Catherine Hardwicke 101: Diving Into The Emotionally Captivating Work Of The Director Of ‘Miss Bala’
By Danielle Ryan/Feb. 6, 2019 10:00 am EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Catherine Hardwicke hasn’t exactly gotten a fair shake in Hollywood. Despite directing several indie favorites and turning the first Twilight book into a goldmine, she’s gotten relatively little credit. Hardwicke tends to direct films aimed at feminine audiences, which are traditionally looked down upon by (overwhelmingly male) critics. She’s a true indie director who understands the power of storytelling, even on a shoestring budget. Hardwicke knows how to highlight emotion, using handheld camera techniques and working closely with performers to get the most out of every scene.In Miss Bala, in theaters now, Gloria (Gina Rodriguez) is a makeup artist from Los Angeles who gets caught up in kidnapping, money laundering, and drug cartels after a trip to Tijuana. She ends up playing both sides, working with both the cartel leader and the DEA. She’ll have to rely on all her strength and cunning to survive the dangerous world of cross-border crime. Based on the 2011 Mexican film of the same name, Miss Bala highlights Hardwicke’s return to telling emotional stories about women in precarious situations.
The Basics
Bio: Hardwicke was born in Cameron, Texas, in 1955. She graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a degree in architecture but discovered that her creative style of architecture wasn’t what clients were looking for. Seeking a more whimsical outlet for her creativity, she enrolled in film school at UCLA. She began her Hollywood career dressing sets, working first as an Art Director, then as a Production Designer. After working with several high-profile directors, including Cameron Crowe and David O. Russell, Hardwicke co-wrote and directed her first feature film, Thirteen.Trademarks:
Color grading as a narrative device Adolescent angst Vulnerable female protagonists High-stakes emotional storytelling Morality tales Collaborations with female screenwriters Frequent Collaborators: Hardwicke is known for visual storytelling, and she worked with director of photography Elliot Davis on four of her films.
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
The Plot: A biographical movie about the first modern skateboarders in Southern California, starting in 1975. Skip (Heath Ledger), the owner of a surf shop, begins recruiting young skateboarders to form a competitive group, the “Z-Boys”. The Z-Boys perfect their craft in empty swimming pools across Santa Monica, and eventually start winning contests and achieving fame. The Z-Boys abandon Skip to appear on T.V. and make money on their skills. The life of a professional skateboarder isn’t all glamour, however, and all three of the boys go through dark times before reuniting to visit a friend with a brain tumor.Unique Visual Flair: 8mm and 16mm cameras were attached to skateboards for some unique action shots. The film was edited digitally to have high contrast and lots of saturation, in order to mimic the look of documentaries or news reels in the time period.Most Emotional Moment: After the Z-Boys all show up to visit Sid (their friend with the brain tumor), Sid’s father drains the pool and they all have a wonderful time skating together and reminiscing about their lives before professional skating changed everything.Watch it: Available to rent on YouTube and iTunes.
The Nativity Story (2006)
The Plot: In Nazareth in the year 1 BCE, teenage girl Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is betrothed to marry a local carpenter, Joseph (Oscar Isaac). She’s visited by an angel and told that she will give birth to God’s son. The Nativity Story focuses on Mary and Joseph’s trials and tribulations as they travel across the desert to Bethlehem. Though Hardwicke had a religious upbringing, she said she was especially interested in the story of Mary, a peasant girl and a teen who was suddenly thrust into greatness.Unique Visual Flair: Though Hardwicke abandoned the highly-saturated look of her previous two films, The Nativity Story was nonetheless shot by Davis and still features highly dramatic lighting.Most Emotional Moment: Though Mary is terrified, both of being an unwed mother and the repercussions for being one, she finds some faith in her destiny when taking a break in the field with a kinswoman who is also pregnant. Her kinswoman is beyond child-bearing age, and thus the two are the subjects of “miracles” on opposite ends of the age spectrum. The two stand together and touch one another’s rounded bellies. It’s a moment that makes the reality of Mary’s situation feel understandable, and illustrates the power of shared experiences.Watch it: Available to rent on Google Play and Vudu.
Red Riding Hood (2011)
The Plot: Set in a medieval village, Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) faces a typical fairy tale dilemma: she’s in love with a woodsman (Shiloh Fernandez), but her parents have already betrothed her to marry a wealthy blacksmith’s son (Max Irons). Valerie’s plans to run away with the woodsman are interrupted when a werewolf that normally stalks the edges of the town attacks and kills her older sister. The villagers enlist the help of a famed werewolf hunter (Gary Oldman) to get their revenge, but Valerie worries that the werewolf’s true identity is that of someone close to her heart.Unique Visual Flair: Red Riding Hood has the look of a fairy tale, with gorgeous scenery and set design. The costumes, color-grading, and cinematography by Mandy Walker, who also did the Beauty and the Beast update Beastly the same year, all enhance the fairy tale setting.Most Emotional Moment: Valerie discovers the werewolf’s identity, and she has a much closer connection to the wolf than she thought. She must choose between saving the person she loves, or killing the wolf that has terrorized the village.Watch it: Available to rent on Google Play and YouTube.
Catherine Hardwicke 101: Diving Into The Emotionally Captivating Work Of The Director Of ‘Miss Bala’
By Danielle Ryan/Feb. 6, 2019 10:00 am EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Catherine Hardwicke hasn’t exactly gotten a fair shake in Hollywood. Despite directing several indie favorites and turning the first Twilight book into a goldmine, she’s gotten relatively little credit. Hardwicke tends to direct films aimed at feminine audiences, which are traditionally looked down upon by (overwhelmingly male) critics. She’s a true indie director who understands the power of storytelling, even on a shoestring budget. Hardwicke knows how to highlight emotion, using handheld camera techniques and working closely with performers to get the most out of every scene.In Miss Bala, in theaters now, Gloria (Gina Rodriguez) is a makeup artist from Los Angeles who gets caught up in kidnapping, money laundering, and drug cartels after a trip to Tijuana. She ends up playing both sides, working with both the cartel leader and the DEA. She’ll have to rely on all her strength and cunning to survive the dangerous world of cross-border crime. Based on the 2011 Mexican film of the same name, Miss Bala highlights Hardwicke’s return to telling emotional stories about women in precarious situations.
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
The Basics
Bio: Hardwicke was born in Cameron, Texas, in 1955. She graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a degree in architecture but discovered that her creative style of architecture wasn’t what clients were looking for. Seeking a more whimsical outlet for her creativity, she enrolled in film school at UCLA. She began her Hollywood career dressing sets, working first as an Art Director, then as a Production Designer. After working with several high-profile directors, including Cameron Crowe and David O. Russell, Hardwicke co-wrote and directed her first feature film, Thirteen.Trademarks:
Color grading as a narrative device Adolescent angst Vulnerable female protagonists High-stakes emotional storytelling Morality tales Collaborations with female screenwriters Frequent Collaborators: Hardwicke is known for visual storytelling, and she worked with director of photography Elliot Davis on four of her films.
Frequent Collaborators: Hardwicke is known for visual storytelling, and she worked with director of photography Elliot Davis on four of her films.
Thirteen (2003)
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
The Plot: A biographical movie about the first modern skateboarders in Southern California, starting in 1975. Skip (Heath Ledger), the owner of a surf shop, begins recruiting young skateboarders to form a competitive group, the “Z-Boys”. The Z-Boys perfect their craft in empty swimming pools across Santa Monica, and eventually start winning contests and achieving fame. The Z-Boys abandon Skip to appear on T.V. and make money on their skills. The life of a professional skateboarder isn’t all glamour, however, and all three of the boys go through dark times before reuniting to visit a friend with a brain tumor.Unique Visual Flair: 8mm and 16mm cameras were attached to skateboards for some unique action shots. The film was edited digitally to have high contrast and lots of saturation, in order to mimic the look of documentaries or news reels in the time period.Most Emotional Moment: After the Z-Boys all show up to visit Sid (their friend with the brain tumor), Sid’s father drains the pool and they all have a wonderful time skating together and reminiscing about their lives before professional skating changed everything.Watch it: Available to rent on YouTube and iTunes.
The Nativity Story (2006)
The Plot: In Nazareth in the year 1 BCE, teenage girl Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is betrothed to marry a local carpenter, Joseph (Oscar Isaac). She’s visited by an angel and told that she will give birth to God’s son. The Nativity Story focuses on Mary and Joseph’s trials and tribulations as they travel across the desert to Bethlehem. Though Hardwicke had a religious upbringing, she said she was especially interested in the story of Mary, a peasant girl and a teen who was suddenly thrust into greatness.Unique Visual Flair: Though Hardwicke abandoned the highly-saturated look of her previous two films, The Nativity Story was nonetheless shot by Davis and still features highly dramatic lighting.Most Emotional Moment: Though Mary is terrified, both of being an unwed mother and the repercussions for being one, she finds some faith in her destiny when taking a break in the field with a kinswoman who is also pregnant. Her kinswoman is beyond child-bearing age, and thus the two are the subjects of “miracles” on opposite ends of the age spectrum. The two stand together and touch one another’s rounded bellies. It’s a moment that makes the reality of Mary’s situation feel understandable, and illustrates the power of shared experiences.Watch it: Available to rent on Google Play and Vudu.
Twilight (2008)
Red Riding Hood (2011)
The Plot: Set in a medieval village, Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) faces a typical fairy tale dilemma: she’s in love with a woodsman (Shiloh Fernandez), but her parents have already betrothed her to marry a wealthy blacksmith’s son (Max Irons). Valerie’s plans to run away with the woodsman are interrupted when a werewolf that normally stalks the edges of the town attacks and kills her older sister. The villagers enlist the help of a famed werewolf hunter (Gary Oldman) to get their revenge, but Valerie worries that the werewolf’s true identity is that of someone close to her heart.Unique Visual Flair: Red Riding Hood has the look of a fairy tale, with gorgeous scenery and set design. The costumes, color-grading, and cinematography by Mandy Walker, who also did the Beauty and the Beast update Beastly the same year, all enhance the fairy tale setting.Most Emotional Moment: Valerie discovers the werewolf’s identity, and she has a much closer connection to the wolf than she thought. She must choose between saving the person she loves, or killing the wolf that has terrorized the village.Watch it: Available to rent on Google Play and YouTube.
