Gus Van Sant
Known for: Directing
Born: July 24, 1952
Place of birth: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Achievement in Directing for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, and won the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for his film Elephant. He lives in Portland, Oregon. His early career was devoted to directing television commercials in the Pacific Northwest. In his films, he has dealt with themes concerning homosexuality and other marginalized subcultures. His filmography as writer and director includes an adaptation of Tom Robbins' novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, which features a diverse cast (Keanu Reeves, Roseanne Barr, Uma Thurman, and k.d. lang, with cameos by William S. Burroughs and Heather Graham, among others); and My Own Private Idaho, also starring Reeves as well as River Phoenix. He wrote the screenplays for most of his early movies, and wrote one novel, Pink. A book of his photography has also been published, called 108 Portraits.
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Filmography
102 movies · 10 TV shows, newest first
6.5
Dead Man's Wire
2026
6.8
The Trainer
2024
7.6
Nicole Kidman: Eyes Wide Open
2023
NR
Andy by Gus
2023
NR
Joe Gives Up and Moves to Montana
2021
6.5
Ouverture of Something That Never Ended
2020
5.0
Ouverture Of Something That Never Ended
2020
10.0
At the Video Store
2019
5.0
Zeroville
2019
5.0
Illegal Civilization 3
2018
5.9
Age Out
2018
6.7
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
2018
NR
Thank You for Supporting the Arts
2018
NR
Ain't It Funny
2017
7.6
FEUD
2017
6.3
When We Rise
2017
6.0
Certain Women
2016
6.0
Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible
2016
6.2
The Sea of Trees
2016
6.7
I Don't Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman
2015
8.2
About Cinema
2015
5.5
I Am Michael
2015
4.4
The Canyons
2013
NR
Strutter
2013
7.3
The Greatest Event in Television History
2012
6.3
Promised Land
2012
NR
Reflecting on a Journey: Good Will Hunting 15 Years Later
2012
7.6
Laurence Anyways
2012
5.3
A Special Day
2012
7.4
My Own Private River
2012
6.0
The Advocate for Fagdom
2011
7.2
Boss
2011
6.5
Restless
2011
7.7
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
2011
NR
Two Films, One Legacy
2011
6.9
Portlandia
2011
6.5
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
2010
6.0
I'm Still Here
2010
6.5
Howl
2010
5.2
Virginia
2010
4.7
Shit Year
2010
5.9
Accidents Happen
2009
7.2
Milk
2008
5.4
8
2008
NR
Mansion on the Hill
2008
NR
Making Paranoid Park
2008
7.9
Critic
2008
6.4
To Each His Own Cinema
2007
4.0
In the Mood for Doyle
2007
6.5
Paranoid Park
2007
5.2
Here’s Looking at You, Boy
2007
5.7
Wild Tigers I Have Known
2006
6.8
Paris Je T'aime
2006
6.7
Le Marais
2006
7.5
Cinema16: American Short Films
2006
6.0
Best of Chris Isaak
2006
5.4
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
2006
5.6
Last Days
2005
7.4
Entourage
2004
10.0
On the Set of 'Elephant': Rolling Through Time
2004
7.0
Leçon de Cinéma
2004
NR
The Making of Last Days
2004
8.0
Saltlake Van Sant
2003
6.8
Tarnation
2003
7.0
Elephant
2003
NR
About Elephant
2003
6.1
Gerry
2002
7.1
David Bowie: Best of Bowie
2002
6.4
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
2001
6.5
Rescued from the Closet
2001
7.1
Finding Forrester
2000NR
Easter
2000NR
De Witt Clinton Choir
2000
NR
The Making of Drugstore Cowboy
1999
7.2
Psycho Path
1999
5.4
Speedway Junky
1999
5.1
Psycho
1998
6.4
Strange Parallel
1998
NR
The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft
1998
8.2
Good Will Hunting
1997
5.8
Ballad of the Skeletons
1997
4.2
Four Boys in a Volvo
1996
6.6
To Die For
1995
6.9
Kids
1995
6.0
Guns on the Clackamas
1995
8.3
Hi Octane
1994
4.3
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
1994
2.0
Made in the USA
1993
7.1
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Funky Monks
1991
7.0
My Own Private Idaho
1991
6.1
Thanksgiving Prayer
1991NR
Flea Sings
1991
7.1
Drugstore Cowboy
1989
3.0
Ken Death Gets Out of Jail
1988
NR
Junior
1988
6.1
Mala Noche
1987
3.3
Five Ways to Kill Yourself
1987
3.3
My New Friend
1987NR
Switzerland
1985
6.0
The Discipline of D.E.
1982
3.8
Property
1979
NR
Psycho Shampoo
1979
NR
1/2 of a Telephone Conversation
1973
6.0
Little Johnny
1972NR
The Happy Organ
1971NR
Nightmare Typhoon
—NR
Killing Gawker
—NR
Antinous
—NR
My Friend
—NR
Explain it Like I’m Five
—NR
Last Days
—NR
Untitled Hoyt Richards Film
—