Happy 58th Birthday, P.J. Hogan! Born today in 1962 as Paul John Hogan, this AACTA Award-winning Australian writer and film director spent the 1990s virtually putting his trademark on black comedies revolving around marriage-obsessed young women.
Another of the Australian filmmakers whose successful work in their homeland brought Hollywood calling, Hogan burst into international awareness when his first feature as director and writer.
Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Hogan, years later as a teenager, lived on the North Coast of New South Wales.
Hogan's directorial debut was the twenty-five-minute 1984 Australian drama/short film 'Getting Wet'. It later won him an AACTA Award for Best Short Fiction Film. Afterwards, he then went on to direct minor films.
In the early 1990s, Hogan was the assistant director of the 1991 Australian comedy-drama/romance film 'Proof', starring Russell Crowe. It also starred Hugo Weaving in his film debut.
Also, in the early 1990s, Hogan wrote for several television series. This included an Australian drama television series and a children's television series as well.
Some years later, Hogan's first big hit came the film of which he is best known for writing and directing. This was the 1994 Australian comedy/drama film 'Muriel's Wedding'.
This was the feature of which helped to launch the careers of Toni Collette and Australian actress and director Rachel Griffiths.
The film follows socially awkward Muriel Heslop (Toni Collette), of whom wants nothing more than to get married.
Unfortunately, due to her oppressive politician father Bill Heslop (Bill Hunter), Muriel has never even been on a date.
Ostracized by her more socially adept friends, Muriel runs into fellow outcast Rhonda Epinstalk (Rachel Griffiths).
The two then move from their small Australian town to the big city of Sydney, where Muriel changes her name and begins the arduous task of redesigning her life to match her fantasies.
Basically, an ugly-duckling story that relied on broad humor to make its point, the film benefited from Hogan's capabilities with actors.
In the process, he also elicited star-making performances from lead Toni Collette and supporting player Griffiths.
Though a sleeper hit in Australia, 'Muriel's Wedding' later debuted to a fifteen-minute standing ovation at the 47th Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight in May of that same year.
Upon then being box-office champ, the film dominated the AACTA Awards, earning eleven nominations and winning four. This occurred at the 36th Australian Film Institute Awards in early November 1994.
According to Hogan, he has said of 'Muriel's Wedding': "I shot it in my hometown because I really wanted that authenticity.” The character of Muriel was based on his own sister. “My sister and I both had a fractious relationship with our dad."
The success of 'Muriel's Wedding' also later led Hogan to be chosen by Julia Roberts to direct his debut in the United State.
This was with his 1997 American romance/comedy film 'My Best Friend's Wedding'. The film also starred Griffiths, Dermot Mulroney, Rupert Everett, and Cameron Diaz.
Six years later, Hogan directed the 2003 American fantasy adventure/family film 'Pan'.
The film was a big budget adaptation of Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie's 1911 children's fantasy fiction novel of the same name.
The following year, Hogan directed the 2004 one-hour pilot for a remake of ABC's American Gothic horror cult soap opera Dark Shadows (1966–1971).
Although the pilot was produced that year and commissioned by The WB, it was not picked up for a series.
The following year, Hogan directed the 2009 American comedy/romance film 'Confessions of a Shopaholic'. It starred Isla Fisher as New York City shopaholic gal Rebecca Bloomwood.
The film was an adaptation of English author Madeleine Sophie Townley's (known by her pen name Sophie Kinsella) 2000 comedy humor chick lit fiction novel The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic.
Three years later, Hogan reunited with Collette for his 2012 Australian comedy/drama film 'Mental'. The film is based upon Hogan's difficult adolescent year. He was said to have had a difficult time in high school, as he was a victim of bullying.
According to Hogan's personal life, he is currently married to Australian screenwriter and film director Jocelyn Moorhouse, of whom he met of the set of 'Proof'. Hogan and Moorhouse have four children, two of whom are autistic.
In April 2019, Moorhouse spoke on the ABC Television program Australian Story about how their relationship had developed and how having the children had affected their personal and professional lives, including a move back to Australia from the United States.
Hogan has been active from 1984–present.
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