BROOKS, James L.

BROOKS, JAMES L. (Brooks, James L.) (p. 1940), North American film director, screenwriter, producer.

Born May 9, 1940 in North Bergen, New Jersey, USA. Created on television as the author of the idea and the producer of the popular series "Room 222" (1969), "Mary Tyler Moore Show" (1970) and "Taxi" (1978). In 1983, acting as a director, producer and screenwriter movie "Terms of Endearment," which became one of the most unexpected hits of 1980. The reason for success, perhaps in that epic biography of American families on American TV and in Hollywood filming a lot, but the films were either clans millionaires, or about the outstanding people. Simple philistine American epics are not removed. In an era of 'Reagan' film, when Hollywood turned to the common man and turned him into a hero, an optimist, to overcome all difficulties, the film Brooks fell in handy. Warm, though dull and overly sentimental story of a widow and her daughter, on their relations with men, their place and respect for life like the audience. According to the results rolled in 1983 movie "Terms of Endearment" won second place and received five major Oscar - for best fil (producer Brooks), Best Director, Actress (Shirley MacLaine), Adapted Screenplay (Brooks), Actor (Jack Nicholson). The film is full of witty situations in which sometimes fall heroes. In addition to the truly magnificent MacLaine and Nicholson (in the role of the inimitable former astronaut, ladies' man and a drunkard), are very well played by Danny DeVito, Debra Winger, John Lithgow, Jeff Daniels. Brooks makes his characters absolutely good people, they all have many defects.

Having personally three 'Oscars', Brooks only four years later produced a new film - a comedy "news program". This time, his heroes - the TV industry workers, two news anchors (William Hurt and Albert Brooks) and one female producer (Holly Hunter). Leading in love with the producer and fighting for her heart, not forgetting the work of. Brooks - master of dialogues, with love, warmth and humor of telling about the ordinary people. That success, as the "Terms of Endearment," the audience did not enjoy the film, but the industry took him to cheer - he won five awards Guild of Film Critics New York.

In 1989, makes perhaps its best creative solution to life - is producing an animated television series "The Simpsons" about his favorite characters - ordinary Americans. Features, merits and flaws of ordinary people in the states (yes, in fact, The Simpsons, each inhabitant of the planet can find something of their own) brought here grotesque. A rare and slow-witted oaf, . Officer Nuclear Power Plant Springfield town of Homer Simpson and his family members (each member of the family, . housewife Marj and children Bart, . Lisa and baby Maggie - all much smarter than his head) were favorite characters of millions of viewers around the world,
. It should be noted and a unique plan for the second series: there are a dozen good standing characters, . each in his own inimitable, . whether the millionaire owner of a nuclear power plant, Mr. Burns, . principal Skinner (in translation 'knacker'), . teacher Miss Krapapl, . store owner Apu and others,
. They all - the same lively and plausible (and perhaps more), as the heroes of Hollywood comedy films. "The Simpsons" - one of the most long-running serials in the history of television. In addition, Brooks became a producer and two kinohitov - comedies "Big" (1988, directed by Penny Marshall) and "War of the spouses Rose" (1989, directed by Danny De Vito), all on the same favorite of ordinary Americans. But if the "Big" - a kind and clever story with a great game of Tom Hanks, the "War of the spouses Rose" - a wicked satire on the foundations and rules of the American family, which was played brilliantly by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. Having decided to return to directing, Brooks takes musical "I'll do anything for you" (1994) with Nick Nolte in the lead role, but suffers a complete failure. Two years later produced the superhit "Jerry Maguire" (directed by Cameron Crowe) with Tom Cruise in the leading role, very similar to the movies, set by Brooks as director. Tired of the cynicism of its, . sports agent Jerry Maguire (Cruise in one of his best, . most emancipated roles) wrote an appeal to the employees of firm, . where he works, . about, . that work should be justly, . Guided primarily by moral principles,
. He was immediately fired. When asked Jerry to his former colleagues to go with him in a business responds only awkward secretary (a role that has proved popular actress Renee Zellweger), who lives alone with his son. Together they try to make a star American football player from the deranged (Oscar for supporting actress Cuba Gooding, Jr.). The result was an intelligent, kind and funny movie. Seeing how similar movies-producer Brooks in Brooks-directed films, we can assume that the impact it has on the directors chosen by the very large. He - producer, uses film directors to achieve their artistic, rather than commercial purposes.

In 1997, the director takes a classic Hollywood film: "The best". The main characters - three of them: the popular author of romantic stories Yewdall Melvin (Jack Nicholson) living in a nice apartment in a prestigious district of New York and goes to eat in the same cafц? in the same waitress (Helen Hunt). Waitress lives in a poor area of New York with her son. The third character - an artist, a homosexual, a neighbor of Melvin. The writer, being pathologically malicious person who hates almost everything and especially the artist and his dog. Only by the waitress he felt some strange sense, the reason for not able to explain himself. All changes case - the artist brutally beaten and writer have to take it to my dog. And then begins a frank wretch gradually transformed - pays for an expensive doctor for a son waitress, becomes the best friend the dog and decided to take the beaten artist to his parents. Masterfully drawn scenario Brooks - the basis for creating first-class actors' work (Nicholson played one of his best roles). The first half of the film, when Nicholson plays a totally evil character, observe him - either with the incomparable pleasure. Incomparable Greg Kinnear in the role of the artist. The real opening of the film - the actress Helen Hunt, previously known as the star of the television series "Without a mind of you". It is a clever man, honest and selfless, but lost hope of personal happiness and a very big surprise to understand that this happiness, perhaps, is the man who goes to her dinner. The film received two distinguished 'Oscars' - for men (Nicholson) and female (Hunt) role. Only seven years later, Brooks decided to re-sit in the director's chair. This time he makes the main heroine of the comedy "My do not understand your" simple immigrant women from Mexico with the child, . coming to Los Angeles and settle in the family housekeeper Americans (speaking in the unusual role of comedian Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni),
. In the normal communication and understanding each other a lot of noise - from racial prejudice to ignorance of the elementary language. But of course, all ends well. How it all ends well in the world created by director and producer James L. Brooks, in a world inhabited by ordinary people who dream of a better, a world where no evil and hatred.