Philip Kaufman (born October 23, 1936) is an American film director and screenwriter. Although not noted for directing a large number of films, the films he has worked on have been recognized for their intelligence and independence. He is noted for directing films of eclectic subjects, ranging from realism to fantasy, and often incorporating satire or subtle humor as part of his “artistic signature.” He was born in Chicago, Illinois. Kaufman has been considered a “risk taker.” He has successfully adapted novels of widely different types – from Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being to Michael Crichton’s Rising Sun; from Tom Wolfe’s heroic epic The Right Stuff to the erotic writings of Anais Nin’s Henry & June. According to film historian James Welsh, his candid treatment of adult relationships in Henry & June was considered an “artistic breakthrough by an unconventional filmmaker who was willing to take a chance and put his career on the line.” His greatest success was the blockbuster film The Right Stuff, where he directed and wrote the screenplay. It earned eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. And his best films have always had his personal imprint, “stressing values of individualism and integrity,” and always being "clearly American."

Philip Kaufman (nascido em 23 de outubro de 1936) é um diretor de cinema e roteirista americano. Embora não seja conhecido por dirigir um grande número de filmes, os filmes em que trabalhou foram reconhecidos por sua inteligência e independência. Ele é conhecido por dirigir filmes de assuntos ecléticos, que vão do realismo à fantasia, e muitas vezes incorporando sátira ou humor sutil como parte de sua "assinatura artística". Ele nasceu em Chicago, Illinois. Kaufman foi considerado um “tomador de risco”. Ele adaptou com sucesso romances de tipos amplamente diferentes - de The Unbearable Lightness of Being, de Milan Kundera, a Rising Sun de Michael Crichton; do épico heróico de Tom Wolfe, The Right Stuff, aos escritos eróticos de Henry e June de Anais Nin. De acordo com o historiador de cinema James Welsh, seu tratamento sincero dos relacionamentos adultos em Henry e June foi considerado uma "inovação artística por um cineasta não convencional que estava disposto a arriscar e colocar sua carreira em risco". Seu maior sucesso foi o blockbuster The Right Stuff, onde dirigiu e escreveu o roteiro. Recebeu oito indicações ao Oscar, incluindo Melhor Filme. E seus melhores filmes sempre tiveram sua marca pessoal, “enfatizando valores de individualismo e integridade” e sempre sendo “claramente americano”.

Philip Kaufman besuchte zunächst die University of Chicago und wechselte dann auf die Harvard Law School. Später zog er zusammen mit seiner Frau als Rucksacktourist durch Europa. Die europäische Filmkultur und die Begegnung mit Anaïs Nin waren auf seinem Weg zum Filmemacher für ihn prägend.

Kaufman hatte seinen Durchbruch mit dem Remake Die Körperfresser kommen (1978). Er entwickelte 1981 zusammen mit George Lucas die Handlung für den Oscar-prämierten Film Jäger des verlorenen Schatzes und damit die Grundlage für Lawrence Kasdans Drehbuch dazu.

1989 bekam er zusammen mit Jean-Claude Carrière für den Film Die unerträgliche Leichtigkeit des Seins eine Oscarnominierung für das beste adaptierte Drehbuch.

Sein Film Henry & June aus dem Jahr 1990, die Verfilmung der Beziehung zwischen Henry Miller und Anaïs Nin, war Auslöser einer Reform des US-amerikanischen Filmbewertungssystems und der Einführung des MPAA-Ratings, speziell des NC-17-Ratings.

Philip Kaufman hat mit seiner Ehefrau Rose (geborene Fisher) einen Sohn namens Peter.

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