Neil LaBute (born 19 March 1961) is a film director, screenwriter and playwright American.

Biography

Born in Detroit, Michigan, LaBute was raised in Spokane, Washington. Studied Theatre at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints. BYU he met actor Aaron Eckhart, who would later interpreted leading roles in several of his films. LaBute produced several works that contrasted with the environment religiously conservative College, some of which were cancelled before its premiere. Also did graduate work at the University of Kansas, University of New York and at the Royal Academy.

In 1993, LaBute return to Brigham Young University to his work in the company of men, for which he received an award from the Association for Mormon Letters. He taught drama and film at the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he made a film adaptation of his work. Filming lasted for two weeks and cost $20,000, which began his career as a film director. The film won the Trophy Filmmakers at the Sundance Film Festival and also won awards and nominations in Deauville Film Festival, the International Film Festival of Thessaloniki, the Society of Texas Film Critics Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, New York Film Critics Circle.

LaBute has received positive reviews for its sharp and disturbing representations of human relationships. In the company of men shows two businessmen misogynists who cruelly conspire to crush and destroy emotionally woman plosive. His next film, Your Friends & Neighbors, with a cast including Ben Stiller, and Aaron Eckhart was a shocking and honest portrayal of sexual life of three suburban couples. In 2002, wrote a work entitled Broadway outside Bash: Latter-Day Plays, a set of three short works (Iphigenia in orem, A gaggle of saints and media redux), which shows essentially good members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints acting violently. Work led to the expulsion of Church LaBute.

His work The Mercy Seat of 2002 was one of the first theatrical responses to the attacks of September 11, 2001. Set in on 12 September 2001, tells the story of a man who worked at the World Trade Center, but that during the attack was away from the Office with her lover. Hoping that his family creates that died during the collapse of the towers, he contemplates the possibility of using the tragedy to flee and start a new life with her lover. Starring Liev Schreiber and Sigourney Weaver, was a commercial of criticism, both success in large part due to the willingness to confront myths that many Commodore had built to comfort themselves after of the attacks.

The latest film of LaBute is The Wicker Man, an American version of film British of the same name. The film, his first work of horror, starring Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn and was released on September 1, 2006 by Warner Bros. The film received negative reviews and had a mediocre box office.

Filmography

* Death at a funeral (2010)

* Lakeview Terrace (2008)

* The Wicker Man (2006)

* For the love of art (2003)

* Possession (2002)

* Nurse Betty (2000)

* Tumble (short film) (2000)

* Your Friends & Neighbors (1998)

* In the company of men (1997)

Productions

* In A Dark Dark House (2007)

* Wrecks (2005)

* Some Girl (s) (2005)

* This Is How It Goes (2005)

* Fat Pig (2004)

* Autobahn

* Merge (2003)

* The Mercy Seat (2002)

* The Distance From Here (2002)

* The Shape of Things (2001)

* Bash: latter-day Plays (1999)

* In the company of men (1992)

* Filthy Talk For Troubled Times