Gus Van Sant Quotes

A collection of quotes by Gus Van Sant.

Gus Van Sant is an American film director, screenwriter, painter, and musician. He was born on July 24, 1952, in Louisville, Kentucky. Van Sant gained prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his unique and often unconventional approach to filmmaking.

Van Sant's career began in the independent film scene, where he garnered critical acclaim for movies such as "Drugstore Cowboy" (1989) and "My Own Private Idaho" (1991). These films showcased his ability to explore themes of addiction, identity, and the outsider experience.

In 1997, Van Sant achieved widespread success with "Good Will Hunting," which he directed and co-wrote with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The film received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Throughout his career, Van Sant has continued to blend mainstream and experimental styles, tackling diverse subject matters such as school shootings in "Elephant" (2003) and the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician, in "Milk" (2008).

Van Sant's work often explores themes of alienation, the search for identity, and the human condition. He is recognized for his distinct visual style, innovative storytelling techniques, and his ability to draw authentic performances from his actors.

In addition to his work in film, Gus Van Sant is also an accomplished painter and musician. Over the years, he has exhibited his artwork and released several music albums.

Gus Van Sant's contributions to independent and mainstream cinema have solidified his reputation as one of the most influential and innovative directors of his generation.

My family moved a lot as a kid. We started in Colorado, wher

My family moved a lot as a kid. We started in Colorado, where I lived for five years. We moved to Chicago for two years, to San Francisco for one year, Connecticut for seven, Oregon for a couple years, and then I went to school.

When I was 14, I felt very rundown I had a home to go to, bu

When I was 14, I felt very rundown I had a home to go to, but I felt like I was 60 or something, older than I feel now. And I don't know if it's something that happens at 14, or whether it was adolescence or whether I was gay, or closeted gay, or whatever it was, I felt that.

Home

The dark comedies tend to be in a non-releasable area. There

The dark comedies tend to be in a non-releasable area. There can be romantic comedies. There can be dramas. But there's no 'dark comedy' inbox for the advertising.

Romantic

My art teacher in junior high was a very out gay man and a m

My art teacher in junior high was a very out gay man and a mentor to me. He would tell us about Greenwich Village and show us the 'Village Voice' and describe his life, but it was all sort of subversive and below the radar.

Teacher

There is a common theme, though, in the stories I have told,

There is a common theme, though, in the stories I have told, which are usually associations of characters or families that are formed outside of a family circle.

Family

If I'm diagnosed with cancer I might become despondent, but

If I'm diagnosed with cancer I might become despondent, but someone young might not, and they might need connections with somebody outside their circle of family because their family is so despondent.

Family

I hadn't made a big-budget film, and in Hollywood there's a

I hadn't made a big-budget film, and in Hollywood there's a sort of man and boys situation. You're a man, you make $80 million movies! As if it's harder to make an $80 million movie. Well, I guess businesswise it is because you have more executives to argue with.

Movies

If you don't have the story and the unfolding of the traject

If you don't have the story and the unfolding of the trajectory of the saga, it's like getting in a car and not having any gas.

Car

Gay marriage is the last bastion of, to me... as a legal, ce

Gay marriage is the last bastion of, to me... as a legal, ceremonial, sentimental and religious side, it's one of the last steps. Retaining your job being one of the earlier steps, like, not getting kicked out of your job because you're gay.

Legal

I had never had a positive leading character - somebody that

I had never had a positive leading character - somebody that wasn't an antihero, or who wasn't more of a guy that you're supposed to be on the side of.

Positive

My art teacher in junior high was a very out gay man and a m

My art teacher in junior high was a very out gay man and a mentor to me.

Teacher

My family moved a lot as a kid. We started in Colorado, wher

My family moved a lot as a kid. We started in Colorado, where I lived for five years. We moved to Chicago for two years, to San Francisco for one year, Connecticut for seven, Oregon for a couple years, and then I went to school. So I was always moving, I'm still always moving.

Family

With 'Good Will Hunting,' Miramax made certain the recruited

With 'Good Will Hunting,' Miramax made certain the recruited audience wasn't expecting to laugh at Robin Williams like they normally do. From my limited experience, you can really blow test screenings by conducting them in the wrong way.

Experience

Death Valley is really wide-open - it's bigger than Rhode Is

Death Valley is really wide-open - it's bigger than Rhode Island - and it's less a part of California than an ungoverned territory, so there's lots of weird cops-and-robbers stuff going on.

Death

The things that inform student culture are created and contr

The things that inform student culture are created and controlled by the unseen culture, the sociological aspects of our climbing culture, our 'me' generation, our yuppie culture, our SUVs, or, you know, shopping culture, our war culture.

War

I've told people who have just started to make a film that t

I've told people who have just started to make a film that the one thing you might experience is this feeling that everybody is conspiring against you, because you're not necessarily able to tell what's real and what's not.

Experience

Even when you're making a movie about life, death is a prese

Even when you're making a movie about life, death is a presence, and I guess it's part of my dramatic viewpoint. I'm not sure why exactly. Maybe I'm drawn to it as a story element.

Death

Because I didn't have brothers, I was always interested in t

Because I didn't have brothers, I was always interested in the kids down the street that had four brothers in their family, so I became one of them - but it was not my family.

Family