Francis Paul Veber (born 28 July 1937) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer, and playwright.[1] He has written and directed both French and American films. Nine French-language films with which he has been involved, as either writer or director or both, have been remade as English-language Hollywood films: Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire (as The Man with One Red Shoe), L'emmerdeur (as Buddy Buddy), La Cage aux Folles (as The Birdcage), Le Jouet (as The Toy), Les Compères (as Fathers' Day), La chèvre (as Pure Luck), Les Fugitifs (as Three Fugitives), Le dîner de cons (as Dinner for Schmucks) and La Doublure (as The Valet). He also wrote the screenplay for My Father the Hero, the 1994 American remake of the French-language film Mon père, ce héros.

Francis Veber
Veber in 2012
Born
Francis Paul Veber

(1937-07-28) 28 July 1937 (age 87)
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, producer; theater playwright
SpouseFrancoise Veber
AwardsAcademy Award nominee, La cage aux folles
César Award winner, Le dîner de cons, and four-time nominee
Lumière Film Award winner, Le dîner de cons

Some of his screenplays started as theater plays (for instance, Le dîner de cons). This theatrical experience contributes to his films' tight structure, resulting in what has been called "marvels of economy".[2]

Many of his French comedies feature recurring types of characters, named François Pignon (a bungler) and François Perrin (a bully).

Biography

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Veber was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine,[3] the son of a writer mother and Pierre-Gilles Veber, a screenwriter. Veber's father was Jewish and his mother was Armenian-Russian (Veber was baptized at birth).[4][5] His grand-uncle was writer Tristan Bernard.[6]

His parents were both authors: his father writer and journalist Pierre-Gilles Véber and his mother novelist Catherine Agadjanian, who wrote under the name Georgette Paul (1901-1990). He is the great-nephew of playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer Tristan Bernard, grandson of playwright Pierre Véber and nephew of screenwriter, director and hit songwriter Serge Veber. He is the uncle of Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, young adult author of the Tara Duncan series. His son, Jean Véber, is also a screenwriter.

Filmography

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Year Title Director Writer Producer
1969 Appelez-moi Mathilde No Yes No
1972 Il était une fois un flic [fr] No Yes No
The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe No Yes No
1973 La Valise [fr] No Yes No
L'Emmerdeur No Yes No
Le Magnifique No Yes No
1974 Fear Over the City No Yes No
The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe No Yes No
1975 Le Téléphone rose [fr] No Yes No
The French Detective No Yes No
1976 On aura tout vu No Yes No
The Toy Yes Yes No
1978 La Cage aux Folles No Yes No
1979 Cause toujours... tu m'intéresses No Yes No
Coup de tête No Yes No
1980 La cage aux folles II No Yes No
Sunday Lovers No Yes No
1981 Buddy Buddy No Yes No
La Chèvre Yes Yes No
1982 Partners No Yes Executive
The Toy No Yes No
1983 Les Compères Yes Yes Uncredited
1985 The Man with One Red Shoe No Yes No
Hold-Up No Yes No
1986 Les Fugitifs Yes No No
1989 Three Fugitives Yes Yes Executive
1991 Pure Luck No Yes Executive
1992 Out on a Limb Yes Yes No
1994 My Father the Hero No Yes No
1995 Fantôme avec chauffeur [fr] No Yes No
1996 The Birdcage No Yes No
Le Jaguar Yes Yes No
1997 Fathers' Day No Yes Executive
1998 The Dinner Game Yes Yes No
2000 The Closet Yes Yes No
2003 Ruby & Quentin Yes Yes No
2006 The Valet Yes Yes Associate
2008 L'emmerdeur Yes Yes No
2010 Dinner for Schmucks No No Executive

Honors

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References

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  1. ^ New York Times
  2. ^ Terry Keefe (2008-01-19). "Francis Veber: The Hollywood Interview". The Hollywood Interview. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
  3. ^ Schneider, Steven Jay, ed. (2007). 501 Movie Directors. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 402. ISBN 9781844035731. OCLC 1347156402.
  4. ^ Insdorf, Annette (1985-07-28). "French Films, American Style". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Humour with a trademark French twist".
  6. ^ "INTERVIEW: The Cruel Comedy of Francis Veber's "The Dinner Game"". IndieWire. July 9, 1999. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  7. ^ "ORDRE DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR Décret du 3 avril 1996 portant promotion et nomination". JORF. 1996 (84): 5438. 1996-04-07. PREX9610753D. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  8. ^ a b "Décret du 21 mars 2008 portant promotion et nomination". JORF. 2008 (71): 5024. 2008-03-23. PREX0804596D. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  9. ^ "Décret du 14 mai 2001 portant promotion et nomination". JORF. 2001 (112): 7695. 2001-05-15. PREX0104833D. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
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