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Neal Jimenez

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Neal Jimenez
Born(1960-05-22)May 22, 1960
Sacramento, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 11, 2022(2022-12-11) (aged 62)
Arroyo Grande, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, film director
Years active1986–1995
Notable workRiver's Edge

Neal Jimenez (May 22, 1960 – December 11, 2022) was an American screenwriter and film director, best known for the 1986 film River's Edge. He was a member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 1994. He won Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature and Best Screenplay for The Waterdance.

Biography

Jimenez was born in Sacramento, California American family.[1][2] He initially enrolled at Santa Clara University, studying English, but transferred to the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television,[1] where he wrote the script for River's Edge.[3]

In 1984, while a film student, he went hiking with some friends and slipped on a rock, falling twenty feet into a shallow pool below. He was initially paralyzed from the neck down but subsequent surgeries restored movement to his upper body, making him paraplegic.[1] The film The Waterdance, which he wrote and co-directed, was partly based on his experience in rehabilitation.[4][5] It stars Eric Stoltz as a successful young writer who must deal with his new life confined to a wheelchair.[3] It won Best First Feature and Best Screenplay at the 1993 Independent Spirit Awards.[6]

Jimenez wrote a number of films in the 1980s and 1990s, most notably River's Edge, starring Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, and Dennis Hopper, as well as For the Boys, starring Bette Midler. He also worked as a script doctor on films such as Outbreak.[1][6]

Jimenez died of heart failure in Arroyo Grande, California, on December 11, 2022, at the age of 62.[1]

Filmography as writer

Filmography as director

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Panaligan, EJ (30 December 2022). "Neal Jimenez, 'River's Edge' and 'The Waterdance' Screenwriter, Dies at 62". Variety.
  2. ^ "Screenwriter's Own Experience Lends Truth to 'Waterdance' | the Seattle Times".
  3. ^ a b Hunter, Stephen (27 May 1992). "After the Pain, laughter Scriptwriter Neal Jimenez uses humor in a wheelchair". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Dealing With Script He Never Wanted To Write". Los Angeles Times. April 9, 1986.
  5. ^ "The Rehab Men". The Chicago Tribune. May 10, 1992.
  6. ^ a b Lattanzio, Ryan (30 December 2022). "Neal Jimenez, 'River's Edge' Screenwriter, Dead at 62". Indiewire. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
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