They Used To Be Indie Guys Too

By Richard Zoglin; Desa Philadelphia Sunday, Jan. 25, 2004
    • The just-wrapped Sundance Film Festival will be coming soon to a cineplex near you. Among the independent films that got big distribution deals: Garden State (a comedy, set in New Jersey), Napoleon Dynamite (ditto, set in Idaho) and Open Water (a couple pursued by sharks). Hollywood will be paying close attention. A surprising number of directors have gone from quirky little Sundance successes to big-budget Hollywood blockbusters.

    Robert Rodriguez
    SUNDANCE FAVE
    EL MARIACHI No-budget South of the Border crime thriller was a hot film at the '92 festival

    HOLLYWOOD HIT
    SPY KIDS Now he's the king of his own blockbuster franchise; 3D earned $111 million

    Mark S. Waters
    SUNDANCE FAVE
    HOUSE OF YES Loopy family comedy won a special jury award for star Parker Posey in '97

    HOLLYWOOD HIT
    FREAKY FRIDAY The loopiness was more generic in this remake of the 1977 Disney hit

    Bryan Singer
    SUNDANCE FAVE
    PUBLIC ACCESS Cable-access TV show exposes small-town skeletons in his '93 award winner

    HOLLYWOOD HIT
    X-MEN Now he's exposing Hugh Jackman's fingernails in the cartoon-superhero movies

    Christopher Nolan
    SUNDANCE FAVE
    MEMENTO His backward-running thriller startled audiences at the 2000 festival

    HOLLYWOOD HIT
    BATMAN: INTIMIDATION Moving forward in time, he has been tapped for the Caped One's comeback

    David O. Russell
    SUNDANCE FAVE
    SPANKING THE MONKEY Edgy, star-free incest drama won an audience award at the '94 fest

    HOLLYWOOD HIT
    I [love] HUCKABEE'S His upcoming comedy stars Jude Law, Naomi Watts and Dustin Hoffman