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Melissa Mathison, "E.T." screenwriter and ex-wife of Harrison Ford, dies

posted 9 years ago by TMC-4
3 replies | jump to latest

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/melissa-mathison-e-t-screenwriter-dies-dead-1201633801/

November 4, 2015 | 03:05PM PT
Pat Saperstein
Deputy Editor @Variety_PatS

Melissa Mathison, who was Oscar-nominated for original screenplay for Spielberg’s “E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial” and also wrote “The Black Stallion,” died Wednesday in Los Angeles after an illness, her brother Dirk Mathison confirmed. She was 65.

She most recently wrote the screenplay for Spielberg’s Roald Dahl adaptation “The BFG,” which is in post-production. Mathison, who was married to Harrison Ford from 1983 to 2004, also wrote screenplays for Martin Scorsese’s 1997 “Kundun,” “The Indian in the Cupboard,” and “The Escape Artist.”

She wrote a segment in the “Twilight Zone” movie as well as writing TV movie “Son of the Morning Star.”

Mathison was born in Los Angeles and had two children, Malcolm and Georgia, with Ford.

[–] mkohary 9 years ago

RIP. Along with "E.T.", "The Black Stallion" is one of my favorites. Both films were so eloquently written, and while both were ostensibly aimed at younger people, at no point does either movie ever talk down to them. I saw "The Black Stallion" in the theater when I was 10, and I remember walking out and thinking about what a beautiful and mature film I'd just seen - that might have been the first time I kind of recognized that there was an art to filmmaking. Looking forward to seeing "The BFG".

[–] ZakkWyldeMyLittlePony 9 years ago

I'm sad to hear the news :'(

Iron Maiden is bigger than Jesus.

[–] FX_Lord 9 years ago

It's sad, I know. I was so not expecting this. I just wish she had written more films because she was a genius in that respect, as I hope everyone will appreciate when The BFG comes out.

"I don't reckon I got no reason to kill nobody."