Top 5 Gus Van Sant Films, Ranked

You
always
know
when
you’re
watching
a
Gus
Van
Sant
movie.
His
camera
techniques,
directing
decisions,
and
story
content
are
unique
to
him.
For
decades,
Van
Sant
has
created
a
collection
of
films
to
entertain
and
make
us
think.
At
the
same
time,
the
director
is
not
afraid
to
take
risks
like
casting
an
ensemble
of
unknown
actors
in
the
Palme
d’Or
winner

&#65279Elephant&#65279,
or
making
a
shot-by-shot
remake
of
Alfred
Hitchcock’s

Psycho.
Like
every
director,
some
of
his
films
may
not
have
been
for
everyone.
But
it
goes
without
question
that
his
style
and
talent
have
proved
him
as
one
of
the
greats.
Among
his
collection
are
some
of
the
most
highly
regarded
films
of
his
generation.
&#65279

Van
Sant
was
born
and
raised
in
Louisville,
Kentucky
and
from
a
very
young
age,
had
a
strong
interest
in
painting
and
filmmaking.
His
passion
for
the
arts
brought
him
to
the
Rhode
Island
School
of
Design
where
he
majored
in
painting.
His
eye
for
detail
and
design
can
clearly
be
seen
in
all
of
his
films.
Van
Sant
has
created
shots
so
beautiful
that
they
could
be
mistaken
for
paintings.
Soon
after
attending
college,
he
switched
his
major
to
filmmaking.
The
intuitive
director
spent
time
in
Los
Angeles
where
he
studied
disadvantaged
sections
of
the
city
and
was
inspired
to
make
his
directorial
debut,

&#65279Mala
Noche.
From
there,
Van
Sant’s
career
took
off
and
he
has
since
been
telling
deep
stories
exploring
topics
of
love,
violence,
self-acceptance,
and
much
more.
If
you
are
looking
to
explore
the
filmography
of
Gus
Van
Sant,
you
might
want
to
start
with
these
five
films.
&#65279

5


5&#65279Elephant
&#65279

Van
Sant’s
2003
film,



Elephant,
follows
the
lives
of
several
high
school
students
over
the
course
of
one
day
that
leads
up
to
a
school
shooting.
The
controversial
film
&#65279feels
like
a
documentary
at
points
due
to
its
long
takes
and
realistic
dialogue.
Van
Sant
took
many
creative
risks
during
the
production
including
casting
all-new
or
non-professional
actors,
as
well
as
writing
the
script
as
he
shot
the
film
and
letting
the
actors
improvise
much
of
their
dialogue.

The
film
is
loosely
based
on
the
1999
Columbine
High
School
massacre
and
gives
us
an
artistic
look
at
the
tragic
events.
The
film
was
shot
over
the
course
of
twenty
days
and
was
filmed
at
Van
Sant’s
hometown
of
Portland,
Oregon.

&#65279Elephant
received
critical
acclaim
and
took
home
the
Palme
d’Or
at
the
2003
Cannes
Film
Festival.

4


4&#65279Drugstore
Cowboy&#65279

&#65279The
1989
film,



Drugstore
Cowboy,
gave
us
an
artistic
look
at
the
effects
of
drug
addiction.
The
film
follows
a
group
of
addicts
in
the
1970s
who
rob
pharmacies
and
hospitals
to
fund
their
dangerous
habit.
&#65279Matt
Dillon
delivers
a
fantastic
performance
as
the
group
leader,
Bob
Hughes,
alongside
an
ensemble
cast.
The
film
showcases
the
miseries
and
truths
of
drug
addiction
in
a
beautifully
shot
film.

Honest
depictions
of
drugs,
violence,
and
self-infliction
are
seen
in
many
of
Van
Sant’s
films.
The
director
clearly
has
a
fascination
with
outcasts
and
degenerates
and
he
shows
that
with
every
frame
of

&#65279Drugstore
Cowboy.
At
times,
the
film
can
be
hard
to
watch
but
it
is
important
to
show
the
true
outcomes
and
pain
that
is
associated
with
drug
addiction.

Drugstore
Cowboy
was
very
well
received
and
currently
holds
a
100%
rating
on

&#65279Rotten
Tomatoes&#65279.
The
cast
also
includes
Kelly
Lynch,
James
Remar,
and
Heather
Graham.

3


3&#65279Finding
Forrester&#65279

&#65279This
2000
drama
tells
the
story
of
a
gifted
high
school
student,
Jamal
Wallace
(Rob
Brown),
who
gets
the
chance
to
attend
a
prestigious
private
school
while
forming
a
friendship
with
a
legendary,
yet
reclusive,
writer
William
Forrester
(Sean
Connery).
The
film
delivers
on
so
many
levels
including
the
performances,
inspirational
story,
and
beautiful
cinematography.
Through
the
mentoring
from
Forrester,
Wallace
learns
to
live
up
to
his
writing
potential
while
staying
true
to
his
morals
as
others
try
to
bring
him
down.
Connery
shines
in
every
scene
of
the
film
as
the
brilliant,
yet
struggling
writer
who
learns
to
make
a
connection
by
mentoring
Wallace.

It
should
be
no
surprise
that
Connery
himself
stated
that
he
based
his
performance
on
writer
J.D
Sallinger.
The
film
is
an
inspiration
and
gives
us
a
beautiful
story
about
self-identity
and
friendship.

Finding
Forrester’s
cast
is
filled
with
talented
actors
including
F.
Murray
Abraham,
Anna
Paquin,
and
Michael
Pitt.

2

&#652792&#65279Good
Will
Hunting
&#65279

Van
Sant’s
Oscar-winning
film
was
an
achievement
on
so
many
levels.
The
brilliant
script,
written
by
Matt
Damon
and
Ben
Affleck,
tells
the
story
of
a
genius
prodigy,
Will
Hunting
(Matt
Damon),
who
learns
to
live
with
his
troubled
past
and
achieve
his
potential
through
the
help
of
his
therapist
Sean
(Robin
Williams).
It
is
a
perfect
script
that
is
filled
with
brilliant
monologues,
unforgettable
lines,
and
heart-wrenching
scenes
that
deal
with
love,
friendship,
and
overcoming
tragedy.

The
film
also
showcases,
quite
possibly,
Robin
Williams’s
finest
performance.
Williams
would
go
on
to
take
home
the
Oscar
for
Best
Supporting
Actor.



Good
Will
Hunting
made
Matt
Damon
and
Ben
Affleck
overnight
superstars
upon
winning
the
Oscar
for
Best
Original
Screenplay.

&#65279Good
Will
Hunting
is
a

film
that
comes
along
once
in
a
lifetime
and
should
be
seen
by
all
at
least
once.

1


1&#65279Milk&#65279

&#65279The
2008
biographical
film
that
follows
the
accounts
of
gay
rights
activist
and
politician
Harvey
Milk
(Sean
Penn),
is
undoubtedly
Van
Sant’s
highest
achievement
of
his
career
thus
far.
Sean
Penn
completely
embodies

Harvey
Milk
in
a
career-defining
performance.
Penn’s
physicality
and
emotional
range
are
perfect
in
every
scene
and
pays
epic
tribute
to
the
life
and
achievements
of
Milk
who
was
tragically
assassinated
by
city
supervisor
Dan
White
(Josh
Brolin).

The
film
showcases
the
struggles,
prejudice,
and
animosity
that
Milk
and
his
team
had
to
overcome
to
fight
for
gay
rights
and
win
elections
against
all
odds.
It
is
a
true
story
of
inspiration.
The
film
is
beautifully
shot
and
the
brilliant
performances
and
Oscar
winning
screenplay
by
Dustin
Lance
Black
make
it
enthralling
from
beginning
to
end.

Milk’s&#65279
cast
is
filled
with
sheer
talents
including
James
Franco,
Diego
Luna,
and
a
scene-stealing
Emile
Hirsch.