Alan J. Pakula Biography

Fast Facts

• Won a Distinguished Achievement Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the 1996 Hamptons International Film Festival and the 1997 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival respectively
• Died in a freak accident in which a metal pipe, probably clipped by a passing motorist, slammed through his windshield and struck him in the head
• His first job in Hollywood was as an assistant in the cartoon department at Warner Brothers
• The actors he worked with have commented on how supportive and encouraging he was to them on set, and his films have won the actors who appeared in them many awards
• His films have been described as psychologically penetrating, and they often explored the motivations of his characters
• According to actress Candice Bergen, he often took off his shoes on set and would jump into the air when a scene was particularly good