Jamie Babbit

Last updated

Jamie Babbit
Jamie Babbit.PNG
Born
Jamie Merill Babbit

(1970-11-16) November 16, 1970 (age 53)
Shaker Heights, Ohio, U.S.
Education Barnard College (BA)
Occupation(s)Director, producer, screenwriter
Years active1986–present
Spouse
​
(divorced)​
​
(m. 2014)​
Children2

Jamie Merill Babbit (born November 16, 1970) is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She directed the films But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), The Quiet (2005), and Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007). She has also directed episodes of such television series as Russian Doll , Gilmore Girls , Malcolm in the Middle , United States of Tara , Looking , Nip/Tuck , The L Word , Silicon Valley , The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , The Orville , Only Murders in the Building , and A League of Their Own .

Contents

Early life and education

Babbit was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She grew up in Cleveland with her father, a lawyer and law school professor, and her mother who ran a treatment program for teenagers with drug and alcohol problems, [1] before her death in 2006. The program was called New Directions, and it provided inspiration for the fictional "reparative therapy" (conversion therapy) camp "True Directions" in But I'm a Cheerleader. Babbit began acting at the Cleveland Play House at the age of seven, [1] later moving into stage management and lighting. She studied West African Studies at Barnard College (graduating in 1993) [2] [3] and began taking film classes at New York University during her summer vacations.

Career

After graduating from Barnard College in 1993, Babbit's first job was as an assistant to the assistant for Martin Scorsese on The Age of Innocence . [1] After that she worked as an intern on John Sayles's The Secret of Roan Inish where she worked with fellow aspiring filmmakers Karyn Kusama and Jasmine Kosovic.

Babbit's next job was as script supervisor on John Duigan's film The Journey of August King - a job for which she had little experience, that she said she "lied her way into". [1] This was followed by Su Friedrich's television film Hide and Seek . In 1996, after working on If These Walls Could Talk , where she met her future partner Andrea Sperling, Babbit got a job as script supervisor on David Fincher's film The Game . This proved to be influential to her career as a director.

Short films

In 1996, Babbit, with Ari Gold, directed Frog Crossing, a comedic short film about an animal rights activist who protects frogs as they hop across a highway. [1] She followed this with 1999 comedy short Sleeping Beauties . While working on The Game, she discussed her idea for a short film based on a fairy tale with Fincher. He gave Babbit about 6,000 feet of 35 mm film. His editor gave her free use of an Avid editing machine. The star of The Game, Michael Douglas, wrote to Paramount and asked them to let Babbit access their costume department. As a result, she was able to make Sleeping Beauties for about $10,000. [1] Based on the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty , the film is about a young woman (Sarah Lassez) who works as a makeup artist at a funeral home. Obsessed with an unavailable ex-girlfriend, she eventually meets and falls in love with a photographer's assistant (Clea DuVall). The short premiered at Sundance in 1995. Her other short film Stuck premiered at Sundance in 2002 and won a jury prize.

But I'm a Cheerleader

In 1999, Babbit directed her first feature film, But I'm a Cheerleader . Starring Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall, it is a romantic comedy about a high school cheerleader who is sent to a so-called "reparative therapy" camp when her parents suspect she is a lesbian. The film was inspired by an article that Babbit read about a man who had been sent to a similar camp. [4] The camp in the film was partly based on a halfway house for young people with drug and alcohol problems run by her mother. [5] Babbit wanted this film to have characters that reminded her of herself and the people around her, since there was minimal representation of feminine lesbians in the media. [6] She aimed to make it a comedy because the few lesbian movies produced before hers were serious, somber films. [6] Babbit appeared in This Film Is Not Yet Rated discussing this film and her struggle against an NC-17 rating. [7] In 2000, the film won the Audience Award and the Graine de Cinéphage Award at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival, an annual French festival which showcases the work of female directors. [8] It was also nominated by the Political Film Society for two categories: the Exposé award and the Human Rights award. [9] Film scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon described the film as a commercial and critical success which became a cult film on DVD in later years. [10] In 2020, for the film's 20th anniversary, Babbit's director's cut was released via video on demand. [11] This version of the film was made available on Blu-Ray the next year.

The Quiet

Babbit's second film was 2005 thriller film The Quiet . Starring Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle, the plot revolves around a deaf girl who, when sent to live with her godparents, discovers some dark secrets about the family. The film's worldwide rights was acquired by Destination Films, which released this film in the United States theatrically through Sony Pictures Classics. The film was not generally well received by critics, but still became a commercial success. [12] It earned $381,420 in the box office worldwide. [13]

Itty Bitty Titty Committee

Babbit's next film, comedy Itty Bitty Titty Committee was released in 2007. Produced by POWER UP, it starred Melonie Diaz as a young woman who becomes involved with a radical feminist group. It received mostly negative reviews [14] but was nominated for a Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and won a jury award at South by Southwest in 2007. [15]

Breaking the Girls

In 2011 Babbit began production on Breaking the Girls , a thriller film written by Mark Distefano and Guinevere Turner. [16] It was released in 2012.

Television

Babbit has directed and produced episodes of several television programs including Popular , United States of Tara , The Bernie Mac Show , Malcolm in the Middle , Nip/Tuck , Gilmore Girls , Castle , Alias , Ugly Betty , Dirty Sexy Money , Drop Dead Diva , Looking , Girls , The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel , and The L Word . She enjoys working in television because it helps her to "keep her skills up". She has said that because television directors have less overall responsibility than film directors, she is able to concentrate on working with actors. Television work also enables her to earn money while pursuing her long-term goals of making feature films. [1]

Personal life

Babbit lives in Los Angeles. She has two daughters, Finley and Ryder, with her former partner, producer Andrea Sperling. [17] [18] [19]

Filmography

Director

Film

Television

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clea DuVall</span> American actress, writer, producer, and director

Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall is an American actress and filmmaker. Her film appearances include The Faculty (1998); But I'm a Cheerleader; Girl, Interrupted ; Ghosts of Mars (2001); Identity;21 Grams ; The Grudge (2004); Zodiac (2007); and Argo (2012). On television, DuVall starred as Emma Borden in Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014) and its miniseries spinoff, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015). Her other credits include Carnivàle (2003–2005), Heroes (2006–2007), American Horror Story (2012–2013), Better Call Saul (2015–2017), Veep (2016–2019), and The Handmaid's Tale (2018–2022). She also voiced Elsa on Fox's HouseBroken, which she co-created, from 2021 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Sherman-Palladino</span> American television writer, director, and producer (born 1966)

Amy Sherman-Palladino is an American television writer, director, and producer. She is the creator of the comedy-drama series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), Bunheads (2012-2013), and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023).

<i>But Im a Cheerleader</i> 1999 film by Jamie Babbit

But I'm a Cheerleader is a 1999 American satirical teen romantic comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit in her feature directorial debut and written by Brian Wayne Peterson. Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan Bloomfield, a high school cheerleader whose parents send her to a residential in-patient conversion therapy camp to "cure" her lesbianism. At camp, Megan realizes that she is indeed a lesbian and, despite the "therapy", comes to embrace her sexuality. The supporting cast includes Clea DuVall, RuPaul, and Cathy Moriarty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guinevere Turner</span> American actress and writer (b. 1968)

Guinevere Jane Turner is an American actress, screenwriter, and film director. She wrote the films American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page and played the lead role of the dominatrix Tanya Cheex in Preaching to the Perverted. She was a story editor and played recurring character Gabby Deveaux on Showtime's The L Word.

Aggie may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Shimizu</span> American model

Jenny Lynn Shimizu is an American model and actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Lynch</span> American actress

Jane Marie Lynch is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series Glee (2009–2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recognition for her roles in Christopher Guest's mockumentary films: Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006).

POWER UP is an American non-profit organization and film production company with the stated mission "to promote the visibility and integration of gay women in entertainment, the arts, and all forms of media". It was founded in 2000 by K. Pearson Brown, Stacy Codikow and Amy Shomer. Its members include women and men, gay and straight.

<i>The Quiet</i> 2005 American film

The Quiet is a 2005 American psychological thriller film directed by Jamie Babbit and starring Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla Belle, Martin Donovan, and Edie Falco. It focuses on a deaf-mute teenage orphan who is sent to live with her godparents. She soon becomes a sounding board for the family members, who confess their darkest secrets to her, including the incestous relationship between her godfather and his teenage daughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Grossman</span> American actress (born 1971)

Leslie Erin Grossman is an American actress. She is known for her role as Lauren on The WB sitcom What I Like About You, and for her frequent collaborations with Ryan Murphy, appearing as Mary Cherry on The WB's comedy-drama series Popular (1999–2001), and as various characters on the FX anthology series American Horror Story since 2017. Grossman also had a recurring role on the television series 10 Things I Hate About You, a reboot of the original cult classic movie of the same name.

<i>Itty Bitty Titty Committee</i> 2007 film directed by Jamie Babbit

Itty Bitty Titty Committee is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit. It follows the political awakening of Anna, a young, mild-mannered lesbian woman who joins a radical feminist group. The film is produced by non-profit organization POWER UP.

<i>Sleeping Beauties</i> (film) 1999 film by Jamie Babbit

Sleeping Beauties is a 1999 short comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit. It premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. It stars Sarah Lassez as a morgue beautician trying to get over her ex-girlfriend, played by Radha Mitchell. Babbit made the film with help from David Fincher and Michael Douglas. It played at several film festivals during 1998 and 1999, and was later distributed on a DVD collection of short films by production company POWER UP. Babbit won a Channel 4 award for the film.

Joel Michaely is an American actor and film producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Wayne Peterson</span>

Brian Wayne Peterson is an American screenwriter, television producer, and showrunner. After finding success writing the script for 1999 film But I'm a Cheerleader, he and his writing partner Kelly Souders wrote and produced the television series Smallville, Beauty and the Beast, Salem, Genius, and The Hot Zone.

Andrea Sperling is an independent film producer based in Los Angeles. The films she has produced include Totally Fucked Up, But I'm a Cheerleader, D.E.B.S. and Itty Bitty Titty Committee and the Sundance Top Prize-winning Like Crazy.

Jules Labarthe is a cinematographer, film producer and photographer. He studied film at New York University. He met director Jamie Babbit in a coffee shop in Los Angeles and as a result of this meeting was the cinematographer on her 1996 short film Frog Crossing. He has collaborated with Babbit on several other projects including her 1999 feature film But I'm a Cheerleader. He has been the cinematographer on MTV's Undressed and new ABC Family series Greek. He has also produced two short films and one feature, Too Pure (1998).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melonie Diaz</span> American actress

Melonie Diaz is an American film and television actress who has appeared in many independent films, including four shown at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. She received Independent Spirit Awards nominations for performances in films A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) and Fruitvale Station (2013). From 2018 to 2022, she appeared as the leading role of witch Mel Vera on the remake television series Charmed on The CW.

Lauren Mollica is an American professional skateboarder from New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Tina Mabry is an American film director and screenwriter from Tupelo, Mississippi. Following the release of her first feature film Mississippi Damned (2009), she was named one of '25 New Faces of Indie Film' by Filmmaker magazine and among the 'Top Forty Under 40' by The Advocate. Mabry was named a James Baldwin Fellow in Media by United States Artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karey Dornetto</span> American screenwriter

Karey Dornetto is an American screenwriter who has written for television series such as Arrested Development, Community, Portlandia and South Park. She also wrote the script for the feature-length film Addicted to Fresno.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dixon, Wheeler Winston (2004). Gerald Duchovnay (ed.). Film Voices: Interviews from Post Script . State University of New York Press, Albany. pp.  153–165. ISBN   0-7914-6156-4.
  2. ↑ Krach, Aaron. "INTERVIEW: Happy Camp-er, Jamie Babbit, Comes Out with "Cheerleader"". indieWIRE. Archived from the original on May 12, 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2007.
  3. ↑ "The Quiet – about the Director". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . Retrieved August 12, 2007.[ dead link ]
  4. ↑ Stukin, Stacie (July 4, 2000). "But she's serious". The Advocate . Archived from the original on September 20, 2004. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
  5. ↑ Gideonse, Ted (July 2000). "The New Girls Of Summer". Out. p. 56. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007.
  6. 1 2 Dowling, Aydian (2020). QUEER CLASSIC But I'm A Cheerleader Interview with Director Jamie Babbit. YouTube . Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  7. ↑ Dick, Kirby (director) (2006). This Film Is Not Yet Rated (Motion picture (DVD)). New York, NY: IFC Films . Retrieved June 16, 2007.
  8. ↑ Sullivan, Monica (2000). "But I'm a Cheerleader-- Jamie Babbit Wins Créteil Films de Femmes 'Prix du Public'". Movie Magazine International. Retrieved May 26, 2007.
  9. ↑ "But I'm a Cheerleader-- Awards". IMDb. 2001. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ Wheeler Winston Dixon, Rutgers University Press, July 11, 2007, Film Talk: Directors at Work, Retrieved November 10, 2014 (see page xii Introduction second paragraph), ISBN   978-0-8135-4077-1
  11. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (December 4, 2020). "'But I'm a Cheerleader' Director Jamie Babbit on the Queer Classic 20 Years Later: 'I Wanted to Make a Gay 'Clueless". Variety. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Changes in the Weather: As Burnt Orange cools, the UT Film Institute heats up". The Austin Chronicle.
  13. ↑ "The Quiet (2005)". Box Office Mojo.
  14. ↑ "Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on December 4, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Itty Bitty Titty Committee". POWER UP . Retrieved February 24, 2010.
  16. ↑ McNary, Dave (September 11, 2009). "Crew, Palicki to star in 'Breaking the Girl's". Variety . Archived from the original on September 17, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2009.
  17. ↑ Warn, Sarah (June 2004). "Interview with Jamie Babbit". AfterEllen.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2007.
  18. ↑ Belge, Kathy (June 24, 2007). "Jamie Babbit Interview". LesbianLife.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2007. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  19. ↑ Ryder, Caroline (January 18, 2008). "We Rabbit With Babbit". OurChart.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved January 18, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.