Biography
French screenwriter Danièle Thompson was born in Monaco to the prolific filmmaker
Gérard Oury. She received her first screenwriting credits in 1966 on his film
La Grande Vadrouille. Along with fellow writer Marcel Jullian, she would write scripts for nine more of her father's movies throughout the next few decades. Mostly original romantic comedies, she also wrote literary adaptations and worked with many other directors. In 1975, her script for
Jean-Charles Tacchella's Cousin, Cousine was nominated for an Academy Award. During the '80s, she tried her hand at television and came up with the comedic series Petit Déjeuner Compris. Moving away from comedy, she started working with director Claude Pinoteau for his next few dramas (
La Boum,
La Boum 2, L'Étudiante, and
La Neige et le Feu). In the '90s, she wrote some made-for-TV movies and began working with director
Patrice Chéreau, which led to two César nominations for
La Reine Margot and
Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train. In 1999, she made her directorial debut with the domestic comedy
La Bûche, which she wrote with her son Christopher Thompson. Featuring an ensemble cast and a witty script, the film earned several César nominations. She teamed up with her son again for Décalage Horaire, a romantic comedy starring
Juliette Binoche and
Jean Reno. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide