Modern Directors and Their Films Quiz

Answer: The Turning Point

"The Turning Point" was directed Herbert Ross, and was the film debut of acclaimed ballet dancer Mikail Baryshnikov, earning him an Oscar nomination. The 1977 film starred Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine as two former dancers who ended up on different paths in life, then become reunited.

It shares a connection with a Steven Spielberg film, 1985's "The Color Purple". Both films share the record for earning the most Oscar nominations ever (eleven) without winning a single award.

Answer: Ghost

Best Picture nominee "Ghost" was directed by Jerry Zucker. He frequently collaborates with his brother David Zucker and fellow filmamker Jim Abrahams ("Hot Shots") on wacky comedies like "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun".

Answer: Home for the Holidays

"Home for the Holidays" was directed by Jodie Foster. It was the follow up to her 1991 directorial debut, "Little Man Tate".

Answer: Sense and Sensibility

Although it does look like a Merchant-Ivory film, Taiwan-born Ang Lee directed "Sense and Sensibility". The film was produced by American born Lindsay Doran. Though neither she nor Ang Lee won Oscars, star Emma Thompson took home a statuette for adapting the screenplay from Jane Austen's novel. Ang Lee later became a wordwide sensation with his 2000 film, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

Answer: Little Women

The 1994 version of "Little Women" was directed by Australian Gillian Armstrong, best known for her 1979 film, "My Brilliant Career", which launched the careers of Judy Davis and Sam Neill.

Answer: Before Night Falls

"Before Night Falls" is based on the memoir of Cuban poet Reynaldo Arenas, but it is an American film. It was directed by New York artist Julian Schnabel, whose first feature was 1996's "Basquiat", about New York graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Schnabel still reamains active as both an artist and a filmmaker.

Answer: L.A. Story

Steve Martin wrote the wonderfully witty screenplay for "L.A. Story", but he left the directing to Mick Jackson, a British director whose next film was "The Bodyguard", a hit at the box office but despised by critics. His next films, "Clean Slate" and "Volcano" impressed neither critics nor audiences, but he redeemed himself in 1999 with the highly rated TV-movie version of "Tuesdays with Morrie".

Answer: The Heartbreak Kid

"The Heartbreak Kid" was directed by Nichols' former comedy partner from his performing days, Elaine May. Together they were pioneers in improvisational comedy, but they became estranged for quite some time when they went their separate ways. The estrangement ended when he directed her adapted screenplay for "The Birdcage" in 1996.

Answer: Thelma & Louise

"Thelma & Louise" was directed by Ridley Scott. Originally, screenwriter Callie Khouri was slated to direct the film, but pre-production took longer than expected, so Scott and fellow producer Mimi Polk decided it would be better if he directed it himself. Scott's other films include "Alien", "Blade Runner", "G.I. Jane", and "Black Hawk Down".

Jonathan Demme is known for his stellar work with material that seems to be unfilmable. Producer Oprah Winfrey was turned down by many directors (including Jodie Foster) before Demme agreed to film Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "Beloved". He also made Thomas Harris's, "The Silence of the Lambs" the scariest film to ever win the Oscar for Best Picture.

Answer: The Sweet Hereafter

"The Sweet Hereafter" is a Canadian film directed by Egyptian-born Armenian-Canadian (got that?) Atom Egoyan. He received an Oscar nomination for this film, but that year the award went to James Cameron for directing "Titanic". Thanks for playing!