Psychologist, novelist and Harvard professor turned director of Hollywood films with his directorial debut, the romantic fantasy "Don Juan DeMarco" (1995). Leven began his entertainment career in Boston during the late 1960s founding the political revue group The Proposition, which helped launch the careers of "SNL" alum Jane Curtin and "The Love Boat"'s Fred Grandy. Leven went on to graduate work to train for the heady world of psychotherapy where he remained until 1985 when his first novel, "The Creator" was made into a feature starring Peter O'Toole. This also marked Leven's debut as a screenwriter. He fared less well with "Playing for Keeps" (1986), the dubious directorial debut of Miramax studio heads Bob and Harvey Weinstein. While the story of a boy who turns a dilapidated mansion into a rock 'n' roll hotel may have seemed compelling on paper, the finished product failed to make a dent at the box office.
Leven shifted into the director's chair after writing "Don Juan DeMarco". Initially offered as much as $2 million for his script, he held out for a chance to direct. Leven took less money and acquired an impressive cast comprised of Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando and Faye Dunaway. The opened to pleasantly surprised reviews and moderate box office.
- Born:
August 16, 1941 in South Bend, Indiana, USA
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Job Titles:
Clinical psychologist, Screenwriter, Director, Novelist, Teacher
Significant Others
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Wife: . mother of five children with Levin
Education
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Yale University, New Haven, CT
Milestones
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1968 Founded a satirical revue called The Proposition, which ran in Cambridge, MA and Off-Broadway
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1980 Published first novel, Creator
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1982 Published second novel, Satan, His Psychotherapy and Cure by the Unfortunate Dr. Kassler, J.S.P.S.
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1985 First produced screenplay, Creator ; based on his novel of the same name
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1986 Co-scripted with Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Playing for Keeps ; first film directed by the Weinstein brothers
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1994 Directed first film, Don Juan DeMarco ; also wrote screenplay
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2000 Penned the feature adaptation of The Legend of Bagger Vance ; directed by Robert Redford and starring Will Smith
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2002 Adapted his second book into a feature film, Crazy as Hell
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2003 Produced first feature, Alex & Emma ; also scripted
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2004 Adapted the Nicholas Sparks novel The Notebook into a feature film; directed by Nick Cassavetes
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2009 Adapted the best-selling novel The Time Traveler s Wife into a feature film, starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams
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2009 Re-teamed with director Nick Cassavetes to adapt My Sister s Keeper from the Jodi Picoult novel