Lisa Cholodenko

2025-04-11T15:17:05Z

64.72.69.66:

{{Short description|American screenwriter and director}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lisa Cholodenko
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| education = [[San Francisco State University]] [[Columbia University]]
| occupation = Filmmaker, screenwriter
| years_active = 1994–present
| notable_works = ''[[High Art]]'' ''[[Laurel Canyon (film)|Laurel Canyon]]'' ''[[The Kids Are All Right (film)|The Kids Are All Right]]'' ''[[Olive Kitteridge (miniseries)|Olive Kitteridge]]'' ''[[Unbelievable (miniseries)|Unbelievable]]''
| partner =
| children = 1
}}
'''Lisa Cholodenko''' is an American screenwriter and director. Cholodenko wrote and directed the films ''[[High Art]]'' (1998), ''[[Laurel Canyon (film)|Laurel Canyon]]'' (2002), and ''[[The Kids Are All Right (film)|The Kids Are All Right]]'' (2010).<ref name=NYTimes-Flipping-2014>{{cite news|last1=Tabach-Bank|first1=Lauren|title=Flipping the Script: Lisa Cholodenko|url=https://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/13/female-directors-hollywood-sam-taylor-johnson-jennifer-yuh-nelson-ava-duvernay-sarah-polley-lisa-cholodenko/#Cholodenko|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 13, 2014|access-date=February 21, 2020|archive-date=April 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403001201/http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/13/female-directors-hollywood-sam-taylor-johnson-jennifer-yuh-nelson-ava-duvernay-sarah-polley-lisa-cholodenko/#Cholodenko|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=NYTimes-FilmInfluences-2014>{{cite news|last1=Olozia|first1=Jeff|title=Sam Taylor-Johnson, Lisa Cholodenko, Sarah Polley and Other Female Directors on the Movies That Influenced Them|url=https://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/13/sam-taylor-johnson-lisa-cholodenko-sarah-polley-and-other-female-directors-on-the-movies-that-influenced-them/#Cholodenko|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 13, 2014|access-date=February 21, 2020|archive-date=August 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820135216/http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/13/sam-taylor-johnson-lisa-cholodenko-sarah-polley-and-other-female-directors-on-the-movies-that-influenced-them/#Cholodenko|url-status=dead}}</ref> She has also directed television, including the miniseries ''[[Olive Kitteridge (miniseries)|Olive Kitteridge]]'' (2014) and ''[[Unbelievable (miniseries)|Unbelievable]]'' (2019).<ref name=Atlantic-Unbelievable-2019>{{cite news|last1=Li|first1=Shirley|title=Netflix's Unbelievable Is a Different Sort of Drama About Sexual Assault|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/09/netflixs-unbelievable-different-sort-rape-drama/597946/|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=September 13, 2019}}</ref> She has been nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] and a [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]] and has won an [[Emmy Awards|Emmy]] and a [[Directors Guild of America Award|DGA Award]].

==Early life and education==
Cholodenko is from the San Fernando Valley, and grew up in a liberal [[Jewish]] family.<ref name=FreshAir-Kids-2010>{{Cite web | last = Gross | first = Terry | title = Director Lisa Cholodenko On Conceiving 'The Kids' | work = [[Fresh Air]] | publisher = [[NPR]] | date = July 8, 2010 | url = https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128106766 | access-date = September 17, 2010}}</ref><ref name=JewishJournal-Madoff-2009>{{cite news|last1=Greenberg|first1=Brad A.|title=State Senate Hearing on Madoff Losses |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/community_briefs/article/anti-semitic_incidents_drop_nationally_climb_21_percent_in_california_20090|access-date=September 3, 2014|work=[[Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles|Jewish Journal]]|date=June 3, 2009}}</ref> Her paternal grandfather emigrated from [[USSR]].<ref name=UkrainianWkly-1998 >{{cite press release |url=http://www.ukrweekly.com/old/archive/1998/379820.shtml |title=Dateline New York: New Yorkers bring culture to Catskills by Helen Smindak |work=[[The Ukrainian Weekly]] |date=September 13, 1998 |access-date=August 1, 2010 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054104/http://www.ukrweekly.com/old/archive/1998/379820.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=November 2024}}

Cholodenko received a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in anthropology and ethnic studies from [[San Francisco State University]], where she was a teaching assistant for [[Angela Davis]]. In the early 1990s, she was an apprentice editor on [[John Singleton]]'s ''[[Boyz n the Hood]]''.<ref name="FreshAir-Kids-2010" /> She also worked as an assistant editor on [[Beeban Kidron]]'s ''[[Used People]],'' [[Brett Leonard]]'s ''[[The Lawnmower Man (film)|The Lawnmower Man]],'' and [[Gus Van Sant]]'s ''[[To Die For]].'' In 1997, Cholodenko received an [[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]] from [[Columbia University School of the Arts]] in screenwriting and directing.<ref name="Columbia-Bio">{{cite web|title=Lisa Cholodenko|url=http://arts.columbia.edu/film/lisa-cholodenko|work=Columbia University School of the Arts: Film|access-date=October 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211151415/http://arts.columbia.edu/film/lisa-cholodenko|archive-date=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="THR-Dir-Round-2010">{{cite news|last=Simpson|first=David|title=Awards Watch Roundtable: The Directors (full video)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/video-awards-watch-roundtable-directors-full-video-61705|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=December 20, 2010|format=video interview}}</ref> While at Columbia, Cholodenko wrote and directed a number of short films, including ''Souvenir'' (1994) and ''Dinner Party'' (1997), which won the [[British Film Institute]]'s Channel 4 TX prize and aired on UK, French, and Swiss television.<ref name="TKAA-Focus">{{cite web|title=Cast & Crew: Lisa Cholodenko, Director/Screenplay|url=http://www.focusfeatures.com/the_kids_are_all_right/castncrew?member=lisa_cholodenko|access-date=October 29, 2013|work=The Kids Are Alright|publisher=[[Focus Features]]}}</ref>

==Career==
===Film===
While at Columbia, Cholodenko wrote and directed her feature film debut ''[[High Art]]''. ''High Art'' won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] as well as the National Society of Film Critics award for [[Ally Sheedy]]'s performance. ''High Art'' premiered at Cannes [[Director's Fortnight]] and was distributed by October Films.{{Cn|date=June 2024}}

Her next film ''[[Laurel Canyon (film)|Laurel Canyon]],'' starring [[Frances McDormand]], [[Christian Bale]], and [[Kate Beckinsale]], premiered at Cannes Director's Fortnight. It was nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards and was distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.

Cholodenko directed the 2004 film ''[[Cavedweller (film)|Cavedweller]]'' for [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]; it earned [[Independent Spirit Award]] nominations for cast members [[Kyra Sedgwick]] and [[Aidan Quinn]].{{Cn|date=June 2024}}

Cholodenko next co-wrote and directed ''[[The Kids Are All Right (film)|The Kids Are All Right]].'' She was nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for Best Original Screenplay. The film was nominated for another 3 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won a [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]] for Best Picture, Comedy or Musical. Filmed in 23 days, Cholodenko directed the film on a $3.5 million budget, a much smaller amount than her fellow 2011 Oscar nominees. The film was made with three different sources of equity financing, with [[Focus Features]] picking up the film for distribution.<ref name="THR-Dir-Round-2010" /><ref name="Combustible">{{cite web|last=Anderson|first=Jeffrey M.|title=Interview: Lisa Cholodenko: Feelin' All Right|url=http://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/interviews/lisac.shtml|work=Combustible Celluloid|access-date=October 29, 2013}}</ref>

===Television===
In 2014, Cholodenko directed the [[HBO]] four-part mini-series ''[[Olive Kitteridge (miniseries)|Olive Kitteridge]]'' starring [[Frances McDormand]] and [[Richard Jenkins]]. ''Olive Kitteridge'' is based on the [[Olive Kitteridge|novel of the same name]] by [[Elizabeth Strout]].<ref name="Indiewire-Kitteridge-2013">{{cite web|last=Guidry|first=Ken|title=Lisa Cholodenko To Direct HBO Miniseries 'Olive Kitteridge' Starring Frances McDormand & Richard Jenkins|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/lisa-cholodenko-to-direct-hbo-miniseries-olive-kitteridge-starring-frances-mcdormand-richard-jenkins-20130502|work=[[Indiewire]]|access-date=October 29, 2013|date=May 2, 2013|archive-date=May 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521005534/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/lisa-cholodenko-to-direct-hbo-miniseries-olive-kitteridge-starring-frances-mcdormand-richard-jenkins-20130502|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Bill Murray]], [[Jesse Plemons]], [[Zoe Kazan]], and [[John Gallagher Jr.]] co-starred.<ref name="Vulture-PlemonsKazan-2013">{{cite web|last=Dionne|first=Zach|title=HBO's Olive Kitteridge Adds Jesse Plemons|url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/08/hbo-olive-kitteridge-jesse-plemons.html|magazine=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|access-date=October 29, 2013|date=August 15, 2013}}</ref> ''[[Olive Kitteridge (miniseries)|Olive Kitteridge]]'' premiered at the 2014 [[Venice Film Festival]] to overwhelmingly positive reviews.<ref name="HitFix-Olive-2014">{{cite news|last1=Bray|first1=Catherine|title=Review: Frances McDormand's new mini-series 'Olive Kitteridge' is a perfect storm of talent|url=http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/review-frances-mcdormand-new-mini-series-olive-kitteridge-is-a-perfect-storm-of-talent|access-date=September 3, 2014|work=[[HitFix]]|date=September 2, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Indiewire-Olive-2014">{{cite news|last1=Christie|first1=Tom|title=Lisa Cholodenko & Frances McDormand's 'Olive Kitteridge' Impresses in Venice|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/lisa-cholodenko-frances-mcdormands-olive-kitteridge-impresses-in-venice-20140901|access-date=September 3, 2014|work=[[Indiewire]]|date=September 1, 2014|archive-date=September 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140902233908/http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/lisa-cholodenko-frances-mcdormands-olive-kitteridge-impresses-in-venice-20140901|url-status=dead}}</ref> The show received widespread critical acclaim when it premiered on television in November. It received three [[Golden Globe]] nominations, and Cholodenko received a [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Television Film|Directors Guild Award]] and a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special|Outstanding Directing]] for her work on the miniseries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/02/directors-guild-award-winners-2015-dga-winner-list-dga-awards-1201368698/|title=Directors Guild Award Winners 2015|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=February 7, 2015|access-date=September 21, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/20/entertainment/emmy-awards-2015-winners-list-feat/|title=Emmy Awards 2015: The complete winners list|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=September 21, 2015|access-date=September 21, 2015}}</ref>

In 2018, Cholodenko was an executive producer and directed the first three episodes of Netflix's limited series ''[[Unbelievable (miniseries)|Unbelievable]].'' Based on the 2015 news article "[[An Unbelievable Story of Rape]]" written by Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, the show received universal acclaim when it premiered in October 2019. It received three [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]] nominations, three [[Emmy Awards|Emmy]] nominations, and won the [[Peabody Award]].{{Cn|date=June 2024}}

Cholodenko has also directed episodes of ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]'', ''[[Six Feet Under (TV series)|Six Feet Under]]'', ''[[The L Word]]'', ''[[Hung (TV series)|Hung]], and [[Here and Now (2018 TV series)|Here and Now]].'' Cholodenko was an executive producer, and directed the first episode, of the 2015 eight-part [[NBC]] miniseries ''[[The Slap (U.S. miniseries)|The Slap]]'', which was based on the Australian [[The Slap (Australian TV series)|miniseries of the same name]].<ref name=Deadline-Slap-2014>{{cite news|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|title=The Slap|url=https://deadline.com/2014/05/lisa-cholodenko-to-direct-nbc-miniseries-the-slap-733382/|access-date=September 3, 2014|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 19, 2014}}</ref>

Cholodenko directed and executive produced the first two episodes of the [[Hulu]] series ''[[The Girl from Plainville]]'', starring [[Elle Fanning]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arts.columbia.edu/news/alumna-lisa-cholodenko-97-directs-new-hulu-series-girl-plainville| title=Alumna Lisa Cholodenko '97 Directs for New Hulu Series, 'The Girl From Plainville'|publisher= Columbia University School of the Arts|accessdate=25 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://graziamagazine.com/articles/girl-from-plainville-review/| title=The Girl From Plainville' Is Disturbing. It's Also Eye-Opening. Beyond true crime, this is a story about fantasy gone too far|publisher= Grazia|accessdate=25 March 2025}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Cholodenko has a son with musician [[Wendy Melvoin]].<ref name=WMag-FamilyIssue-2010>{{cite magazine|last1=Hirschberg|first1=Lynn|title=The Family Issue|url=http://www.wmagazine.com/people/celebrities/2010/12/family_issue_portfolio_ss-2/photos/slide/12|magazine=[[W (magazine)|W]]|date=December 1, 2010|access-date=September 3, 2014|archive-date=June 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620104810/http://www.wmagazine.com/people/celebrities/2010/12/family_issue_portfolio_ss-2/photos/slide/12|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="FilmJournal-Kids-2010">{{cite news|last1=Toumarkine|first1=Doris|date=June 28, 2010|title=Family dynamic: Lisa Cholodenko explores modern parenthood in 'The Kids Are All Right'|work=[[Film Journal International]]|url=http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/news-and-features/features/movies/e3iee6a0d1f3ba0fce7e981ab1df6fc91f1|url-status=dead|access-date=June 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702005409/http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/news-and-features/features/movies/e3iee6a0d1f3ba0fce7e981ab1df6fc91f1|archive-date=July 2, 2010}}</ref>

==Filmography==
'''Short film'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Writer
! Producer
! Notes
|-
|rowspan=2|1994
| ''Crawl''
|
|
| {{Yes}}
|
|-
| ''Souvenir''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 1997
| ''Dinner Party''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| Also editor
|}

'''Feature film'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Writer
|-
| 1998
| ''[[High Art]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Laurel Canyon (film)|Laurel Canyon]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 2004
| ''[[Cavedweller (film)|Cavedweller]]''
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| 2010
| ''[[The Kids Are All Right (film)|The Kids Are All Right]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|}

'''TV series'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Executive Producer
! Notes
|-
| 1999
| ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]''
| {{yes}}
|
| Episode "The Same Coin"
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Six Feet Under (TV series)|Six Feet Under]]''
| {{yes}}
|
| Episode "Familia"
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Push, Nevada]]''
| {{yes}}
|
| Episode "The Letter of the Law"
|-
| 2005
| ''[[The L Word]]''
| {{yes}}
|
| Episode "Lynch Pin"
|-
| 2010
| ''[[Hung (TV series)|Hung]]''
| {{yes}}
|
| Episode "Beaverland"
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Olive Kitteridge (miniseries)|Olive Kitteridge]]''
| {{yes}}
|
| Episodes "Pharmacy", "Incoming Tide", "A Different Road" and "Security"
|-
| 2015
| ''[[The Slap (American miniseries)|The Slap]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Episode "Hector"
|-
| 2018
| ''[[Here and Now (2018 TV series)|Here and Now]]''
| {{yes}}
|
| Episodes "Fight, Death" and "Wake"
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Unbelievable (miniseries)|Unbelievable]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| 3 episodes
|-
| 2022
| ''[[The Girl from Plainville]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Episode "Star-Crossed Lovers and Things Like That"
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{{expand section|date=June 2023}}
* 2010: [[Women in Film Los Angeles|Women in Film]], [[Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards#THE DOROTHY ARZNER DIRECTORS AWARD|Dorothy Arzner Directors Award]]<ref name=WIF-CA>{{cite web|title=Past Recipients: Crystal Award|url=http://wif.org/past-recipients|work=[[Women in Film Los Angeles|Women in Film]]|access-date=October 29, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630083646/http://wif.org/past-recipients|archive-date=June 30, 2011}}</ref>
* 2011: [[Independent Spirit Awards]], [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] for ''The Kids Are All Right'' – with [[Stuart Blumberg]]<ref name=Filmmaker-Kids-2010>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Damon|title=Lisa Cholodenko, "The Kids Are All Right"|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/10368-lisa-cholodenko-the-kids-are-all-right/|work=[[Filmmaker Magazine]]|date=July 7, 2010}}</ref>
* 2011: [[Writers Guild of America]], [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] (nominee) for ''The Kids Are All Right'' – with [[Stuart Blumberg]]

==See also==
* [[List of female film and television directors]]
* [[List of lesbian filmmakers]]
* [[List of LGBT-related films directed by women]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name}}

{{Lisa Cholodenko}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Lisa Cholodenko
|list =
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardMiniseriesorTVFilm}}
{{EmmyAward MiniseriesDirector}}
{{Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay}}
}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cholodenko, Lisa}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century American women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century American women writers]]
[[Category:American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American women film directors]]
[[Category:American women screenwriters]]
[[Category:Columbia University School of the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Directors Guild of America Award winners]]
[[Category:Film directors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Independent Spirit Award winners]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Sundance Film Festival award winners]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ film directors]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from California]]
[[Category:Lesbian Jews]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ screenwriters]]
[[Category:American lesbian artists]]
[[Category:American lesbian writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:San Francisco State University alumni]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Yaddo alumni]]

wiki143 - User contributions [en]

Lisa Cholodenko