Wikipedia

Amy Holden Jones

Amy Holden Jonesis an American screenwriter and film director best known for directingThe Slumber Party Massacre[1]and for creating theFOXmedical dramaThe Resident.[2][3]She has edited various films and later began directing and writing. She currently works in television.

Amy Holden Jones
Born(1955-09-17)September 17, 1955(age 69)
United States
Occupations
  • Film editor
  • screenwriter
  • film director
Known for
SpouseMichael Chapman

Early life and education

edit

Jones was born on September 17, 1955, and grew up inFlorida.She lived inBuffalo, New York,during her high school years. She was interested in photography and wanted to study alongsideMinor Whitewho was teaching atMITat the time. Jones attendedWellesley CollegeinWellesley, Massachusetts,majoring inart history,so she could also takefilm studiescourses at nearbyMITinCambridge, Massachusetts.[4]

Career

edit

Editor (1976–1981)

edit

Jones broke onto the festival circuit when she won first place at theAmerican Film InstituteNational Student Festival, whereMartin Scorsesewas a judge, for her short documentary filmA Weekend Home(1975). A year later Jones was struggling to make ends meet living inBostondue to a lack of funding for documentaries. After she read an article aboutMartin Scorsesebeginning to produce another film, she reached out and called him, asking "Do you remember this film? Would you advise me to move to New York?" Five days later he called her back and offered her a job as his assistant during the production ofTaxi Driver.It was there that she met her husbandcinematographerMichael Chapman.Martin Scorsese told Jones she was “too good to be an assistant” and got her in contact with film producerRoger Corman.[5]She went on to work for Corman editing Joe Dante's first film,Hollywood Boulevard,when she was 22 years old. She editedAmerican Boy: A Profile of Steven Princefor Scorsese,Corvette Summerfor MGM, andSecond-Hand Heartsfor Hal Ashby. Despite the filmSecond-Hand Heartsbeing critically panned Jones learned a lot about editing fromHal Ashbyas he was an editing genius.

The Slumber Party Massacre(1982–1983)

edit

After editing these films, Jones realized that she did not want to spend the rest of her life editing; she was frustrated with the fact that an editor can dramatically improve a film, however, it is not their film. Jones felt that she was being typed as a film editor. She was scheduled to editSteven Spielberg’sE.T— however, it was being continuously pushed back due toPoltergeistgoing over schedule. At this point she made a decision she has called crazy herself and decided to walk away fromE.Tto direct her own film.[5]Jones promised herself she would only continue to be a film editor if she could not make her own movie. Ultimatum in mind, she approached Roger Corman about directing, asking “What would I have to do to become a director?” Corman professed that her documentary work did not show him enough of what he wanted, insisting “You have to show me that you can do what I do.” Having not written for the screen before, Jones went searching for an existing script. After scouring Corman’s library of scrapped scripts, Jones took special notice ofRita Mae Brown’sDon’t Open the Door.Jones was especially enthralled with the eight page prologue which included the holy trifecta of exploitation storytelling: a dialogue scene, a suspense scene, and an action scene.

After rewriting some of the scenes, Jones got together a group of short ends from prior shooting projects. Her husband, a cinematographer, worked behind the camera and her neighbor was a sound technician. Jones committed herself to special effects, and she cast students from theUCLAtheater department to act in the film. Over three days, Jones and her team shot the first eight pages on 35mm film. Jones edited the short onJoe Dante’sMoviolaafter hours while he was editingThe Howling.Dante also assisted Jones with temporary music cues.

Jones dropped off the nine-minute reel for Corman, confident that its three-part structure would convince him that she could fulfill all of the tropes which make up an exploitation movie. Impressed by her limited budget of just $2,000, Corman granted Jones a mere $200,000 to direct a feature length version of the script, of which Jones had not read past the first eight pages. With her tight budget as a roadmap, Jones utilized her skills acquired as a film editor and documentary filmmaker to do an intensive rewriting of the script. But, before sitting in the director’s chair, Jones underwent acting lessons with blacklisted actorJeff Corey,a condition of all directors who worked for Corman. The shoot took 38 days across a school and two houses that were all side by side.

None of the original short made it into the final cut ofThe Slumber Party Massacre,because none of the actors were part of theScreen Actors Guild(SAG). But, as Jones noted, it was not needed.

Love Lettersand writing breakthrough (1983–1993)

edit

Love Letters(1983)

edit

Jones wanted to continue to direct, however, she struggled to find any opportunities because at the time women were not typically allowed to direct films. When pushed by Roger Corman to direct her second feature, yet another exploitation film, Jones convinced Corman to aim for theart housemarket instead. She insisted, having been a distributor ofTruffautandFellinifilms, that Corman had an already impressive art house distribution network. Plus, given the rise ofhome videoin the mid-80s, Jones eventually convinced Corman making a film both in the art house outlet and on home video would make back the money spent. After Jones’sspec scriptforLove Lettersimpressed Corman, he was on board.

Jones credits a lot of the idea behindLove Lettersto her, at the time, long-distance relationship with her husband. Given that she was on the West coast, and he was on the East, letters were their primary form of communication. Jones wondered what effect those letters would have on her young daughter. Simultaneously, Jones had become fixated onAlan Parker’s1982 family drama,Shoot the Moon,about the traumas of a married man in an affair. Citing it as a male character she had seen a zillion times, Jones wondered what a film from the other woman’s point of view would be like. By conjoining this concept with that of her daughter stumbling upon her and her husband’s letters,Love Letterswas born.

When writing the script, Jones made sure the story took place in a limited number of locations for the sake of saving money and time. Jones utilized her own house as the main location of the film.Amy Madiganwas in mind for the main role during the writing process, butMeg Tillywas Jones’s first choice when casting. After her falling out,Jamie Lee Curtisfell in love with the script and assumed the role, much to Jones’s pleasure.James Keachwas a late replacement after the first choice for the role, whom Jones has never publicly disclosed, dropped out seven days before shooting.

Jones credits the screenplays ofHarold Pinteras her main source of inspiration for the film’s flashback structure.

Mystic Pizza(1988),Maid to Order(1987), andIndecent Proposal(1993)

edit

Jones’s coming-of-age classicMystic Pizzais inspired by Mystic Pizza Shack inMystic, Connecticut.Jones envisionedMystic Pizzato be herDiner,a 1982 bromantic comedy film byBarry Levinson,citing it as the female version of that film. She had expected to direct it and wrote it for herself to direct.[6]

The film was optioned bySamuel Goldwyn Jr.who held onto it for years claiming that his $5,000 option gave him the rights to it for the rest of her life. As she dealt with this situation she rewrote and directedMaid to Orderand again was offered nothing while her apprentice editors were getting the chance to direct due to them being men. EventuallySamuel Goldwyn Jr.madeMystic Pizzawith a male director, however, her version received high praise for its spectacular dialogue, and she began to receive offers as a screenwriter since at the time women were more often given opportunities to write films, not direct.[4]

Her next big writing offer was forIndecent Proposalbased on the novel byJack Engelhard,which made Jones a big-name screenwriter.[7]

Television work

edit

Eventually Jones began being interesting in television and pitched a show titledThe Seventeenth FloortoABC,NBC,andCBSwho all wanted to buy it, however, she ended up writing the script forCBS.Next, Jones wrote a pilot for the WB during its brand switch tothe CWaboutHarvard Medical School,entitledHMS.Although it was shot, it did not get picked up, even in light of it reportedly testing higher than any other show CW had. After this she worked on the short lived showBlack Boxwhich was still early in her television career and as such, she admitted she still had a lot to learn.[4]Jones equates the show’s plunder to summer shows not doing as well as they once did, and the fact the show wasn't filmed at its home studio, ABC Studios.

Jones is featured in the first chapter of Julie MacLusky's bookIs There Life After Film School?as well as inThe First Time I Got Paid for Itby Peter Lefcourt and Laura J. Shapiro.

Jones is one of the creators of the acclaimed medical dramaThe Residentwhich premiered in 2018 and concluded on January 17, 2023.The Residentis a response of sorts to other medical dramas on television that she claims she got tired of watching because they are all too similar and recycle the same plot lines.[4]She is known for accusing other medical dramas of copyingThe Resident,such asGrey's Anatomy[8]andNew Amsterdam.[9]In 2019, she signed a new overall deal with20th Century Fox TV.[10]Jonnie Davis, President of Creative Affairs, said about Jones, “She’s brimming with ideas, and we’re excited to have her continued services on our series as well as her development. She’s an important voice.” Coming from her deal with 20th Century Fox, she would potentially work as co-writer and co-executive producer for a new crime drama atABC.[11]

Filmography

edit
Year Film Editor Producer Director Writer Starring Notes
1976 Hollywood Boulevard Yes
1978 Corvette Summer Yes
American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince Yes
1981 Second-Hand Hearts Yes
1982 The Slumber Party Massacre Yes Yes [1][12]
1984 Love Letters Yes Yes
1987 Maid to Order Yes Yes [13]
1988 Mystic Pizza Yes [14]
Calling the Shots Yes (as self)
1991 Saturday's Yes
1992 Beethoven Yes [15]
1992 Indecency Yes
1993 Hollywood Women Yes (as self)
Indecent Proposal Yes [16][17]
1994 The Getaway Yes [18]
1996 The Rich Man's Wife Yes Yes [19][20][21]
1997 The Relic Yes [22]
2001 Headliners and Legends with Matt Lauer Yes (as self)
2006 Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film Yes (as self)
2007 Indecent Proposal Yes
Trailers from Hell Yes (as self)
2010 H.M.S. White Coat Yes
Sleepless Nights: Revisiting the Slumber Party Massacre Yes (as self)
2014 Black Box Yes [23]
2018–2023 The Resident Yes Yes Yes Yes

Awards and nominations

edit

Jones established herself in the documentary scene by winning First Place at theAFI National Student Film Festivalfor her short documentary filmA Weekend Homein 1975. Later on in her career, she would win theGolden Raspberry Awardfor Worst Screenplay forIndecent Proposalin 1994. In 2019, Jones would win a Sentinel Award forThe ResidentEpisode 220 “If Not Now, When?” alongside co-writersTianna Majumdar-LanghamandChris Bessounian.[24]

Bibliography and further reading

edit
  • Allen, C. (Host). (2019, May 7). Amy Holden Jones, Screenwriter, Mystic Pizza, Beethoven, Indecent Proposal (No. 49) [Audio Podcast Episode]. InThe Writer Experience.Flickering Myth.[25]
  • Broyles, Lindsey. “Female Authorship in the Slumber Party Massacre Trilogy,” BA diss., (University of New Mexico, 2016).
  • Collum, Jason Paul. “SLEEPLESS NIGHTS: Revisiting The Slumber Party Massacre 'Don't Open the Door', Directed and Written by Jason Paul Collum (2010: Shout! Factory and B+BOY Productions) DVD.
  • Maclay, Willow C. “Lined Lips and Spiked Bats: Amy Holden Jones and the Women of 'The Slumber Party Massacre',” Notebook, November 11, 2019.[26]
  • Newman, Kim. “The Slumber Party Massacre,”Monthly Film Bulletin,January 1, 1983.

References

edit
  1. ^ab"The 100 greatest films directed by women: Who voted? L-Z".www.bbc.com.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  2. ^Houston, Melinda (2018-02-15)."Crises and complex ethics come together in medico-drama The Resident".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  3. ^"Amy Holden Jones at Hollywood.com".December 18, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-12-18.
  4. ^abcd"'The Resident' Co-Creator Amy Holden Jones: How I Made It in Hollywood ".The Hollywood Reporter.22 January 2018.
  5. ^ab"'The Resident' Co-Creator Amy Holden Jones: How I Made It in Hollywood ".The Hollywood Reporter.22 January 2018.Retrieved2020-04-14.
  6. ^"Mystic Pizza's Secret Sauce (Finally!) Revealed - Movies".Nostalgic Reads.2021-07-06.Retrieved2021-12-07.
  7. ^"Amy Jones on writing/directing" Love Letters "".Linkedin.com.Retrieved2021-12-07.
  8. ^@aholdenj (15 February 2020)."If you liked this, you might want to view our ep 219" Snow Day. "Same story, same actress, with the same disease!…"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  9. ^@aholdenj (14 September 2019)."When you break the mold, then everyone else imitates you, you've reinvented a genre. #TheResident"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  10. ^Thorne, Will (2019-05-01)."'The Resident' Co-Creator Amy Holden Jones Signs 20th Century Fox TV Deal ".Variety.com.Retrieved2020-04-14.
  11. ^"'The Resident' Co-creator Sets Cop Show at ABC ".The Hollywood Reporter.7 October 2019.Retrieved2020-04-14.
  12. ^Maslin, Janet (1982-11-12)."'THE SLUMBER PARTY'".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  13. ^Maslin, Janet (1987-08-28)."Film: 'Maid to Order,' Starring Ally Sheedy".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  14. ^Maslin, Janet (1988-10-21)."Review/Film; The Autumn Before Womanhood".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  15. ^Maslin, Janet (1992-04-03)."Review/Film; A Dog, a Dad and, Yes, an Evil Veterinarian".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  16. ^Turan, Kenneth (1993-04-07)."MOVIE REVIEWS: A Laughably Implausible 'Proposal'".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  17. ^Maslin, Janet (1993-04-07)."Review/Film: Indecent Proposal; Who'd Have to Be Paid $1 Million To Spend a Night With Redford?".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  18. ^James, Caryn (1994-02-11)."Reviews/Film; In the Tire Tracks Of Another Sultry Pair".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  19. ^Turan, Kenneth (1996-09-13)."'Rich Man's Wife' Puts Everyone in Jeopardy ".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  20. ^Canby, Vincent (1984-01-27)."'LOVE LETTERS,' DOOMED AFFAIR ".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  21. ^Gelder, Lawrence Van (1996-09-13)."On a Noir and Stormy Night".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  22. ^Holden, Stephen (1997-01-10)."Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. It's Got Fangs".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  23. ^McNamara, Mary (2014-04-24)."Review: 'Black Box' stumbles through a dark dance with reality".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2023-07-27.
  24. ^"Amy Holden Jones".IMDb.com.Retrieved2021-12-07.
  25. ^"Ep 48 - Amy Holden Jones, Screenwriter, Mystic Pizza, Beethoven, Indecent Proposal".Soundcloud.com.Retrieved8 August2022.
  26. ^"Lined Lips and Spiked Bats: Amy Holden Jones and the Women of" The Slumber Party Massacre "".Mubi.com.11 November 2019.Retrieved8 August2022.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amy_Holden_Jones&oldid=1255827305"