by Chloe Jones

Created on: May 02, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Gus Van Sant's influence on filmmaking today stems from his ability to take a low budget and a cast of mostly unknown actors and make a compelling picture. In the process, he has opened up the market for smaller budget, independent releases.

Two of Van Sant's early films, "Drugstore Cowboy" and "My Own Private Idaho", brought him critical acclaim. He won the Independent Sprit Award for the screenplay for both projects. With the success of those two films, he was awarded the job of directing 1993's "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues", a film with a few more name actors and a higher budget, though at $8.5 million, still low by Hollywood standards. The film was a critical and commercial flop.

Fortunately, Van Sant recovered quickly with his first major studio release, 1995's "To Die For". The black comedy starring Nicole Kidman and Matt Dillon, was a departure from Van Sant's normal dramatic fare. The success of that film paved the way for his biggest box-office success to date.

"Good Will Hunting" had a budget of about $10 million, and featured a cast of relatively unknown actors, with the exception of Robin Williams. Working with the Oscar-winning script penned by the movie's stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Van Sant was able to elicit moving performances from his actors. The film turned Damon, Affleck and Minnie Driver into Hollywood A-listers overnight, and cemented Williams' position as a serious dramatic actor. The movie was a huge success, garnering numerous Academy Award nominations, including one for Van Sant for Best Director, and earning in the neighborhood of $140 million.

Van Sant had mixed success with his next two projects. His shot-for-shot, color remake of "Psycho" generated a lot of media buzz, but failed to attract much of an audience. "Finding Forrester" had a mixed reaction. Audiences and critics alike praised the performances of veteran actor Sean Connery and newcomer Rob Brown, but panned the movie's script.

Van Sant has since returned to familiar territory directing lower budget films. "Gerry" features two of his favorite stars, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, wandering aimlessly through the desert. For "Elephant", a fictional retelling of the Columbine High School massacre, Van Sant used many untrained actors to lend a realistic feel.

The success of Gus Van Sant's films has demonstrated that you don't need big name actors or high dollar special effects to create a movie that will resonate with audiences and critics. His lower budget, independent dramas have created new opportunities for other independent filmmakers, who are in turn influencing filmmaking today.

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