You've Got Mail - About The Filmmakers

You've Got Mail: About The Filmmakers

Music from Amazon.com:
Buy The Soundtrack.

Director, producer and co-writer NORA EPHRON re-teams with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan for another romantic comedy about destiny, mystery, nearly-missed opportunities and love. The team previously worked together on the 1993 critically lauded box-office smash "Sleepless in Seattle."

Ephron has become one of the industry's most accomplished directors of romantic comedy, having most recently explored the notion of divine intervention in romance with the angelic comedy "Michael," starring John Travolta, William Hurt and Andie McDowell, which she co-wrote and directed. She also co-wrote (with her sister, Delia Ephron) and directed "This Is My Life," starring Julie Kavner as a single mom turned stand-up comic, and "Mixed Nuts," starring Steve Martin as a suicide hotline employee on Christmas Eve.

Ephron has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay, for "Sleepless in Seattle" (with David Ward and Jeff Arch); for the classic romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally..."; and for the drama "Silkwood" (co-written with Alice Arlen). Her other screenwriting credits include "Heartburn," which she adapted from her own best-selling novel of infidelity and food; "Cookie" (co-written with Alice Arlen); and "My Blue Heaven."

Ephron began writing for movies after years as one of the country's best-known journalists. She started her career as a newspaper reporter for the New York Post and then became a magazine writer for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine and New York magazine, among others. Two collections of her essays, Crazy Salad and Scribble, Scribble, were best-sellers.

Producer LAUREN SHULER DONNER works in every genre of film, from romantic comedies and action-adventures to epic fantasies, thrillers, mysteries, children's tales, teen coming-of-age stories and intimate dramas. Her feature-film credits include the smash-hit comedy "Mr. Mom," starring Michael Keaton; the medieval adventure-romance "Ladyhawke," directed by Richard Donner and starring Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer; Joel Schumacher's "St. Elmo's Fire"; John Hughes' "Pretty in Pink"; the Martin Short comedy "Three Fugitives"; "The Favor," starring Elizabeth McGovern and Brad Pitt; and Richard Donner's "Radio Flyer."

In 1993, Shuler Donner produced two of the year's top 10 films: "Dave," Ivan Reitman's comedy starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver, which garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy Picture and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay; and the family hit "Free Willy," directed by Simon Wincer. Shuler Donner also produced "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home."

As head of the Warner Bros.-based Shuler Donner/Donner Productions, Shuler Donner has also executive-produced "Free Willy 3: The Rescue," "Assassins" and "Volcano."

Shuler Donner also produced the television movie "Amateur Night At the Dixie Bar & Grill." Directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Tanya Tucker and Dennis Quaid, the telefilm was hailed by The Washington Post as "one of the ten best films ever made for television."

She is currently producing, with Oliver Stone, Stone's next movie, tentatively titled "The League," and starring Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz and Dennis Quaid.

Co-writer and executive producer DELIA EPHRON and her sister Nora Ephron have become a formidable creative team in Hollywood. Delia Ephron has collaborated with Nora on the films "Michael," which she co-wrote and executive produced; "Sleepless in Seattle," on which she was associate producer; "This Is My Life,' on which she served as co-writer; and "Mixed Nuts," which she co-wrote and executive produced.

Delia Ephron's first foray into adult fiction, Hanging Up, published in 1995, quickly became a best seller and was met with rave reviews. The New York Times Book Review stated "Hanging Up is honest and deeply felt, and Ms. Ephron's comic timing is flawless." Diane Keaton is set to direct the movie version of Hanging Up, for which Ephron is currently writing the screenplay.

An accomplished journalist and writer outside of her Hollywood career, Delia Ephron has written two non-fiction best-sellers: How To Eat Like A Child and Teenage Romance or How To Die of Embarrassment. She is also the author of Funny Sauce and Do I Have to Say Hello? and has written two children's books: My Life (and Nobody Else's) and The Girl Who Changed the World. Among other publications, her journalistic pieces have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, New York magazine, Esquire and Ladies Home Journal.

JULIE DURK (Executive Producer) heads production and development at Shuler Donner/Donner. She began her career in the film business working for producer/director Roland Joffe, then joined Shuler Donner/Donner in 1990, where she began working in development. She went on to associate produce on "Assassins," "Conspiracy Theory" and "Free Willy 3: The Rescue."

G. MAC BROWN (Executive Producer) is a 20-year veteran of film production. He has co-produced or executive produced many noteworthy films, including Susan Seidelman's "Lives of a She-Devil," Lasse Hallstrom's "Once Around," Paul Schrader's "Light Sleeper" and Martin Brest's Academy Award-nominated "Scent of a Woman." His most recent productions include "Flesh and Bone," "With Honors," "The Cowboy Way" and "To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar," the last of which which marked his first solo producer credit.

Brown previously worked with Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron as co-producer of the Christmas hit "Michael" and also served as co-producer of the Frank Oz comedy "In and Out." He most recently completed co-producing Sidney Lumet's remake of "Gloria," starring Sharon Stone.

Brown began his career as a filmmaker; his short film "Larry" won the 1976 New England Film Festival and a Student Academy Award nomination.

JOHN LINDLEY (Director of Photography) is one of the film industry's most esteemed cinematographers, having photographed the highly acclaimed "Field of Dreams."

He has worked on five films with director Joseph Ruben: "Money Train," "The Good Son," "Sleeping With the Enemy," "True Believer" and "The Stepfather." Among Lindley's other credits are "Father of the Bride," "Home of the Brave," "The Serpent and the Rainbow" and "Sneakers."

Lindley previously worked with Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron on the Christmas hit "Michael." He most recently photographed "Pleasantville."

After completing his training at New York University Film School, Lindley began his career working in television. His credits include the series "Nurse" and the telefilms "Gentleman Bandit," "An Invasion of Privacy," "Badge of the Assassin," "Rockabye," "L.B.J.: The Early Years," and "Poor Little Rich Girl." Lindley also shot two of the documentaries in Peter Davis' acclaimed PBS series "Middletown Revisited" and filmed a number of rock videos, including the Talking Heads' "Road To Nowhere."

RICHARD MARKS (Editor) has a long and distinguished list of credits to his name, beginning with "Little Big Man" and "Serpico." He is a longtime collaborator with director James L. Brooks and received Academy Award nominations for his work on "Terms of Endearment," "Broadcast News" and "As Good As It Gets," serving as co-producer on the last-named film. In addition, he edited and served as associate producer on "I'll Do Anything."

Marks earned his first Academy Award nomination for "Apocalypse Now" and received nominations from the British Academy for "Dick Tracy" and "The Godfather, Part II." His other film credits include "Father of the Bride," "One Good Cop," "Say Anything," "Pretty in Pink," "St. Elmo's Fire," "Buckaroo Banzai," "Pennies From Heaven," "The Last Tycoon," "Lies My Father Told Me" and "Bang the Drum Slowly." More recently, Marks served as editor on "Assassins," "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead" and "'Til There Was You."

DAN DAVIS (Production Designer) worked in New York City as an architect before embarking on a career in the movie business. His first project as an art director was on the 1985 film "Follow That Bird." Other credits include "Moonstruck," "Cocktail," "Reversal of Fortune," "The Freshman," "Of Mice and Men," "Regarding Henry," "Searching For Bobby Fisher," "Nobody's Fool," "Beautiful Girls" and "A Thousand Acres." He served as production designer on Nora and Delia Ephron's "Michael," and most recently completed working on Ulu Grosbard's adaptation of "The Deep End of the Ocean."

GEORGE FENTON (Composer) has composed music for a wide variety of motion pictures, receiving Academy Award nominations for his work on "The Fisher King," "Dangerous Liaisons," "Cry Freedom" and "Gandhi."

His other film credits include "Mary Reilly," "Mixed Nuts," "The Madness of King George," "Ladybird, Ladybird," "Shadowlands," "Born Yesterday," "Groundhog Day," "Hero," "Final Analysis," "White Palace," "Memphis Belle," "We're No Angels," "A Handful of Dust," "High Spirits," "84 Charing Cross Road," "White of the Eye," "The Company of Wolves" and "The Object of My Affection." Most recently Fenton composed the music for "Dangerous Beauty," "The Woodlanders" and "Carla's Song."

ALBERT WOLSKY (Costume Designer) is a two-time Academy Award winner, for "All That Jazz," and "Bugsy." He also received nominations for his work on "Sophie's Choice," "The Journey of Natty Gann" and "Toys." The renowned designer's credits also include "The Jackal," "Striptease," "Junior," "Up Close and Personal," "The Grass Harp," "The Pelican Brief," "Enemies, A Love Story," "Down and Out In Beverly Hills," "The Turning Point," "Lenny," "Grease" and "Manhattan."

Back to "You've Got Mail"

Suggestions? Comments? Fill out our Feedback Form.