History Creator / FrancisFordCoppola

His father Carmine Coppola was the first flautist for the UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Symphony Orchestra, and won an Oscar scoring ''The Godfather Part II''. His daughter Creator/SofiaCoppola became an acclaimed director (despite an ill-fated acting gig in ''The Godfather Part III''). His sister Talia Shire was cast by him as Connie Corleone, and later became Franchise/{{Rocky}}'s wife Adrian, and her sons Creator/{{Jason|Schwartzman}} and Robert Schwartzman are also in the 'biz. His brother August is the father of Creator/NicolasCage. Along with the Hustons (Walter, John, and Anjelica), they are the only family to feature three generations of Oscar-winners.

* BerserkButton: In the DVDCommentary, Coppola is ''very'' defensive of his choice to cast his daughter Sofia in the third ''Godfather'' film. The much-criticized casting choice was due to Winona Ryder ducking out of the role a day before shooting began (and Coppola having hard demands to stay on time and budget), and Coppola had to scramble to fill it. It's said to be a poor idea to bring it up in his presence.

* VitriolicBestBuds: He and George Lucas met in 1967 as two filmmakers in their 20s just starting to get a foothold in the business, and teamed up to create Zoetrope International Pictures, intended to be a place where young new filmmakers could do their stuff without any ExecutiveMeddling. Unfortunately, the disastrous performance of their first release, Lucas' ''THX 1138'', killed the idea and they've had a quite tempestuous relationship ever since, though Lucas still describes it as the closest relationship he's ever had with ''anyone''.

* ''One from the Heart''

When the Seventies ended, Coppola's fortunes began to turn. His career stumbled with ''One from the Heart'', which was a massive departure from the realism of his previous films and proved an expensive flop which nearly bankrupted Zoetrope. Nonetheless, Coppola remained prolific throughout TheEighties, releasing ''Film/PeggySueGotMarried'', featuring his nephew Creator/NicolasCage. He also directed ''Film/TheOutsiders'' and ''Literature/RumbleFish'', two "pet projects" of his, and ''Film/TuckerTheManAndHisDream'', largely because [[AuthorAppeal his father owned a Tucker]]. ''Film/TheOutsiders'' launched the careers of more than a few familiar actors now. In TheNineties he went more commercial with films such as ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', ''Film/{{Jack|1996}}'' and ''Film/TheRainmaker''.

After doing low-budget films in the 1960s and early '70s, his breakthrough was winning an Academy Award for his screenplay of ''Film/{{Patton}}''. Creator/GeorgeLucas was hired to be his assistant. The two founded Zoetrope International Pictures together in 1971. Coppola's directing breakthrough was 1969's ''Film/TheRainPeople'', which was a box office flop, but impressed Paramount executives enough to tap him as director for ''Film/TheGodfather''.

When the Seventies ended, Coppola's fortunes began to turn. His career stumbled with ''One from the Heart'', an expensive flop which nearly bankrupted Zoetrope. Nonetheless, Coppola remained prolific throughout TheEighties, releasing ''Film/PeggySueGotMarried'', featuring his nephew Creator/NicolasCage. He also directed ''Film/TheOutsiders'' and ''Literature/RumbleFish'', two "pet projects" of his, and ''Film/TuckerTheManAndHisDream'', largely because [[AuthorAppeal his father owned a Tucker]]. ''Film/TheOutsiders'' launched the careers of more than a few familiar actors now. In TheNineties he went more commercial with films such as ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', ''Film/{{Jack|1996}}'' and ''Film/TheRainmaker''.

Francis Ford Coppola (born April 7, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan) is a famed American film director/screenwriter/producer, one of the paragons of The UsefulNotes/NewHollywood and best known for such works as ''Film/TheGodfather'' trilogy and ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.

In 1972, ''The Godfather'' was a critical and huge commercial success, and with that recognition, Coppola shot George Lucas to fame for producing his ''Film/AmericanGraffiti'' and ''Film/{{THX 1138}}''. In 1974 he directed ''Film/TheGodfather Part II'', and ''Film/TheConversation'' in the same year. The production of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' was an absolute nightmare for everyone who worked on it, but the film is widely regarded today by film critics as a masterpiece. In fact, [[Website/{{Cracked}} Coppola's films had won so many Oscars that he could smelt them all down to make the most critically acclaimed suit of armor in all the land.]]

Francis Ford Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a famed American film director/screenwriter/producer, one of the paragons of The UsefulNotes/NewHollywood and best known for such works as ''Film/TheGodfather'' trilogy and ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.

His father Carmine Coppola was the first flautist for the UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Symphony Orchestra, and won an Oscar scoring ''The Godfather Part II''. His daughter Creator/SofiaCoppola became an acclaimed director (despite an ill-fated acting gig in ''The Godfather Part III''). His sister Talia Shire was cast by him as Connie Corleone, and later became Franchise/{{Rocky}}'s wife Adrian (her son Jason Schwartzman is also an actor). His brother August is the father of Creator/NicolasCage. Along with the Hustons (Walter, John, and Anjelica), they are the only family to feature three generations of Oscar-winners.

When the Seventies ended, Coppola's fortunes began to turn. His career stumbled with ''One from the Heart'', an expensive flop which nearly bankrupted Zoetrope. Nonethless, Coppola remained prolific throughout TheEighties, releasing ''Film/PeggySueGotMarried'', featuring his nephew Creator/NicolasCage. He also directed ''Film/TheOutsiders'' and ''Literature/RumbleFish'', two "pet projects" of his, and ''Film/TuckerTheManAndHisDream'', largely because [[AuthorAppeal his father owned a Tucker]]. ''Film/TheOutsiders'' launched the careers of more than a few familiar actors now. In TheNineties he went more commercial with films such as ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', ''Film/{{Jack|1996}}'' and ''Film/TheRainmaker''.

His father Carmine Coppola was the first flautist for the UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Symphony Orchestra, and won an Oscar scoring ''The Godfather Part II''. His daughter Creator/SofiaCoppola became an acclaimed director (despite an ill-fated acting gig in ''The Godfather Part III''). His sister Talia Shire was cast by him as Connie Corleone, and later became Franchise/{{Rocky}}'s wife Adrian (her son Jason Schwartzman is also an actor). His brother August is the father of Creator/NicolasCage. Along with the Hustons (Walter, John and Angelica) they are the only family to feature three generations of Oscar-winners.

* GenreRoulette: Even in TheSeventies, Coppola wrote screenplays for a war film (''Patton''), a literary adaptation (''The Great Gatsby''), directed a paranoid thriller (''The Conversation''), a war movie (''Apocalypse Now'') and two gangster movies [[GenreAdultery that are more like]] HistoricalFiction period and family dramas than actual crime movies. He has become even more diverse then making Teen/YA movies, period {{Biopic}}, musicals, a Dracula movie and recently, he's moved into actual experimental movies.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/francis-for-coppola1_9759.jpg]]

[[quoteright:344:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/francis-for-coppola1_9759.jpg]]

* BerserkButton: In the DVDCommentary, Coppola is ''very'' defensive of his choice to cast his daughter Sofia in the third ''Godfather'' film. The much-criticized casting choice was due to Winona Ryder ducking out of the role day before shooting began (and Coppola having hard demands to stay on time and budget), and Coppola had to scramble to fill it. It's said to be a poor idea to bring it up in his presence.

Francis Ford Coppola (April 7, 1939-) is a famed American film director/screenwriter/producer, one of the paragons of The UsefulNotes/NewHollywood and best known for such works as ''Film/TheGodfather'' trilogy and ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.

[[caption-width-right:344:Why can't I hold all these Oscars?]]

->''Anything you build on a large scale or with intense passion invites chaos.''

* ''The Cotton Club''

* ''[[Film/{{Jack1996}} Jack]]''

After doing low-budget films in the 1960s and early '70s, his breakthrough was winning an Academy Award for his screenplay of ''Film/{{Patton}}''. Creator/GeorgeLucas was hired to be his assistant. The two founded Zoetrope International Pictures together in 1971. Coppola's directing breakthrough was 1969's ''The Rain People'', which was a box office flop, but impressed Paramount executives enough to tap him as director for ''Film/TheGodfather''.

* ''The Rain People''

* TransAtlanticEquivalent: In their aesthetics, methodologies, and even personalities, Coppola and Creator/WernerHerzog are bosom-buddies. Both favor flawed yet ambitious heroes in bold projects that balance [[ThePerfectionist meticulous planning]] with [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants off-the-cuff episodes]], with [[TroubledProduction attendant complications]]. They even had their own "Madness in the Jungle" [[Film/ApocalypseNow movie]], [[Film/AguirreTheWrathOfGod each]][[note]]What maks it even more interesting, is that ''Aguirre'''s visual style and narrative elements had a strong influence on Francis Ford Coppola when he was making ''Apocalypse Now''[[/note]].

* TransAtlanticEquivalent: In their aesthetics, methodologies, and even personalities, Coppola and Creator/WernerHerzog are bosom-buddies. Both favor flawed yet ambitious heroes in bold projects that balance [[ThePerfectionist meticulous planning]] with [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants off-the-cuff episodes]], with [[TroubledProduction attendant complications]]. They even had their own "Madness in the Jungle" [[Film/ApocalypseNow movie]], [[Film/{{Fitzcarraldo}} each]].

In 1972, ''The Godfather'' was a critical and huge commercial success, and with that recognition, Coppola shot George Lucas to fame for producing his ''Film/AmericanGraffiti'' and ''Film/{{THX 1138}}''. In 1974 he directed ''Film/TheGodfather Part II'', and ''Film/TheConversation'' in the same year. The production of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' was an absolute nightmare for everyone who worked on it, but the film is widely regarded today by film critics as a masterpiece.

Those were his most famous works. His career stumbled with ''One from the Heart'', an expensive flop which nearly bankrupted Zoetrope. Nonethless, Coppola remained prolific throughout TheEighties, releasing ''Film/PeggySueGotMarried'', featuring his nephew Creator/NicolasCage. He also directed ''Film/TheOutsiders'' and ''Literature/RumbleFish'', two "pet projects" of his, and ''Film/TuckerTheManAndHisDream'', largely because [[AuthorAppeal his father owned a Tucker]]. ''Film/TheOutsiders'' launched the careers of more than a few familiar actors now. In TheNineties he went more commercial with films such as ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', ''Film/{{Jack|1996}}'' and ''Film/TheRainmaker''.

His father Carmine Coppola was the first flautist for the UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Symphony Orchestra, and won an Oscar scoring ''The Godfather Part II''. His daughter Creator/SofiaCoppola became an acclaimed director (despite an ill-fated acting gig in ''The Godfather Part III''). His sister Talia Shire was cast by him as Connie Corleone, and later became Franchise/{{Rocky}}'s wife Adrian (her son Jason Schwartzman is also an actor). His brother August is the father of NicolasCage. Along with the Hustons (Walter, John and Angelica) they are the only family to feature three generations of Oscar-winners.

His father Carmine Coppola was the first flautist for the UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}} Symphony Orchestra, and won an Oscar scoring ''The Godfather Part II''. His daughter Creator/SofiaCoppola became an acclaimed director (despite an ill-fated acting gig in ''The Godfather Part III''). His sister Talia Shire was cast by him as Connie Corleone, and later became Film/{{Rocky}}'s wife Adrian (her son Jason Schwartzman is also an actor). His brother August is the father of NicolasCage. Along with the Hustons (Walter, John and Angelica) they are the only family to feature three generations of Oscar-winners.

'''Francis Ford Coppola''' (April 7, 1939-) is a famed American film director/screenwriter/producer, one of the paragons of The UsefulNotes/NewHollywood and best known for such works as ''Film/TheGodfather'' trilogy and ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.

* TransAtlanticEquivalent: In their aesthetics, methodologies, and even personalities, Coppola and Creator/WernerHerzog are bosom-buddies. Both favor flawed yet ambitious heroes in bold projects that balance [[ThePerfectionist meticulous planning]] with [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants off-the-cuff episodes]], with [[TroubledProduction attendant complications]]. They even had their own "Madness in the Jungle" [[Film/ApocalypseNow movie]], [[Film/{Fitzcarraldo} each]].

* TransAtlanticEquivalent: In their aesthetics, methodologies, and even personalities, Coppola and Creator/WernerHerzog are bosom-buddies. Both favor flawed yet ambitious heroes in bold projects that balance [[ThePerfectionist meticulous planning]] with [[WriteByTheSeatOfYourPants off-the-cuff episodes]], with [[TroubledProduction attendant complications]]. They even had their own "Madness in the Jungle" [[Film/ApocalypseNow movie]], [[Film/{Fitzcarraldo} each]].