Guide Note

John Sayles is an American independent film director and screenwriter who tends to make films that are politically and socially conscious .

He attended Williams College where he met his wife Maggie Renzi, who serves as the producer on all of his films. In 1983 he was the recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship Award which gave him tax-free income of $32,000 a year for five years.

He frequently casts Chris Cooper, Joe Morton, David Strathairn, and Gordon Clapp in his films.

Fast Facts

Full Name: John Thomas Sayles
Birth Date: September 28, 1950
Birthplace: Schenectady, New York
Height: 6'4"
Spouse: Maggie Renzi
Got his start in film working with Roger Corman
Funds his own films as a writer for hire, having helped pen The Alamo, Apollo 13, The Howling, Piranha, and The Spiderwick Chronicles and Jurassic Park 4
Received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay for Passion Fish and Lone Star

Notable Films

Quotes

"Oh, I've always felt like I was on the margins. Once upon a time that's what independent used to mean."
"I always feel that there are no final victories and no final defeats. But it's true that America is in a hole right now. There are a lot of dead fish in the water."
"Being a screenwriter is a good job. I can make a good amount of money to put back into my own films."

Trivia

Often plays small roles in his films
Directed the music videos for Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.", "I'm on Fire", and "Glory days"
He speaks fluent Spanish

Categories

Entertainment | Film Directors and Producers | Screenwriters and Playwrights

View Note History

John Sayles

The Mahalo Top 7

IMDb: John Sayles Filmography
Wikipedia: John Sayles
Senses of Cinema: John Sayles Profile
MSN Movies: John Sayles Profile
Fan Site: John Sayles
MovieMaker Magazine: "John Sayles: Genius on a Budget" (July 9, 2002)
Video: 2007 Savannah Film Festival: John Sayles (Time: 4:52)

John Sayles News and Articles

Google News: John Sayles
Topix: John Sayles News
Metacritic.com: John Sayles Reviews
Bright Lights Film Journal: John Sayles in Corman’s Hollywood (August 2003)
Filmmaker Magazine: "Reaching Out: 10 Years of Grassroots Casting for John..." (December 2007)
The Press Enterprise: "Festival to Honor Filmmaker John Sayles" (January 3, 2008)

John Sayles Photos

IMDb: John Sayles Photo Gallery
WireImage: John Sayles Photos
Google Image Search: John Sayles
Yahoo! Image Search: John Sayles
Live Search Images: John Sayles
Flickr: John Sayles Photos

John Sayles Videos

Search For Video: John Sayles
YouTube & Google Video: John Sayles Search
YouTube: Honeydripper - Rough Cut Clip of New John Sayles Film (Time: 2:40)
YouTube: Piranha Trailer (Time: 2:09)
YouTube: Matewan - The Union Scene (Time: 5:39)
YouTube: Mary McDonnell Scenes From Passion Fish (Time: 3:54)
YouTube: The Brother From Another Planet Trailer (Time: 1:08)

John Sayles Gossip and Blogs

Google Blog Search: John Sayles
Cinematical Blog: John Sayles Posts
IMDb: John Sayles Message Board
Movie City Indie Blog Post: What John Sayles Looks for in Actors (November 27, 2007)
Rick's DVD Picks Blog Post: John Sayles Takes a Mighty Swing... and Hits a... (December 23, 2007)
Runnin' Scared Blog Post: John Sayles Talks Baseball, Deep South, and... (January 18, 2008)
Robert Eisele Blog Post: A Conversation with John Sayles on Labor and the... (January 25, 2008)

John Sayles Biographies and Profiles

Yahoo! Movies: John Sayles Biography
Allmovie: John Sayles Biography
TV Guide: John Sayles Profile
Rotten Tomatoes: John Sayles Profile
The New York Times: John Sayles Profile
Film Reference: John Sayles Profile

John Sayles Timeline

Note: The IMDb links in this timeline have pop-ups.

September 28, 1950: Born in Schenectady, New York
(1978) Piranha: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
(1980) Return of the Seacaucus Seven: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
(1981) The Howling: IMDb | Mahalo | Rotten Tomatoes
(1983) Baby It's You: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
(1987) Matewan: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
(1988) Eight Men Out: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
(1992) Passion Fish: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
(1994) The Secret of Roan Inish: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
(1996) Lone Star: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
(2004) Silver City: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
(2007) Honeydripper: IMDb | Mahalo | Rotten Tomatoes
(2008) The Spiderwick Chronicles: IMDb | Mahalo | Rotten Tomatoes
(2008) A Cold Case: IMDb
(2009) Jurassic Park IV: IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes

John Sayles DVDs and Merchandise

eBay: John Sayles Merchandise
Google Product Search: John Sayles Merchandise
Yahoo! Shopping: John Sayles Merchandise
Amazon.com: John Sayles DVDs
DeepDiscount.com: John Sayles DVDs
AllPosters.com: John Sayles Posters

Related Searches

Honeydripper | Danny Glover | Lisa Gay Hamilton | Charles S. Dutton | Stacey Keach | Keb' Mo' | Roger Corman | Joe Dante | Jurassic Park 4 | Steven Spielberg | The Spiderwick Chronicles | Freddie Highmore | Seth Rogan | Mary-Louise Parker | Sarah Bolger | Nick Nolte | Andrew McCarthy | Martin Short | Lone Star | Chris Cooper | Elizabeth Pena | Matthew McConaughey | Kris Kristofferson | Frances McDormand | Passion Fish | Mary McDonnell | Alfre Woodard | Angela Bassett | Nora Dunn | Eight Men Out | John Cusack | Christopher Lloyd | Charlie Sheen | Clifton James | David Strathaim | Richard Linklater | Mike Figgis | Jim Jarmusch | Gus Van Sant | Bruce Springsteen

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