 'House of Secrets'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  11. ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/haim-saban-launches-animation-studio-744746
  12. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (June 30, 2011). "Karen Croner To Script 'Hello Ghost' Remake For Chris Columbus To Direct". Deadline. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  13. ^ "The World of Zag release dates". The World of Zag. October 31, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  14. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Adventures in Babysitting''". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Heartbreak Hotel''". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Home Alone''". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Metacritic Rating of Home Alone". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Home Alone 2: Lost in New York''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  19. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Mrs. Doubtfire''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  20. ^ "Metacritic Rating of Mrs. Doubtfire". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Nine Months''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  22. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Stepmom''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  23. ^ "Metacritic Rating of Stepmom". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Bicentennial Man''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  25. ^ "Metacritic Rating of Bicentennial Man". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  27. ^ "Metacritic Rating of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  29. ^ "Metacritic Rating of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Rent''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  31. ^ "Metacritic Rating of Rent". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''I Love You, Beth Cooper''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  33. ^ "Metacritic Rating of I Love You, Beth Cooper". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  34. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  35. ^ "Metacritic Rating of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of ''Pixels''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  37. ^ "Metacritic Rating of Pixels". Metacritic. Retrieved August 29, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Columbus.
Preceded by
None
 Harry Potter film director
2001–2002 		Succeeded by
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