Roger Donaldson

Life and career

Donaldson was born in Ballarat, Victoria, where he attended Ballarat High School. In 1965 he emigrated to New Zealand, where he established a small still photography business and began making advertisements. Donaldson was also directing documentaries, including an adventure series featuring Everest-conquering New Zealander, Sir Edmund Hillary, as well as his first ventures into drama. Donaldson and actor/director Ian Mune collaborated on a number of projects for television, including anthology series Winners and Losers, based on short stories by New Zealand authors.

In 1976, Donaldson directed and produced his first feature, Sleeping Dogs. The film starred Mune and Sam Neill as two men fighting for their lives in a totalitarian New Zealand. He followed it with Smash Palace, starring Bruno Lawrence as a man who kidnaps his daughter after his marriage disintegrates.

Donaldson's international break came when producer Dino de Laurentiis invited him to direct an adaptation of Mutiny on the Bounty, after Lawrence of Arabia director David Lean left the project. The film, released as The Bounty, starred Anthony Hopkins as William Bligh and Mel Gibson as mutineer Fletcher Christian. Donaldson was nominated for a Golden Palm at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival for the film.

Donaldson went on to direct many popular and successful movies. His breakthrough American hit was the thriller No Way Out, starring Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman. Cocktail, starring Bryan Brown and Tom Cruise, was panned by critics but did very well at the box office, based largely on Cruise's starpower. The volcano disaster movie Dante's Peak, starring Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton, helped restore Donaldson's status after a string of less successful films. Thirteen Days, a political thriller starring Kevin Costner, adapted The Kennedy Tapes, a book by Ernest R. May and Philip Zelikow, which was a detailed account of the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also directed science fiction tale Species, and in 2003, the Al Pacino and Colin Farrell film The Recruit. Donaldson wrote and directed The World's Fastest Indian, which released in 2005. The film starred Anthony Hopkins and depicted Burt Munro's successful attempts at motorcycle speed records at Bonneville Salt Flats in the 1950s.

His son Chris is a sprinter who has represented New Zealand at the Olympic level in 100m and 200m events. His daughter India is also a filmmaker. Her debut feature Good One made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and also screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

In the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours, Donaldson was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to film.

Filmography

Film

Documentary film

Short film

• Lawyers (2010)

Television

TV movies

• Survey (1972)
• Jocko (1981)

References

References

1. Screen, NZ On. "Roger Donaldson {{!}} NZ On Screen".
2. "Roger Donaldson - Biography". Turner Classic Movies.
3. (4 June 2018). "Queen's Birthday honours list 2018". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
4. Gliddon, Greg. (2018-06-05). "This Ballarat-born director is credited with inventing New Zealand’s film industry".
5. [http://www.the-sports.org/athletics-donaldson-chris-results-identity-s5-c2-b4-o39-w14168.html The-Sports.org entry for Chris Donaldson]
6. Clement, Nick. (2021-08-28). "The Roger Donaldson Interview » We Are Cult".
7. Laffly, Tomris. (2024-01-21). "“…The Relationship Between This Father and Daughter is Forever Changed”: India Donaldson on Her Sundance-Premiering Wilderness Drama, Good One - Filmmaker Magazine".
8. Ross, Rafa Sales. (2024-08-08). "Out of Step: Good One’s India Donaldson on intergenerational creative forces • Journal • A Letterboxd Magazine".
9. (4 June 2018). "Queen's Birthday honours list 2018". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.