This article is about David Owen Russell, an American film director notable for films such as “The Fighter,” “Three Kings,” “Joy,” and “Amsterdam,” among others. The talented director has been recognized with numerous well-deserved awards for his work. Read more about his childhood, work as a filmmaker, as well as accomplishments and failures at manhattanski.
Early years
David Owen Russell is a well-known American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. David was born on August 20, 1958, in Manhattan to an affluent family. His father, Bernard, was vice president of the publishing company Simon & Schuster, and his mother, Maria, was the company’s secretary. The boy received his secondary education at Mamaroneck High School. By the way, the young man developed an interest in movies at an early age. At the age of thirteen, David made his first film for a school project. Russell was also very interested in writing and hoped to become a writer, therefore he frequently published in the school newspaper. David Owen Russell earned his higher education at Amherst College, where he studied political science and English.
Career development and directorial debut
Since 1987, David Owen Russell has been engaged in teaching, activism and social efforts. He has also been making short films and social documentaries, including one about Panamanian immigrants in Boston and Lewiston. Russell’s early short films include “Bingo Inferno: A Parody on American Obsessions”, “Hairway to the Stars” and others. For his work, the man won a number of honorary awards.
Following activities: success and failure
The subsequent works of David Owen Russell were highly successful. In 1996, the director released an American dark comedy titled “Flirting with Disaster”. The film’s cast includes actors such as Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal, Alan Alda, Josh Brolin, Richard Jenkins and Lily Tomlin. This picture gained critical acclaim and was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. No less successful in the director’s filmography was the 1999 American dark comedy “Three Kings”, which was about the Gulf War. The cast includes George Timothy Clooney, Adam Spiegel, O’Shea Jackson Sr. and Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg. The director attempted to make this film as realistic as possible, thus he used a range of innovative cinematic techniques. It is worth noting that real Iraqi refugees appeared in several scenes, which is a strong indicator. This picture became quite popular and was highly regarded by critics. This piece was David Owen Russell’s greatest success. The picture grossed $60 million in the United States and more than $100 million globally.
Russell’s next project was the existential comedy “I Heart Huckabees” (2004). Due to various internal issues, this picture did not receive a high rating. In addition to the aforementioned projects, the director released the political comedy “Accidental Love” in 2015, however, this project also encountered challenges, both during production and owing to its limited release. Subsequently, David went on to produce several successful and recognizable works, including “The Fighter,” for which Russell received seven Oscar nominations. Also, for “Silver Linings Playbook” David received the Hollywood Director Award and an Indie Impact Award, two Independent Spirit Awards, two Satellite Awards and four Golden Globe nominations. In addition to the abovementioned works, we will highlight the director’s films “American Hustle,” “Amsterdam,” “Joy,” and many others, for which he has received numerous honors.