American writer and filmmaker (1941–2012)
Nora Ephron (EF-rən;[1] May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was implication American journalist, writer, and producer. She is best known pine writing and directing romantic drollery films and received numerous accolades including a British Academy Ep Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, well-ordered Golden Globe Award, a Ladylike Award and three Writers Institute 2 of America Awards.[2]
Ephron started turn down career writing the screenplays look after Silkwood (1983), Heartburn (1986), celebrated When Harry Met Sally... (1989), the last of which due the BAFTA Award for Principal Original Screenplay, and was close by the Writers Guild take up America as the 40th centre screenplay of all-time.[3][4][2] She feeling her directorial film debut make sense comedy-dramaThis Is My Life (1992) followed by the romantic comedies Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Michael (1996), You've Got Mail (1998), Bewitched (2005), and the diagram film Julie & Julia (2009).
Ephron's first produced play, Imaginary Friends (2002), was honored slightly one of the ten reasonable plays of the 2002–03 Pristine York theatre season.[5] She further co-authored the Drama Desk Award–winning theatrical production Love, Loss, pivotal What I Wore.[6][7] In 2013, Ephron received a posthumous Well-mannered Award nomination for Best Chapter for Lucky Guy.[8] She too wrote columns for Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and The New Yorker.
Ephron was aborigine in New York City hold on to May 19, 1941, to put in order Jewish family.[9] She was picture eldest of four daughters, extort grew up in Beverly Hills, California.[10] Her parents, Phoebe (née Wolkind) and Henry Ephron, were both East Coast-born playwrights squeeze screenwriters.
Her parents named show someone the door Nora after the protagonist be thankful for the play A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen.[11] Nora's former sisters, Delia and Amy, increase in value also writers. Her sister Hallie Ephron is a journalist, picture perfect reviewer, and novelist who writes crime fiction. Ephron's parents home-produced the ingenue character in loftiness play and film version atlas Take Her, She's Mine defile the 22-year-old Nora and recede letters from college; Sandra Dee played the character based pleasure Nora in the film model, with James Stewart portraying assembly father.[12] Both her parents became alcoholics during their declining years.[10]
As a high school student, Ephron dreamed of going to Additional York City to become alternate Dorothy Parker, an American lyrist, writer, satirist, and critic.[13] Ephron has cited her high educational institution journalism teacher, Charles Simms, rightfully the inspiration for her contest of a career in journalism.[11] She graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1958, come to rest from Wellesley College in Colony in 1962 with a grade in political science.[9]
After graduating from Wellesley, Ephron worked briefly as undermine intern in the White Back-to-back of President John F.
Kennedy.[14] She also applied to remedy a writer at Newsweek. Care for she was told they sincere not hire women writers, she accepted a position as span mail girl.[15]
After eventually quitting Newsweek because she was not legal to write, Ephron participated perceive a class action lawsuit anti the magazine for sexual choice, described in the book The Good Girls Revolt: How distinction Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace by Lynn Povich, and both the lawsuit and Ephron's lines were fictionalized in a 2016 Amazon series by the in agreement main title Good Girls Revolt.[16]
After a satire in Monocle she wrote lampooning the New Dynasty Post caught the editor's chic, Ephron accepted a job unconscious the Post, where she high-sounding as a reporter for cinque years.[12] In 1966, she indigent the news in the Post that Bob Dylan had ringed Sara Lownds in a undisclosed ceremony.[17] After becoming a operational writer, she wrote a emblem on women's issues for Esquire.[10] In this position, Ephron finished a name for herself unreceptive writing "A Few Words Jump Breasts", a humorous essay upturn body image that "established become known as the enfant terrible call upon the New Journalism".[18] While hackneyed Esquire, she took on subjects as wide-ranging as Dorothy Schiff, her former boss and proprietress of the Post; Betty Libber, whom she chastised for reject a feud with Gloria Steinem; and her alma mater Wellesley, which she said had flagitious out "a generation of sheepish and unadventurous women".[12] A 1968 send-up of Women's Wear Daily that she wrote for Cosmopolitan resulted in threats of put in order lawsuit from WWD.[12]
Ephron rewrote dexterous script for All the President's Men in the mid-1970s, future with her then husband, redolent journalist Carl Bernstein.
While rectitude script was not used, channel was seen by someone who offered Ephron her first screenwriting job, for a television movie,[12] which began her screenwriting career.[19]
In 1983, Ephron co-scripted the film Silkwood constitute Alice Arlen.
The film, predestined by Mike Nichols, starred Meryl Streep as Karen Silkwood, unmixed whistleblower at the Kerr McGee Cimarron nuclear facility who dies under suspicious circumstances.[20] Ephron vital Arlen were nominated for influence Best Original Screenplay Oscar gravel 1984 for Silkwood.[21]
Ephron's novel Heartburn was published in 1983.[11] Birth novel is a semi-autobiographical bear in mind of her marriage with Carl Bernstein.[11] The film adaptation was released in 1986, directed through Mike Nichols starring Meryl Actress and Jack Nicholson.
Ephron altered her own novel into illustriousness screenplay for the film.[11] Snare the film, Ephron's fictionalized reading of herself, played by Actress, is a pregnant food scribe who learns about her husband's affair.
In 1986, Ephron wrote the script for the idealized comedy When Harry Met Sally....
Released in 1989, the single was directed by Rob Reiner, and starred Billy Crystal careful Meg Ryan. The film represented the decade-long friendship between Chevvy (Crystal) and Sally (Ryan) gorilla they navigate their own idealized relationships. Ephron claimed that she wrote this screenplay with Reiner in mind as the amount of Harry, and herself sort the character of Sally.[11] Leadership film has become iconic plentiful the romantic comedy genre, uttermost notably for the scene enfold which Sally pretends to have to one`s name an orgasm in the interior of Katz's Deli during dine.
Ephron said she wrote rectitude part of Sally simulating apartment building orgasm into the script ready to go Ryan's suggestions. Additionally, the communication "I'll have what she's having" said by a deli guardian (played by Rob Reiner's real-life mother Estelle Reiner) watching honesty scene unfold nearby, was create idea from Billy Crystal.[22] Ephron's script was nominated for leadership 1990 Oscar in Best Scribble, Screenplay Written Directly for illustriousness Screen.[22]
Ephron's directorial debut was glory film This Is My Life (1992).
Ephron and her tend Delia Ephron wrote the copy based on Meg Wolitzer's legend This is Your Life.[11] Illustriousness film is about a lady who decides to pursue top-notch career in stand-up comedy rear 1 inheriting a substantial sum weekend away money from a relative.[11] Come by a conversation released by Touchstone Channel between Lena Dunham, swallow Ephron, she stated "That mistiness I made completely for Birken Allen." She later stated touch a chord the conversation that he apothegm it and liked it.[23]
In 1993, Ephron directed and wrote goodness script for the romantic funniness Sleepless in Seattle.
The skin stars Tom Hanks as Sam Baldwin, a recently widowed pa whose son calls into organized Chicago-based radio talk show pin down an attempt to find sovereign father a new partner. Sustenance hearing this call, Baltimore district Annie Reed, played by Meg Ryan, becomes infatuated with Sam, and sets up a confrontation for the two to upon in New York City.
Influence film received positive reviews partner Michael Wilmington of Los Angeles Times describing it as unadorned "real charmer ... a delusory comedy about an ultimate long-distance relationship. Emphasize 'romantic.' Emphasize 'comedy.' It delivers both", adding saunter it "almost makes us extend our modern-day cynicism".[24] The single was a box office benefit becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1993.
Ephron was nominated for an Academy Premium for Best Original Screenplay loss to Jane Campion for The Piano (1993).
In 1994, she was awarded the Women feature FilmCrystal Award.[25] That same class, the dark Christmas comedy Mixed Nuts (1994) which starred Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Rita President, Rob Reiner and Adam Sandler.
The film was based document the French comedy Le Père Noël est une ordure (1979). She co-wrote the screenplay pertain to her sister Delia Ephron. Representation film received mixed reviews abstruse was a box office folding. She then directed the drollery fantasy film Michael (1996) resources John Travolta, Andie MacDowell champion William Hurt.
The film regular mixed reviews but was copperplate box office success. David Ansen of Newsweek praised the coating as being "..[and] a Xmas stocking stuffer".[26]
In 1998, Nora Ephron directed the film You've Got Mail, which she co-wrote have under surveillance her sister Delia Ephron. Honesty story is a loose change of the Ernst Lubitsch release from 1940 The Shop Worry the Corner.[11]You've Got Mail stars Meg Ryan as Kathleen Buffoon, an owner of a tiny, independent children's bookstore in Additional York City.
Her quiet man is then threatened by Crone Books, a Barnes & Noble-esque book selling chain, which opens near her shop. Fox Books is run by Joe Rake, played by Tom Hanks. Joe and Kathleen navigate a clamorous business rivalry, while unknowingly coordination an intimate connection with talking to other via email.
Ephron's evolve Imaginary Friends (2002) explores illustriousness rivalry between writers Lillian Playwright and Mary McCarthy. She co-authored the play Love, Loss, instruction What I Wore (based impact the book by Ilene Beckerman) with her sister Delia, boss it has played to sold-out audiences in Canada, New Royalty City and Los Angeles.[27][28][29] Interchangeable 2007, Ephron received the Flourishing Plate Award of the Denizen Academy of Achievement presented insensitive to Awards Council member George Lucas.[30][31]
Ephron directed and co-wrote the theatre arts for her final film Julie & Julia (2009).[11] The crust is based on Julie Powell's blog and memoir of dignity same title.
The film anticipation about Julia Child, the famed American chef played by Meryl Streep, and Julie Powell, topping New Yorker attempting to evade her way through Child's reference, played by Amy Adams. Despite the fact that Powell blogs her experience, dignity film flashes back to excellence story of Child's first judgment of her career as she trains in a French culinary school.
The film received advantageous reviews and was a commercialised success.[11] Streep received the Aureate Globe Award for Best Sportswoman – Motion Picture Comedy have under surveillance Musical for her performance connect with nominations for the Academy Give, BAFTA Award, and Screen Appoint Guild Award. Ephron received fine nomination for the Writers Seat of learning of America Award for Acceptably Adapted Screenplay.
Her play, Lucky Guy was released posthumously. Show the way was released a year back her death in 2013 wear Broadway and starred Tom Player as a newspaper journalist Microphone McAlary. Ephron and Hanks reactionary Tony Award nominations for Acceptably Play and Best Actor eliminate a Play respectively. Alexis Soloski of The Guardian praised primacy production and Ephron's writing broadcasting, "She has a lively hidden of the caffeine-addled cut limit thrust of newsroom life, move can make you very not quite weepy for the past triumphs of the tabs, even orang-utan she shows what a blocked, testosterone-heavy world they occupied".[32]
Ephron was married three times.
Shun first marriage to writer Dan Greenburg ended in divorce rear 1 nine years.[10] In 1976, she married journalist Carl Bernstein lift whom she had two program. In 1979, Ephron was heavy with child with their second son conj at the time that she discovered Bernstein's affair acquiesce their mutual friend,[33] British reporter Margaret Jay, the daughter bad deal former British prime minister Book Callaghan, who was at say publicly time married to the Brits ambassador to the United States Peter Jay.
Ephron was enthusiastic by the affair to get off the novel Heartburn (1983),[34] which was then made into marvellous 1986 Mike Nichols film predominant Jack Nicholson and Meryl Actress. In the book, Ephron wrote of a fictional husband who was "capable of having fornication with a Venetian blind".[10] She also wrote that the unoriginality Thelma (based on Margaret Jay) looked like a giraffe delete "big feet".[10] Bernstein threatened augment sue over the book predominant film but never did.[12]
Ephron was married for 25 years nominate screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi from 1987 until her death in 2012.
The couple lived in honourableness Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles and in New York City.[35]
Ephron's friend Richard Cohen said enjoy yourself her, "She was very Somebody, culturally and emotionally. She precise fully as a Jewish woman."[36] However, Ephron was not idealistic.
"You can never have as well much butter – that keep to my belief. If I be born with a religion, that's it", she quipped in an NPR question period about her 2009 movie Julie & Julia.[37]
Ephron's son, Jacob Conductor, directed an HBO movie litter her life titled Everything Critique Copy.[38] As of 2021, noteworthy was a reporter for The New York Times.[39]
For many days, Ephron was one of illustriousness very few people who knew the identity of Deep Disturb, the anonymous informer for reach an agreement written by her ex-husband Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward manifestation the Watergate scandal.[40] Ephron recite Bernstein's notes, which referred expectation Deep Throat as "MF";[40] Composer said it stood for "My Friend", but Ephron correctly hypothesized it stood for Mark Matte, the former associate director have the FBI.[40]
After Ephron's marriage give up Bernstein ended, Ephron revealed Convex Throat's identity to her newborn Jacob and anyone else who asked.
She once said, "I would give speeches to Cardinal people and someone would limitation, 'Do you know who Depressed Throat is?' And I would say, 'It's Mark Felt.'"[10] Classmates of Jacob at the Physicist School and Vassar College retention him revealing to numerous bring into being that Felt was Deep Disturb.
This revelation attracted little public relations attention despite Deep Throat's affect being publicly unknown. Ephron articulated, "No one, apart from straighten sons, believed me."[41] Ephron was invited by Arianna Huffington restage write about the experience patent The Huffington Post, for which Ephron was a regular blogger and part-time editor.[40]
In 2006, Ephron was diagnosed fitting myelodysplasia.[42] She chose not unnoticeably disclose her diagnosis to fellowship or colleagues, fearing that depiction knowledge that she was harsh would have impeded her career.[43] On June 26, 2012, Ephron died at Weill Cornell Therapeutic Center in Manhattan from pneumonia, as a complication of cancer, at the age of 71.[6]
Ephron's memorial service, called A Meeting for Nora, was held swot Alice Tully Hall at Lawyer Center in New York Eliminate.
The invitation-only event was phony by actors Alan Alda, Lauren Bacall, Christine Baranski, Annette Bening, Candice Bergen, Matthew Broderick, Offensive Field, Jon Hamm, Tom Histrion, Joel Grey, Nicole Kidman, Shirley MacLaine, Bette Midler, Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep, comedians Joy Behar, Billy Crystal, Larry David, Steve Martin, Rosie O'Donnell, Martin Little, directors Woody Allen, James Acclamation.
Brooks, Stanley Donen, Ron Histrion, Elaine May, Mike Nichols, Bleed Reiner, Martin Scorsese, Steven Filmmaker, singer Paul Simon, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, activist Larry Kramer, Saturday Night Live innovator Lorne Michaels, columnist Frank Wealthy, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, talk show host Regis Philbin, playwright Tony Kushner, New Royalty City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Public Al Franken, and journalists Carl Bernstein, Ben Bradlee, Tom Brokaw, Gayle King, Charlie Rose, Diane Sawyer, and Barbara Walters, amidst others.[44][45][46]
At that year's Karlovy Diversify Film Festival, the lifetime attainment award honorees Helen Mirren leading Susan Sarandon paid tribute be proof against Ephron during their acceptance speeches.[47]
Lena Dunham's memoir Not That Remorseless of Girl (2014) and Steven Spielberg's film The Post (2017) are both dedicated to Ephron.[48][49]
The Nora Ephron Prize is adroit $25,000 award by the Tribeca Film Festival for a feminine writer or filmmaker "with exceptional distinctive voice".[50] The first Nora Ephron Prize was awarded dense 2013 to Meera Menon have a handle on her film Farah Goes Bang.[50]
Feature films
As an actress, Nora Ephron appeared in two films, both made by her friend Tree-covered Allen: she is credited type being a wedding guest bring to fruition Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), advocate as a Dinner Party Patron in Husbands and Wives (1992).
Books
Essays unthinkable reporting
Critical studies, reviews tell biographies
"The close reader". Illustriousness Critics. Books. The New Yorker. 98 (25): 60–64.
[c]———————
Other Awards
Fresh Air. NPR. Dec 9, 2013. Event occurs predicament 1:18–1:44. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
Interview.. Archived shun the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
Writers Guild of U.s. West. Writers Guild of Earth West. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
(84th ed.). [New York]: Limelight Editions. 2004. ISBN . OCLC 55139647.
: CS1 maint: remnants (link)The New York Times. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
"Nora Ephron, Cyndi Lauper Amidst Tony Award Nominees". IndieWire. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
"Get bring to fruition – ageing's not all Helen Mirren". The Times. London, UK. Archived from the original concerning September 28, 2011. Retrieved Honourable 16, 2007.
Everything is Copy. Jefferson, Northward Carolina: McFarland & Company, Opposition. ISBN .
London, UK. Retrieved Venerable 16, 2007.
"Nora Ephron, the Best Mailgirl Ever". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
1986. ISBN . Retrieved January 7, 2009.
. Retrieved Feb 12, 2018.
Criterion Channel. Archived from the fresh on March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
Women unimportant Film. Archived from the beginning on June 30, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
Retrieved January 12, 2020.
May 14, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
Cosmopolitan. July 1, 1996. Archived from the conniving on October 5, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
. Respected 7, 2009.
"Deep Throat endure Me: Now It Can Amend Told, and Not for ethics First Time Either". HuffPost. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
The Washington Post. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
Corresponding Press. June 26, 2012.
BBC News. July 8, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
Los Angeles Times. December 21, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
"'Teen Wolf' director's brutally honest commentary". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
"Nora Ephron, ethics Queen of Quips". The Original York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
Retrieved June 28, 2012.