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Ivan Reitman: Comedies
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Reitman achieved another critical and financial success with his second feature, “Juno†(2007), a black comedy about a whip-smart, sardonic teenager (Ellen Page) dealing with a sudden and unwanted pregnancy. Instead of taking the easy way out... Juno decides to have the baby and allow an affluent suburban couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) to adopt. But she ultimately faces very tough, adult decisions along the way, leading to a discovery of who she really is and where she truly belongs. Reitman’s film – written by first-timer Diablo Cody – was almost universally hailed by critics, who bestowed “Juno†with numerous critic’s awards. Meanwhile, “Juno†was nominated for four Independent Spirit awards, including Best Feature and Best Director, before going on to earning nominations at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards, that latter of which saw Reitman honored with his first Oscar nod for Best Director.
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Reitman scored a surprise hit as the executive producer of "Beethoven" (Brian Levant, 1992), a canine comedy starring the deadpan Charles Grodin. He returned to directing after a three-year hiatus with "Dave" (1993), a political satire starring the talented cast of Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Ben Kingsley, and Grodin. As a modern variation on Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper", it suggested Akira Kurosawa's "Kagemusha" (1980) as directed by Frank Capra. The director fared less well with his follow-up comedies. "Junior" (1994) reteamed Schwarzenegger and DeVito in an improbable story of a male scientist (Schwarzenegger) who becomes pregnant while "Father's Day" (1997) teamed Robin Williams and Billy Crystal in an Americanized version of a French farce about two men searching for a runaway teen they both think they fathered. He next teamed Harrison Ford and Anne Heche for the romantic comedy, "Six Days, Seven Nights" (1998).
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Reitman's biggest hit to that time, Stripes came out in 1981. The critically acclaimed film ... won rave reviews from audiences, a rare matching of tastes. He seemed to gain speed from there. The hugely successful comedy Ghostbusters again paired Reitman with Murray. It went on to gross approximately $310 million and counting. Along with directing the film, Reitman produced it, had an un-credited voice appearance, directed the music video for the song of the same name, and acted as the executive consultant on the series The Real Ghostbusters in 1986.
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On paper, the notion of Reitman’s first pure romantic comedy coming out in the dog days of summer seems like a sure-fire proposition. And while the filmmaker admits he was taken aback by his latest film’s lukewarm reception at the box office, he says part of it has to do with today’s very crowded marketplace. On that July 21st weekend, the eight other films opening opposite Girlfriend included Lady in the Water, Monster House and Clerks II.
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Reitman worked on a number of films after graduating from McMaster University, but his big break came when he produced National Lampoon's Animal House in 1978 and directed Meatballs in 1979. From there, he directed and produced a number of comedies including Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), Twins (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Dave (1993) and Junior (1994). He produced the animated film Heavy Metal in 1981.
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Reitman worked on a number of films after graduating from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.[1] He produced two films for director David Cronenberg, Shivers/They Came from Within/The Parasite Murders (1974) and Rabid (1976). His big break came when he produced National Lampoon's Animal House in 1978 and directed Meatballs in 1979. From there, he directed and produced a number of comedies including Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), Legal Eagles (1986), Twins (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Dave (1993), Junior (1994), Six Days Seven Nights (1998), Evolution (2001) and My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006).
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