1. Women who are accomplished movie directors
Female movie directors have made an indelible mark on the film industry, bringing
to life some of Hollywood's most successful and beloved motion pictures.
When Kathryn Bigelow captured the Academy Award for Best Director for "The
Hurt Locker," she became the first woman in the history of the Oscars to win the
honor. "The Hurt Locker," which was released in the United States in 2009 after
premiering in Italy in 2008, also won the Oscar for Best Picture. It portrays the
tense and dangerous daily lives of a military bomb disposal unit working in the war
in Iraq. Bigelow earned worldwide acclaim not only for directing such a
compelling war movie, but also for adeptly handling a subject that had traditionally
been the domain of male directors. It was the finest achievement of an illustrious
career for Bigelow, who had previously directed major action movies such as
"Blue Steel" starring Jamie Lee Curtis, "Point Break" with Keanu Reeves and
Patrick Swayze and "K-19: The Widowmaker" with Harrison Ford and Liam
Neeson.
Nancy Meyers has directed a string of hit movies beginning with the 1998 remake
of "The Parent Trap," a family comedy that starred a young Lindsay Lohan.
Meyers followed up her directorial debut with the romantic comedies "What
Women Want," starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt, "Something's Gotta Give,"
with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton and "It's Complicated," starring Meryl
Streep.
Nora Ephron has also directed a number of smash hits in the romantic comedy
genre, including "Sleepless in Seattle" in 1993 and "You've Got Mail" in 1998, two
of the most iconic romantic comedies in Hollywood history. Both movies starred
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as the romantic leads. Ephron had another triumph in
2009 as the director of "Julie & Julia," in which Meryl Streep portrayed Julia
Child.
The daughter of famed director Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather,"
"Apocalypse Now"), Sofia Coppola made her first big splash as a Hollywood
director with "The Virgin Suicides" in 1999. Based on a novel by Jeffrey
Eugenides, the film explores the circumstances surrounding the suicides of five
sisters in an upscale suburban area in Michigan. Coppola's next directing effort was
"Lost in Translation," released in 2003, for which she earned a Best Director
nomination at the Academy Awards. The film chronicles a relationship between an
aging movie star, played by Bill Murray, and a young woman, played by Scarlett

2. Johansson, after they meet by chance in Tokyo hotel. Coppola won the Oscar for
Best Original Screenplay for "Lost in Translation," which was also nominated for
Best Picture. Coppola earned more raves for her 2010 film "Somewhere," which
was set primarily at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood.
A native of New Zealand, Jane Campion became the second woman to receive a
nomination for Best Director at the Academy Awards for the 1993 drama "The
Piano." The first was Lina Wertmuller for the 1976 film "Seven Beauties." Starring
Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel, "The Piano" tells the story of a mute pianist in
19th century New Zealand. Critics praised the film for its emotionally evocative
themes and aesthetic beauty. Campion also achieved success as the director of
movies such as "The Portrait of a Lady," a 1996 adaptation of the Henry James
novel, and "In the Cut," an erotic thriller from 2003 starring Meg Ryan.
As the director of the vampire-romance blockbuster "Twilight," which has earned
more than $400 million in box office receipts worldwide, Catherine Hardwicke
earned the title of the most commercially successful female director in the film
business. Hardwicke had earlier successes with "Thirteen" and "Lords of
Dogtown."
Nicole Holofcener burst upon the Hollywood scene in 1996 as the director of
"Walking and Talking," a small but critically acclaimed romance picture. She
followed up with strong directing performances at the helm of "Lovely &
Amazing" (2001) and "Friends With Money" (2006). Holofcener's 2010 feature
"Please Give" won the Robert Altman Award at the Independent Spirit Awards.
With a rich background in theater and opera, Julie Taymor made her first splash in
Hollywood by directing "Titus" (1999) and "Frida" (2002), a pair of stylish and
artistic movies. She earned high praise for her directorial effort in "Across the
Universe" (2007), which vividly explored the Vietnam War era through the music
of the Beatles.
One of Hollywood's most talented comedic female directors, Amy Heckerling
made her debut in 1982 with "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Heckerling also had
tremendous success as the director of "Look Who's Talking" (1989) and "Clueless"
(1995).