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Kelly Reichardt

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Kelly Reichardt
Reichardt in 2020
Born(1964-03-03)March 3, 1964(age 60)
Miami,Florida,U.S.
EducationSchool of the Museum of Fine Arts(MFA)
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter
Years active1994–present

Kelly Reichardt(/ˈraɪkɑːrt/;born March 3, 1964)[1]is an American film director and screenwriter.[2]She is known for herminimalistfilms closely associated withslow cinema,[3][4]many of which deal withworking-classcharacters in small, rural communities.[5][6]

Reichardt made her feature film debut withRiver of Grass(1994) and subsequently directed a series of films set and filmed inOregon:the dramasOld Joy(2006) andWendy and Lucy(2008); the WesternMeek's Cutoff(2010); and the thrillerNight Moves(2013). In 2016, she wrote and directed theMontana-set dramaCertain Women.Since 2019, Reichardt has returned to directing Oregon-set dramas, withFirst Cow(2019), andShowing Up(2022).

Early life and education[edit]

Reichardt was born in 1964 and raised inMiami,Florida. She developed a passion for photography when she was young. Her parents were law enforcement officers who separated when she was young. She earned her MFA at theSchool of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.Reichardt has served as the S. William Senfeld Artist in Residence atBard Collegesince 2006.[7][8]

Film career[edit]

1994–2006: Feature debut and other works[edit]

Reichardt's debut filmRiver of Grasswas released in 1994. It was nominated for threeIndependent Spirit Awards,[9]and the Grand Jury Prize at theSundance Film Festival.It was named one of the best films of 1995 by theBoston Globe,Film Comment,andThe Village Voice.Reichardt then had trouble making another feature film, saying, "I had 10 years from the mid-1990s when I couldn't get a movie made. It had a lot to do with being a woman. That's definitely a factor in raising money. During that time, it was impossible to get anything going, so I just said, 'Fuck you!' and didSuper 8shorts instead. "[10]

In 1999, Reichardt completed the short filmOde,based onHerman Raucher's novelOde to Billy Joe.Next she made two more short films,Then a Year,in 2001, andTravis,which deals with theIraq War,in 2004.[11]In these two films, critics have noted that she subtly makes clear her displeasure with theBush administrationand its handling of theIraq War.[10]

Most of Reichardt's films are regarded by critics to be part of the minimalist movement in films,[10]though Reichardt sees a difference between her work and the movement as a whole.[12]

AfterTodd Haynes,a close friend of Reichardt, madeSafe,she drove Haynes to Portland from the Seattle Film Festival, where she met writerJon RaymondandNeil Kopp,who respectively wrote and produced several of Reichardt's films.[12]Raymond has been cited as the largest influence on Reichardt's decision to base her films in thePacific Northwest,his specific humanist portraits of the region inspiring Reichardt's critically acclaimed streak of films.[13]In 2006, she completedOld Joy,based on a short story in Raymond's collectionLivability.Daniel Londonand singer-songwriterWill Oldhamportray two friends who reunite for a camping trip to theCascadesandBagby Hot Springs,near Portland.[14]The film won awards from theLos Angeles Film Critics Association,Rotterdam International Film Festival,andSarasota Film Festival.Notably, it was the first American film to win the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival. Kopp won the Producer's Award at the2007 Independent Spirit Awardsfor his work onOld JoyandParanoid Park.

2008–2016: Critical acclaim[edit]

For her next film,Wendy and Lucy,Reichardt and Raymond adapted another story fromLivability.The film explores loneliness and hopelessness through the story of a woman looking for her lost dog. It was released in December 2008 and earnedOscarbuzz for lead actressMichelle Williams.It was nominated for Best Film and Best Female Lead at theIndependent Spirit Awards.Reichardt then directedMeek's Cutoff,aWesternalso starring Williams. It competed for theGolden Lionat the67th Venice International Film Festivalin 2010.[15]

In 2013, Reichardt's filmNight Movesdebuted in competition at the70th Venice International Film Festival.A more intense thriller about a secret plot to blow up a dam, it was considered a shift in tone from her other slower, more melancholic films.

Reichardt's filmCertain Womenis based onMaile Meloy's 2009 short-story collectionBoth Ways is the Only Way I Want It,and was shot in March–April 2015 in Montana.Michelle Williams,Laura Dern,Lily Gladstone,andKristen Stewartstar.[16]Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) bought the rights to distribution.[17]The film premiered on January 24, 2016, at theSundance Film Festival.Reichardt won the top award at the 2016London Film FestivalforCertain Women.[18]

In October 2016, Reichardt revealed that on her next film she would collaborate with authorPatrick DeWitton an adaptation of his novelUndermajordomo Minor,which might be shot outside of the U.S.[19][20]In October 2018, it was announced that Reichardt had putUndermajordomo Minoron hold and would instead reunite with Raymond to directFirst Cow,an adaptation of his novelThe Half-Life.[21]

Reichardt's films have received positive reviews from critics, with all of them above 80% on the film reviews aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with the highest beingRiver of GrassandFirst Cow(both 95%). Her films have not been big box-office successes, withCertain Womenthe most successful at $1.1 million.[22]

Reichardt is an Artist-in-Residence in the Film and Electronic Arts program atBard College.[23]She has received a 2009 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship[24]and a 2011 United States Artists (USA) Fellowship.[25]She edits her films herself.[10]

2019–present[edit]

First Cow(2019) debuted at the2019 Telluride Film Festival,[26]it was screened at the2019 New York Film Festival,and in February 2020 was selected to the main competition of the70th Berlin International Film Festival.It was Reichardt's return to films set in Oregon after shootingCertain Womenin Montana. Released byA24to a limited number of theaters in March 2020, the film was pulled from distribution due to the onset of theCOVID-19 pandemicand became avideo on demandtitle in June 2020.[27]

Reichardt's next film,Showing Up,was set inPortlandwith Williams in the lead role as a sculptor. It premiered at the2022 Cannes Film Festival,and was the director's first feature to be included in the main competition for thePalme d'Or.[28]The film was released by A24 in the United States on April 7, 2023.[29]

Style and themes[edit]

Reichardt's films have often been called minimalist and realist, with film criticA. O. ScottdescribingWendy and Lucyas part of a new American Independent cinema he termed "Neo-Neo Realism", primarily due to its thematic and aesthetic similarity to classic Italian neorealist films such asRome Open CityandPaisan.[10]Reichardt has called her films "just glimpses of people passing through".[30]She also recognizes her style as minimalist, saying, "A movie is a series of reveals, essentially, and then you're supposed to sit in a room and tell someone what it all means. That goes against everything that I just worked for, so I have no interest in summing it all up. It's all out there".[31]Her films' realist tendencies position them in line with Matthew Flanagan's idea of slow cinema. Their long takes, minimal dialogue and minimalist action are all characteristics of slow cinema that allow the audience time for contemplation.[32]This style may also be in response to more mainstream films; Reichardt has said, "when I go to the movies and I sit through the previews, I literally feel assaulted."[12]

Reichardt's films often focus on characters on the margins of society, who are not usually represented on screen, or who are seeking a better quality of life and place in the world. She is interested in characters "who don't have a net, who if you sneezed on them, their world would fall apart".[33]Her films tackle aspects of the American experience the commercial film industry seldom explores. Eric Kohn ofIndiewirehas called her films "a mesmerizing statement on the solitude of everyday life for working-class people who want something better. They're trapped between a mythology of greatness and the personal limitations that govern their drab realities. By attending to atmosphere and attitude as much as plot, Reichardt has quietly become one of the country's best chroniclers of the American experience".[34]In his contemporary review of 'Old Joy',Slant Magazine'sNick Schagerpraises how "Reichardt’s delicate touch is such that it creates room for an interpretative flexibility. The film’s pauses in dialogue and the unseen spaces between scenes breathe with palpable, mysterious life."[35]

Reichardt's films often contain references to modern times and political events.[36]OfMeek's Cutoff,she said, "Here was the story of this braggart leading a bunch of people into the desert without a plan and becoming completely reliant on the locals who are socially different from him and who he is suspicious of. All of which seemed relevant to the moment"[10](in reference to theIraq WarandGeorge W. Bush). Reichardt has confirmed that the character Meek was meant to resemble Bush.Wendy and Lucyalso reflects the economic hardships that affected millions of Americans (particularly women, whom the film suggests are affected more than men) as a result of the high costs and collateral damage from the war.[10]Reichardt's 2013 filmNight Moveshas more overt political references. The three protagonists are radical environmentalists,[37]and the film is set in Oregon, a state with many notable instances of environmental protest, particularly against its lumber industry[38]and in defense of theNorthern Spotted Owl,an indicator species of the Pacific Northwest.[39]

Critics have noted that Reichardt's films often have ambiguous endings that leave the audience hanging and unsatisfied. Xan Brooks ofThe Guardianuses the examples of "wonky Kurt, left wandering city streets at the end ofOld Joy,hapless Wendy, still looking for Alaska, orMeek's Cutoff's lost pioneers, forever strung between triumph and disaster. These films do not so much resolve as dissolve. They leave us dangling, forced to write their third acts in our heads ".[30]Reichardt has said, "Maybe I'm suspicious of absolutes. I mean, yes, there is something satisfying about watching an old film when the music rises up and the words come at you: The End. But it would seem absurd to do that at the end of one of my films. It would just make them feel lopsided, because they're all so short, they cover so little time. We don't know where these people were before. We spent a week with them and then on they went".[30]She has also said that she enjoys films that let the audience find their own way in and come to their own conclusions.[30]

Reichardt's films contain feminist ideas in both style and content, rejecting mainstream commercial filmmaking methods and focusing on gender (most have female lead characters), but she rejects the label "feminist filmmaker". She rejects mainstream methods by using small budgets, filming on location (most of her films are shot in Oregon), and refusing to romanticize her characters and their struggles. Even her films that have male protagonists address gender issues. InOld Joy,which stars two men and was spoken about at festivals as an LGBT film,[40]the theme of male friendship is highlighted and addressed through feminized qualities of sensitivity and vulnerability rarely seen in mainstream Hollywood cinema. InNight Moves,Dakota Fanning's character serves as a strong female counterpoint toJesse Eisenberg's male protagonist, and the film's environmental storyline reflects eco-feminist values. Reichardt also diverges from the mainstream with her films' avant-garde content.River of Grasssegments the narrative into numbered sections, andCertain Womenis also divided into episodes. Reichardt's realism and camera angles reject the objectification of bodies and challenge audience expectations by lingering on seemingly insignificant images after characters have left a scene.[32]

Reichardt has frequently collaborated with actressMichelle Williams,saying that she enjoys Williams's confidence and inquisitive nature, and that she can never guess what she's going to do.[41]

Filmography[edit]

Film

Year Title Director Writer Editor Ref.
1994 River of Grass Yes Yes No [6]
2006 Old Joy Yes Yes Yes
2008 Wendy and Lucy Yes Yes Yes
2010 Meek's Cutoff Yes No Yes
2013 Night Moves Yes Yes Yes
2016 Certain Women Yes Yes Yes
2019 First Cow Yes Yes Yes [42]
2022 Showing Up Yes Yes Yes [28]

Short film

Year Title Director Writer DoP Ref.
1999 Ode Yes Yes Yes [43]
2001 Then a Year Yes No No [44]
2004 Travis Yes No No [45]

Accolades[edit]

Year Institution Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1994 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic River of Grass Nominated [46]
1996 Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature Nominated [9]
Best First Screenplay Nominated
Someone to Watch Award Nominated
2006 Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Feature Old Joy Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award Won
2007 Independent Spirit Awards John Cassavetes Award Nominated
2008 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Woman Director Wendy and Lucy Nominated
Best Woman Screenwriter Nominated
Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard Nominated
Chicago International Film Festival Gold Hugo (Best Feature) Nominated
2010 Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion Meek's Cutoff Nominated [47]
SIGNIS Award Won
2011 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Woman Director Nominated
Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Feature Nominated
2013 Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion Night Moves Nominated
2016 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Woman Director Certain Women Nominated
Best Woman Screenwriter Won
Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Feature Nominated [48]
Audience Award Nominated
London Film Festival Best Film Won [49]
2017 Independent Spirit Awards Best Director Nominated [50]
2020 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Director First Cow Nominated
Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Best Woman Director Nominated
Austin Film Critics Association Awards Best Director Nominated [51]
Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear Nominated [52]
Critics' Choice Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated [53]
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Director Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Gotham Independent Film Awards Best Feature Nominated [54]
Best Screenplay Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards The Bonnie Award Herself Won [55]
USC Scripter Award First Cow Nominated [56]
2021 Independent Spirit Awards Best Director Nominated [57]
British Independent Film Awards Best International Independent Film Nominated [58]
2022 47th César Awards Best Foreign Film Nominated [59]
2022 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Showing Up Nominated [28]
75th Locarno Film Festival Pardo d'onore Manor Herself Honored [60]
2023 39th Independent Spirit Awards Robert Altman Award Showing Up Won [61]

Bibliography[edit]

  • James Lattimer, Eva Sangiorgi, ed.,Textur #2: Kelly Reichardt.Viennale – Vienna International Film Festival 2020,ISBN978-3-901770-49 4
  • Seymour, Nicole; Fusco, Katherine (2017).Kelly Reichardt (Contemporary Film Directors).University of Illinois Press.ISBN978-0252083051.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"United States Public Records, 1970-2009,"(May 16, 2014), Kelly A. Reichardt, Residence, North Miami, Florida, United States. Retrieved May 9, 2019.(subscription required)
  2. ^Hudson, D.W. (September 22, 2008)."NYFF: Wendy and Lucy".GreenCine Daily. Archived fromthe originalon June 25, 2013.RetrievedJuly 22,2014.
  3. ^Smith, Nigel M (March 1, 2017)."Kelly Reichardt: 'Faster, faster, faster – we all want things faster'".The Guardian.
  4. ^20 Slow Films From This Century That Reward Patience — Taste of Cinema
  5. ^Kohn, Eric (October 13, 2016)."Kelly Reichardt Is One of the Best Filmmakers in America, and We Don't Appreciate Her Enough — NYFF".Indiewire.Archived fromthe originalon December 25, 2016.
  6. ^abBrown, Sophie (March 14, 2017)."Where to begin with Kelly Reichardt".British Film Institute.Archivedfrom the original on April 6, 2019.
  7. ^College, Bard."Kelly Reichardt".bard.edu.RetrievedNovember 10,2022.
  8. ^Acclaimed Filmmaker, Bard College Faculty Member Kelly Reichardt to Join Jury at Cannes Film Festival - Bard College
  9. ^ab11th annual Spirit Awards ceremony hosted by Samuel L. Jackson - full show (1996) | Film Independent on YouTube
  10. ^abcdefg"Kelly Reichardt • Great Director profile • Senses of Cinema".sensesofcinema.May 21, 2002.RetrievedNovember 17,2018.
  11. ^Hall 2018,pp. 36, 42.
  12. ^abcFusco, Katherine; Seymour, Nicole (December 1, 2017).Kelly Reichardt.University of Illinois Press.doi:10.5622/illinois/9780252041242.001.0001.ISBN978-0-252-04124-2.
  13. ^Woods, Simon (August 3, 2020)."Kelly Reichardt: An in-depth interview".Seventh Row.seventhrow.RetrievedMarch 19,2024.
  14. ^Hall 2018,pp. 45–47.
  15. ^Bradshaw, Peter (September 6, 2010)."Meek's Cutoff and Post Mortem shine at Venice film festival".The Guardian.
  16. ^McNary, Dave (February 27, 2015)."Kristen Stewart Joins Kelly Reichardt's Montana Drama".Variety.
  17. ^Mike Fleming Jr (April 16, 2015)."Kelly Reichardt's New Film Lands At Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions".Deadline.
  18. ^"60th BFI London Film Festival announces 2016 awards winners"(Press release). BFI. October 17, 2016.RetrievedOctober 18,2016.
  19. ^"With rugged feminist piece 'Certain Women,' Kelly Reichardt shows why she's the last indie purist (for now)".Los Angeles Times.October 21, 2016.
  20. ^Tauer, Kristen (October 14, 2016)."'Certain Women' Director Kelly Reichardt Discusses Her Latest Film ".Women's Wear Daily.
  21. ^Raup, Jordan (October 31, 2018)."Kelly Reichardt Sets 'Certain Women' Follow-Up with 'First Cow'".The Film Stage.RetrievedNovember 25,2018.
  22. ^"Kelly Reichardt".rottentomatoes.RetrievedNovember 17,2018.
  23. ^"Faculty: Kelly Reichardt".Bard College.June 20, 2014.RetrievedJuly 22,2014.
  24. ^"Kelly Reichardt".John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. 2014. Archived fromthe originalon July 28, 2014.RetrievedJuly 22,2014.
  25. ^"United States Artists » Kelly Reichardt".RetrievedFebruary 26,2023.
  26. ^Hammond, Pete (August 29, 2019)."Telluride Film Festival: 'Ford V Ferrari', 'Judy', 'Motherless Brooklyn', Weinstein-Inspired Drama 'The Assistant' Among Premieres Headed To 46th Edition – Full List".Deadline.RetrievedJune 9,2023.
  27. ^Kohn, Eric (June 29, 2020)."'First Cow' Will Head to VOD, and Kelly Reichardt Reconsiders Her Film's Resonance — Exclusive ".IndieWire.RetrievedJune 9,2023.
  28. ^abcTurnquist (April 17, 2022)."'Showing Up,' filmed in Portland and starring Michelle Williams, to compete in 2022 Cannes Film Festival ".oregonlive.RetrievedJune 9,2023.
  29. ^Chang, Justin (April 14, 2023)."'Showing Up' is a rare glimpse of an artist at (very hard) work ".NPR.RetrievedNovember 9,2023.
  30. ^abcdBrooks, Xan (August 21, 2014)."Kelly Reichardt: 'My films are just glimpses of people passing through'".the Guardian.RetrievedNovember 17,2018.
  31. ^"Director Kelly Reichardt explores idealism in Night Moves".Archived fromthe originalon July 27, 2020.RetrievedNovember 17,2018.
  32. ^abHall, E. Dawn (2018).The films of Kelly Reichardt.ISBN9781474444620.OCLC1054396795.
  33. ^Gregory, Alice (October 14, 2016)."The Quiet Menace of Kelly Reichardt's Feminist Westerns".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 17,2018.
  34. ^Kohn, Eric (October 3, 2016)."Kelly Reichardt Is One of the Best Filmmakers in America, and We Don't Appreciate Her Enough — NYFF".IndieWire.RetrievedNovember 17,2018.
  35. ^Schager, Nick (March 14, 2006)."Review: Old Joy".Slant Magazine.slantmagazine.RetrievedMarch 19,2024.
  36. ^Broken American Dreams: The Films of Kelly Reichardt | The Vice Guide to Film
  37. ^"Night Moves (2013)",IMDb,retrievedDecember 4,2021
  38. ^Johnson, Jeff (August 13, 2007)."House Passes Energy Bills".Chemical & Engineering News Archive.85(33): 13.doi:10.1021/cen-v085n033.p013.ISSN0009-2347.
  39. ^"American Lands Alliance - Protecting and Restoring our National Forests - Issues".June 13, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon June 13, 2007.RetrievedDecember 4,2021.
  40. ^Hall 2018,p. 3.
  41. ^"'Certain Women' director on working with Michelle Williams ".am New York.RetrievedNovember 17,2018.
  42. ^Nordine, Michelle (October 31, 2018)."'First Cow': Kelly Reichardt's Follow-Up to 'Certain Women' Is a Period Piece Set in Oregon and China ".Indiewire.Archived fromthe originalon November 3, 2018.
  43. ^Mathieson, Craig (May 31, 2011)."Retrospective: Kelly Reichardt".SBS.Archivedfrom the original on May 9, 2019.RetrievedMay 10,2019.
  44. ^Hall 2018,p. 36.
  45. ^Hall 2018,p. 42.
  46. ^Hall 2018,p. 16.
  47. ^"67th Venice Film Festival Collateral Awards".labiennale.org.November 9, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon June 23, 2011.
  48. ^Setoodeh, Ramin (November 28, 2016)."'Moonlight' Sweeps the Gotham Awards, Winning Best Film ".Variety.RetrievedOctober 6,2018.
  49. ^"60th BFI London Film Festival announces 2016 awards winners"(Press release).British Film Institute.October 17, 2016.RetrievedOctober 18,2016.
  50. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 22, 2016)."Spirit Awards Nominations: 'Moonlight', 'American Honey', 'Manchester' & 'Jackie' Rally".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedNovember 22,2016.
  51. ^Partridge, Jon (March 12, 2021)."2020 Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominations".Austin Film Critics Association.Archived fromthe originalon March 12, 2021.RetrievedMay 19,2021.
  52. ^"The Awards of the 70th Berlin International Film Festival"(PDF).Berlinale.RetrievedMarch 1,2020.
  53. ^"Film nominees for the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced".Critics Choice Association.February 8, 2021. Archived fromthe originalon February 8, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 8,2021.
  54. ^"Nominations Announced for 30th IFP Gotham Awards".Independent Filmmaker Project. November 12, 2020. Archived fromthe originalon December 8, 2020.RetrievedDecember 6,2020.
  55. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony; Blyth, Antonia (February 8, 2020)."Independent Spirit Awards Redresses Female Balance With Wins For Lulu Wang, Olivia Wilde & Julia Reichert – Complete Winners List".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedFebruary 8,2020.
  56. ^Hipes, Patrick (January 26, 2021)."USC Scripter Awards Nominees Include 'Nomadland', 'One Night In Miami', 'Queen's Gambit', 'Unorthodox'".Deadline.RetrievedJanuary 28,2021.
  57. ^Lewis, Hilary (January 26, 2021)."Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always', 'Minari', 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', 'Nomadland' Top Nominations".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedJanuary 26,2021.
  58. ^"'Belfast,' 'Boiling Point' Lead BIFA Nominations ".British Independent Film Awards.November 3, 2021.RetrievedNovember 4,2021.
  59. ^"The winners of the 47th César ceremony".Vogue France(in French). February 26, 2022.RetrievedApril 15,2024.
  60. ^Desroches, Thomas (August 1, 2022)."Locarno 2022: Brad Pitt et Sophie Marceau en sélection, Matt Dillon honoré par le Festival"[Locarno 2022: Brad Pitt and Sophie Marceau in selection, Matt Dillon honored by the Festival titles].Allocine(in French).RetrievedAugust 11,2022.
  61. ^"Spirit Awards 2024 Nominations List: 'Past Lives,' 'May December,' 'American Fiction' Lead with 5 Noms Each".December 5, 2023.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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