Martha Coolidge (born August 17, 1946) is an American film director and former President of the Directors Guild of America. She has directed such films as Valley Girl, Real Genius and Rambling Rose.
Early life Coolidge was born in New Haven, Connecticut. She is a granddaughter of Arthur W. Coolidge, former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, who was a fourth cousin of President Calvin Coolidge.
Coolidge studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design, but changed majors, becoming the first film major at the school. She earned her MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Later in Los Angeles, she studied acting and other aspects of her craft with Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Joanne Baron, and David Craig.
Career Coolidge first made her reputation by directing many award-winning documentaries in New York City. While in New York, she helped found the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF).
She moved to Hollywood in 1976 and spent several years as a part of the Zoetrope Studio created by Francis Ford Coppola. Her feature-length directorial debut, Not a Pretty Picture, was based on a date rape she suffered at the age of 16. Her breakthrough came with the independently produced Valley Girl (1983), a film recognized for launching the career of Nicolas Cage. Her film Rambling Rose (1991) won three Independent Spirit Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Diane Ladd, in addition to Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Ladd and Laura Dern (Best Actress). Rambling Rose was well reviewed and made top 10 lists for the year. Despite a limited release hampered by economic problems suffered by the production company, the film played for months and earned many honors.
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) for HBO was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, winning five, including Best Actress for its star Halle Berry, and earned Coolidge an Emmy and DGA (Directors Guild of America) nominations for Best Director.
From 2002 to 2003 she was the Directors Guild of America's first female president.
She taught at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
Personal life Coolidge was previously married to screenwriter Michael Backes, with whom she has a son, Preston, named after director Preston Sturges. She is now married to production designer James Spencer.
Awards Independent Spirit Award, Best Director for Rambling Rose Independent Spirit Award, Best Feature for Rambling Rose DGA Award, Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award Paris Film Festival, Grand Prix Award for Real Genius Chicago International Film Festival, Best Short Film for Bimbo Chicago International Film Festival, Best Short Film for More Than a School LA Femme International Film Festival, Maverick Award Method Fest, Forerunner Award Women in Film Award, Crystal Award
Nominations Online Film & Television Association Award, Best Director for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Emmy Award, Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge DGA Award, Best Director for An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong DGA Award, Best Director for If These Walls Could Talk 2 DGA Award, Best Director for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge CableACE Award, Best Director for Crazy in Love Chicago Film Critics Association Award, Best Director for Rambling Rose
Filmography Film Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 1976 Not a Pretty Picture 1983 Valley Girl 1984 City Girl Joy of Sex 1985 Real Genius 1988 Plain Clothes 1991 Rambling Rose 1993 Lost in Yonkers 1994 Angie 1995 Three Wishes 1997 Out to Sea 2004 The Prince & Me 2006 Material Girls 2019 I'll Find You
Television Year Title Episodes 1986 Sledge Hammer! "Under the Gun" The Twilight Zone "Night of the Meek" "Quarantine" "Shelter Skelter" 2001 Masterpiece "The Pounder Heart" Leap Years "Pilot" 2002 Sex and the City "A Vogue Idea" "I Heart New York" 2003 Hidden Hills "The Concert" 2005 Huff "All the Kings Horses" 2006 Related "Not Without My Daughter" CSI: Crime Scene Investigation "Living Legend" "Redrum" "Take my life Please" "Fracked" "Maid Man" 2007 Shark "Porn Free" Weeds "Shit Highway" Psych "Truer Lies" 2013 Cult "The Good Fight" The Glades "Glade-iators!" 2014 Killer Women "Warrior" The Night Shift "Blood Brothers" Madam Secretary "Passage" 2016 Angie Tribeca "The Famous Ventriloquist Did It" 2018 Siren "Showdown"
TV movies Year Title Notes 1989 Trenchcoat in Paradise 1991 Bare Essentials 1992 Crazy in Love 1999 Introducing Dorothy Dandridge 2000 If These Walls Could Talk 2 Segment "1972" 2001 The Flamingo Rising 2004 12 Days of Christmas Eve 2009 An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong Tribute
See also List of female film and television directors List of LGBT-related films directed by women
References
External links
Martha Coolidge at virtual-history.com Martha Coolidge at SheMadeIt.org Martha Coolidge at Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame