Adrian Lyne
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Adrian Lyne (Director/Writer/Producer) is the creative force behind
some of the most talked-about movies of our time, among them, Fatal Attraction (1987), 9½ Weeks (1986) and Indecent Proposal (1993).
Born in Peterborough, England and raised in London, Lyne attended the
Highgate school, where his father was a teacher. In his twenties, he
played trumpet with the jazz group, The Colin Kellard Band. An avid
moviegoer during his school days, he was inspired to make his own films
by the work of French New Wave directors like Godard, Truffaut and
Chabrol. Two of his early short films, "The Table" and "Mr. Smith,"
were official entries in the London Film Festival.
Lyne made his feature filmmaking debut in 1980 with Foxes (1980), a
perceptive look at the friendship of four teenage girls growing up in
Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, starring Jodie Foster. His next
film, Flashdance (1983), an innovative blend of rock 'n' roll, new dance
styles, and breathtaking imagery, created a sensation in 1983. Lyne's
bravura visuals, perfectly wedded to Giorgio Moroder's powerful score,
propelled the story of an aspiring ballerina (Jennifer Beals), in her
film debut) who works in a factory by day and dances in a club at
night. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, with the theme
song, "What a Feeling", winning the Oscar for Best Song. In 1986, Lyne
attracted controversy with 9½ Weeks (1986); based on a novel by Elizabeth McNeill, the tale of a sexually-obsessive relationship starred Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. Although considered too explicit by its
American distributor, and cut for US release, it became a huge hit
abroad in its unedited version. Lyne's fourth film was the box-office
phenomenon Fatal Attraction (1987), which to date has generated over $600
million in revenues worldwide. The story of a happily-married lawyer
(Michael Douglas) who tries to break off an affair with an attractive
single woman (Glenn Close), only to have her become obsessed with him
and endanger his family, the film struck a powerful chord with
audiences and was one of the most successful films of the year. Deemed
"the Zeitgeist hit of the decade" by TIME Magazine, Fatal Attraction
won six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best
Director, Best Actress (Glenn Close), Best Supporting Actress (Anne Archer), Best Screenplay and Best Editing. In 1990, Lyne pushed the
boundaries of psychological terror with the thriller Jacob's Ladder (1990).
Written by Academy Award-winner Bruce Joel Rubin and starring
Tim Robbins, the film took audiences
on a tortuous ride through Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer's
nightmarish world of reality and unexplainable hallucinations to reveal
a shocking and intensely-debated conclusion. The film won Best Picture
at the Avoriaz Film Festival. With Indecent Proposal (1993), Lyne examined
how the sexes look at relationships and money. Starring Robert Redford,
Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore, Indecent Proposal became a worldwide
hit. His film, Lolita (1997), based on the modern classic novel by Vladimir Nabokov, was filmed for theatrical release, but American distributors shied away from it due to its controversial subject matter. The film
premiered on Showtime, and was so well-received that national
theatrical distribution soon followed. His next film Unfaithful (2002) was
loosely based on Claude Chabrol's The Unfaithful Wife (1969). The movie stars
Richard Gere and Diane Lane in a disturbing story of a marriage in
trouble. Lane received much praise for her performance. She won awards
for best actress from the National Society of Film Critics and New York
Film Critics, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award
for Best Actress.
When not working in the United States, Lyne lives with his family in a
rural village in Southern France.
some of the most talked-about movies of our time, among them, Fatal Attraction (1987), 9½ Weeks (1986) and Indecent Proposal (1993).
Born in Peterborough, England and raised in London, Lyne attended the
Highgate school, where his father was a teacher. In his twenties, he
played trumpet with the jazz group, The Colin Kellard Band. An avid
moviegoer during his school days, he was inspired to make his own films
by the work of French New Wave directors like Godard, Truffaut and
Chabrol. Two of his early short films, "The Table" and "Mr. Smith,"
were official entries in the London Film Festival.
Lyne made his feature filmmaking debut in 1980 with Foxes (1980), a
perceptive look at the friendship of four teenage girls growing up in
Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, starring Jodie Foster. His next
film, Flashdance (1983), an innovative blend of rock 'n' roll, new dance
styles, and breathtaking imagery, created a sensation in 1983. Lyne's
bravura visuals, perfectly wedded to Giorgio Moroder's powerful score,
propelled the story of an aspiring ballerina (Jennifer Beals), in her
film debut) who works in a factory by day and dances in a club at
night. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, with the theme
song, "What a Feeling", winning the Oscar for Best Song. In 1986, Lyne
attracted controversy with 9½ Weeks (1986); based on a novel by Elizabeth McNeill, the tale of a sexually-obsessive relationship starred Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. Although considered too explicit by its
American distributor, and cut for US release, it became a huge hit
abroad in its unedited version. Lyne's fourth film was the box-office
phenomenon Fatal Attraction (1987), which to date has generated over $600
million in revenues worldwide. The story of a happily-married lawyer
(Michael Douglas) who tries to break off an affair with an attractive
single woman (Glenn Close), only to have her become obsessed with him
and endanger his family, the film struck a powerful chord with
audiences and was one of the most successful films of the year. Deemed
"the Zeitgeist hit of the decade" by TIME Magazine, Fatal Attraction
won six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best
Director, Best Actress (Glenn Close), Best Supporting Actress (Anne Archer), Best Screenplay and Best Editing. In 1990, Lyne pushed the
boundaries of psychological terror with the thriller Jacob's Ladder (1990).
Written by Academy Award-winner Bruce Joel Rubin and starring
Tim Robbins, the film took audiences
on a tortuous ride through Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer's
nightmarish world of reality and unexplainable hallucinations to reveal
a shocking and intensely-debated conclusion. The film won Best Picture
at the Avoriaz Film Festival. With Indecent Proposal (1993), Lyne examined
how the sexes look at relationships and money. Starring Robert Redford,
Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore, Indecent Proposal became a worldwide
hit. His film, Lolita (1997), based on the modern classic novel by Vladimir Nabokov, was filmed for theatrical release, but American distributors shied away from it due to its controversial subject matter. The film
premiered on Showtime, and was so well-received that national
theatrical distribution soon followed. His next film Unfaithful (2002) was
loosely based on Claude Chabrol's The Unfaithful Wife (1969). The movie stars
Richard Gere and Diane Lane in a disturbing story of a marriage in
trouble. Lane received much praise for her performance. She won awards
for best actress from the National Society of Film Critics and New York
Film Critics, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award
for Best Actress.
When not working in the United States, Lyne lives with his family in a
rural village in Southern France.