Robert Benton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Robert Douglas Benton (1932-09-29)September 29, 1932 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | May 11, 2025(2025-05-11) (aged 92) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1967–2007 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Robert Douglas Benton (September 29, 1932 – May 11, 2025) was an American film director and screenwriter. He, along with his co-writerDavid Newman, was nominated for the Oscar forBest Original Screenplay for the 1967 filmBonnie and Clyde. In 1979, he wrote and directed the filmKramer vs. Kramer, winning theAcademy Awards forBest Director andBest Adapted Screenplay. He won another Oscar forBest Original Screenplay for the 1984 filmPlaces in the Heart.
Benton was born inDallas, Texas, to Dorothy (née Spaulding) and Ellery Douglass Benton, a telephone company employee. He grew up inWaxahachie, Texas,[1] and attended theUniversity of Texas, graduating in 1953 with abachelor of fine arts. Benton served two years in the army and then moved to New York City to pursue a master's degree in art history atColumbia University.[2] However, he dropped out after a semester and joined the staff atEsquire magazine.[2]
In 1959, he co-wrote the bookThe IN and OUT Book withHarvey Schmidt, published byViking Press. He was the art director atEsquire in the early 1960s.[3]
Benton won theAcademy Awards forBest Adapted Screenplay andBest Director forKramer vs. Kramer (1979) andBest Original Screenplay forPlaces in the Heart (1984).
Benton garnered three additional Oscar nominations: two for Best Original Screenplay forBonnie and Clyde (1967) andThe Late Show (1977), and one for Best Adapted Screenplay forNobody's Fool (1994).
He also directedTwilight (1998) andFeast of Love (2007), and co-wrote the screenplays forSuperman (1978) andThe Ice Harvest (2005).
In 2006, he appeared in the documentary filmWanderlust.
Benton was married to artist Sallie Rendig, with whom he had a son, from 1964 until her death in 2023.[4][5][6]
Benton died at his home inManhattan on May 11, 2025, at the age of 92.[7]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Bonnie and Clyde | No | Yes | No |
| 1970 | There Was a Crooked Man... | No | Yes | No |
| 1972 | What's Up, Doc? | No | Yes | No |
| Bad Company | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1977 | The Late Show | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1978 | Superman | No | Yes | No |
| 1979 | Kramer vs. Kramer | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1982 | Still of the Night | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1984 | Places in the Heart | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1987 | Nadine | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1988 | The House on Carroll Street | No | No | Yes |
| 1991 | Billy Bathgate | Yes | No | No |
| 1994 | Nobody's Fool | Yes | Yes | No |
| 1998 | Twilight | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2003 | The Human Stain | Yes | No | No |
| 2005 | The Ice Harvest | No | Yes | Yes |
| 2007 | Feast of Love | Yes | No | No |
Producer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman | Libretto; adaptation in television film (1975) |
| 1969 | Oh! Calcutta! | Contribution in libretto; adaptation in theatrical film (1972) |
Academy Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Best Original Screenplay | Bonnie and Clyde | Nominated |
| 1978 | The Late Show | Nominated | |
| 1980 | Best Director | Kramer vs. Kramer | Won |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Won | ||
| 1985 | Best Director | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
| Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| 1995 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nobody's Fool | Nominated |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Best Direction | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
Golden Globe Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Best Screenplay | Bonnie and Clyde | Nominated |
| 1980 | Best Director | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
| Best Screenplay | Won | ||
| 1985 | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
Directors Guild of America
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Outstanding Directing | Kramer vs. Kramer | Won |
| 1985 | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
Berlin International Film Festival
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Golden Bear | The Late Show | Nominated |
| 1985 | Silver Bear for Best Director[9] | Places in the Heart | Won |
Other awards
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Edgar Awards | Best Motion Picture Screenplay | The Late Show | Won |
| 1981 | César Awards | Best Foreign Film | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
| 1984 | Toronto International Film Festival | People's Choice Award | Won | |
| 2007 | Writers Guild of America | Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement[10] | Won | |
| Year | Picture | Academy Awards | BAFTAs | Golden Globes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | ||
| 1977 | The Late Show | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1979 | Kramer vs. Kramer | 9 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | |
| 1984 | Places in the Heart | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 1991 | Billy Bathgate | 1 | |||||
| 1994 | Nobody's Fool | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 5 | ||
Under Benton's directions, these actors have receivedOscar nominations (and wins) for their performances in their respective roles.
| Year | Performer | Feature | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actor | |||
| 1980 | Dustin Hoffman | Kramer vs. Kramer | Won |
| 1995 | Paul Newman | Nobody's Fool | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Actress | |||
| 1985 | Sally Field | Places in the Heart | Won |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |||
| 1980 | Justin Henry | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
| 1985 | John Malkovich | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||
| 1980 | Jane Alexander | Kramer vs. Kramer | Nominated |
| Meryl Streep | Won | ||
| 1985 | Lindsay Crouse | Places in the Heart | Nominated |
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