Catherine Hardwicke Flashback #4

 Twilight (2008)

A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire.

If you were a fan from the beginning, you may recognize these next few pictures and remember the commotion they caused when released online. These were the first official images of the Cullens.

And, of course, some of the first behind the scenes looks at the movie:

Twilight Trivia:

-In the hospital scene, when Bella and her mother are talking about the accident, the TV in the background can be seen playing the previous scene.

-Cam Gigandet was originally cast as Emmett Cullen, but asked director Catherine Hardwicke if he could play the role of James instead. She agreed.

-In the script, the climatic Bella's "limbo" scene was intended to be an underwater sequence but budget constraints will not allow the scene to be filmed. As the alternative, outtakes from other scenes of Bella and Edward together were used, albeit digitally modified.

-When Edward and Bella are standing in the doorway of the Cullens' kitchen, there is a chess set on the dining room table behind them with red and white pieces, like the cover of 'Breaking Dawn', the final novel in Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight' saga.

-In addition to Robert Pattinson and Jackson Rathbone among the 4 finalists for the role of Edward, the other two, according to Catherine Hardwicke were Ben Barnes and Shiloh Fernandez. Rathbone was eventually offered the other role of Jasper instead.

-At the cafeteria salad bar, Bella drops an apple which Edward picks back up and then cradles in his hands, copying the cover image of the Twilight novel. On the one of the DVD's special features Catherine Hardwicke said that took them 13 takes to get it right.

Check out more trivia here.

Twilight Reviews:

Owen Gleiberman writes: And getting Catherine Hardwicke to direct Twilight was a shrewd move, because the youthquake specialist of Thirteen treats teen confusion without a trace of condescension: She gets their grand passions and prickly defense mechanisms. She has reconjured Meyer's novel as a cloudburst mood piece filled with stormy skies, rippling hormones, and understated visual effects.

Roger Moore writes: There's a playfulness that seems just so right in Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight. The director of thirteen gives the hit Stephenie Meyer teen vampire novel a little edge, a little sexual heat. But she makes it fun, too.

Peter Bradshaw writes: It is, in its unworldly way, sweetly idealistic with a charm all of its own: a teen romance to get your teeth into.

Nominations and Awards:

Grammy Awards

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Nominee)

Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Nominee)- "Decode"

MTV Movie Awards

Best Movie (Winner)

Best Female Performance (Winner)- Kristen Stewart

Best Fight (Winner)- Cam Gigandet & Robert Pattinson

Best Kiss (Winner)- Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart

Breakthrough Male Performance  (Winner)- Robert Pattinson

Best Song from a Movie (Nominee)- "Decode"

Breakthrough Male Performance (Nominee)- Taylor Lautner

Young Hollywood Awards

Director (Winner)- Catherine Hardwicke

Check out all the nominations and wins here.    

O.A.R.'s "Love is Worth the Fall"

The band O.A.R. was invited to write a song for the film, though it was ultimately not used. The song would later be released on the deluxe edition of the soundtrack, along with other remixes and bonus tracks.

Marc Roberge of O.A.R. on the song:

“After Catherine showed me early cuts of Twilight I left Los Angeles with my imagination spinning and only one sentence written in my notes, “If he could only read her mind.”  Would that make this improbable love any easier? ‘Love Is Worth The Fall’ is about the sacrifices we are willing to make for even the chance at true love.  It is a song written to grow dynamically wider and more full from beginning to end just as the story of Edward and Bella starts with a glance only to become deeper with every passing day.  We wanted to put to music this epic love story we saw on screen.”

"Vampire Kiss" Montage

Twilight: Director's Notebook:

In this intimate book, readers will follow visionary director Catherine Hardwicke through the creative process that went into transforming Stephenie Meyer’s breathtaking novel into box office gold. Designed to replicate the director’s own personal notebook that she kept on set, readers will discover the inside secrets on wardrobe, storyboard sketches, behind-the- scenes photographs, personal notes about Catherine’s favorite scenes, and much more. (From amazon.com) 

Twilight Location Tour with Catherine Hardwicke:

In October, I went on a Twilight Location Tour in Oregon with Catherine Hardwicke. You can check out the post here, which highlights her discussion of Red Riding Hood. And check out some location pictures here.

Where Were They Then...?

Amanda Seyfried -Mamma Mia! (2008)

Shiloh Fernandez - Cadillac Records (2008)

Gary Oldman - The Dark Knight (2008)

Julie Christie - New York, I Love You (2009)

Billy Burke - Rockin' the Stache in Twilight (2008)

Virginia Madsen -Diminished Capacity (2008)

Lukas Haas -Entourage series (2 episodes in 2008)

Catherine Hardwicke Flashback #3

 The Nativity Story (2006)

A drama that focuses on the period in Mary and Joseph's life where they journeyed to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.

The Nativity Story Trivia:
-This was the first feature film ever to premiere at the Vatican.
-The cast were taught how to use certain tools used 2000 years ago as well as how to build homes, how to press olives and grapes, how to make bread, how to make cheese, and how to milk goats.
Check out more trivia here.

The Nativity Story Reviews:

Matthew Turner writes: Catherine Hardwicke (Lords of Dogtown, Thirteen) may seem like an unusual choice for a Biblical epic, but she proves an inspired choice, choosing to focus on the authenticity of the story, primarily through Mary.

Mick LaSalle writes: One of the incidental points of the film, particularly powerful, is that doing the right thing isn't easy, even in the face of divine assurance.

Roger Moore writes: This is the movie Mel Gibson should have made, a simple tale simply titled and sweetly told.



Interview with Catherine Hardwicke & Shohreh Aghdashloo (Elizabeth)
From the interview: "When I first red this story, the screenplay, I loved it. I loved- I was mesmerized by the simplicity of it all."


On Set: The Nativity Story with Director Catherine Hardwicke-A behind the scenes look at the movie


Making The Nativity Story - Video interview with Catherine Hardwicke and Mike Rich (Screenwriter)

(Unfortunately the videos cannot be embedded here, but they are worth a view)


Where Were They Then...?
Amanda Seyfried - Alpha Dog (2006)
Shiloh Fernandez- Jericho series (7 episodes in 2006-07)
Gary Oldman - Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix (2007)
Julie Christie- Away from Her (2006) (Best Actress Nomination)
Billy Burke - Fracture (2007)
Virginia Madsen - A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
Lukas Haas- Material Girls (2006)

Catherine Hardwicke Flashback #2

This month's movie: Lords of Dogtown (2005)

 

A fictionalized take on the group of brilliant young skateboarders raised in the mean streets of Dogtown in Santa Monica, California. The Z-Boys, as they come to be known, perfect their craft in the empty swimming pools of unsuspecting suburban homeowners, pioneering a thrilling new sport and eventually moving into legend. 

Find more videos like this on Catherine Hardwicke

Lords of Dogtown Trivia:

-David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club, Zodiac) was once attached to direct.  

-Emile Hirsch claims the hardest trick he performed for the film was bombing down Bicknell Hill in Venice because he had to do the trick fast, shirtless, and with the camera car alongside him. 

-Original Z-Boys Jay Adams, Tony Alva, and Stacy Peralta all made cameos in the film.

-During the scenes of Alva and Peralta traveling, the Astronaut who asks to try to ride the skateboard is skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.

-Due to a busy shooting schedule and time constraints, the scene where Jay shaves his head had to be shot in director Catherine Hardwicke's own bathroom.

Check out more trivia here.

Lords of Dogtown Reviews:

Mike Clark writes: "It's hard to think of a movie since 1950's Sunset Boulevard that has gotten more dramatic impact out of a pool."

Owen Gleiberman writes: "Hardwicke is the rare director whose work is at once kinesthetic and delicate." 

Peter Travers writes: "Directed with vigor and wit."

"Recounting Skateboarding's Upstart Days" from The New York Times

"But Mr. Peralta does have gratitude. "The biggest feeling I have is one of utter relief that this period of our lives, this touchstone, wasn't done improperly," Mr. Peralta said. "She got it."

A little extra with one of the movie's best moments:

Check out the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001) that inspired the film.

Where Were They Then...?
Amanda Seyfried - Veronica Mars series (2004-2006)
Gary Oldman - Batman Begins (2005)
Julie Christie - Away From Her (2006) (Best Actress Nomination)
Billy Burke - Ladder 49 (2004)
Virginia Madsen - A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
Lukas Haas -Alpha Dog (2006)

Catherine Hardwicke Flashback #1

For the next four months I will be featuring Catherine Hardwicke's previous directorial films.

This month's movie: Thirteen (2003)

A thirteen-year-old girl's relationship with her mother is put to the test as she discovers drugs, sex, and petty crime in the company of her cool, but troubled best friend.

Thirteen Trivia:

-The script was written oven a period of six days by Director Catherine Hardwicke and star Nikki Reed.

-The events in the film are loosely based on Nikki Reed's life.

- In the scene before the intervention, where Brady picks Tracy up after school, the car had quit working so it was being pushed by crew members off camera.

-Many of the clothes, furniture and make-up used in the film belonged to the actual cast.
Check out more trivia here.

Thirteen Reviews:

Roger Ebert writes: "Sets a technical problem that seems insoluble, and meets it brilliantly, finding convincing performances from its teenage stars. showing a parent who is clueless but not uncaring, and a world outside that bedroom window that has big bad wolves."

Owen Gleiberman writes: "With an authenticity that is tender and merciless, the movie shows you what it looks like when youth rebellion becomes a form of fascism."

Making of Thirteen:

Nominations & Awards for Thirteen:

Academy Awards

Best Supporting Actress (Nominee)- Holly Hunter

Golden Globes

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (Nominee)- Evan Rachel Wood

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Nominee) - Holly Hunter

Independent Spirit Awards

Best First Feature (Nominee) 

Best First Screenplay (Nominee) - Catherine Hardwicke & Nikki Reed

Best Debut Performance (Winner) - Nikki Reed

Screen Actors Guild Awards

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Nominee) - Evan Rachel Wood

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Nominee) - Holly Hunter

Sundance Film Festival

Directing Award- Dramatic (Winner) - Catherine Hardwicke

Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic (Nominee)

Check out all the nominations and wins here. 

Where Were They Then...?
Amanda Seyfried - Mean Girls (2004)
Gary Oldman - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Julie Christie -  Troy, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Finding Neverland (2004)
Billy Burke - Gilmore Girls (2003 - 3 Episodes)
Virginia Madsen - Sideways (2004 - Oscar nomination)
Lukas Haas - Bookies (2003)