Alexander Payne is an American screenwriter and filmmaker. He studied Spanish and history at Stanford before getting his MFA at UCLA. Payne’s films are known for their distinct perspectives, a welcome contrast from the Hollywood standard. His dark comedies include Citizen Ruth, Sideways, and About Schmidt. In his 30-year career, Payne’s films have gotten 19 Oscar nominations.
Payne co-wrote “The Descendants” with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in 2011. After its Telluride premiere, the film featuring George Clooney was a commercial and critical success. Like Payne’s previous films, this one is about a damaged person forced to make difficult choices. “The Descendants” was voted for five Oscars, including the National Film Award and Best Picture, and won for Best Screenplay.
Payne’s 2013 film “Nebraska” follows an eccentric Korean War soldier on an ill-fated cross-country road journey from Billings, Montana, to Lincoln, Nebraska. Payne didn’t create the screenplay for “Nebraska,” but he directed it, and its shows. Payne was nominated for Best Director for “Nebraska”.
With Downsizing, Payne’s latest film, he admits it was his most brutal to date. In 2017, the National Promotion board named it one of its most influential films. Despite Payne’s declaration that Downsizing is his most challenging film yet, he says it is a progression of his past work. “Many of the themes Jim Taylor and I worked on in the last six films are revived in this film,” he says. While Downsizing was a departure for Payne, it had many similarities with his prior works. Payne claims, “This film resembles my previous efforts. It’s about an Omaha schnook who gets lost and has his stuff seized.” In many ways, Downsizing, Omaha schnook or not, enhanced Payne’s skill.
Alexander Payne works with the same few people on most of his projects. It’s easy to relate to previous initiatives with the same personnel. This allows me to tell (Set Designer) Jane, “Oh yes, remember that?” He says. He also appreciates collaborating since it makes better films. It’s become the most delicate part of filmmaking. “It’s all about the questions you ask one another,” he says.