Lawrence Kasdan, a prominent screenwriter and director with four Academy Award nominations, has made a substantial impact on Hollywood, contributing to blockbuster franchises like “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars.” From a young age, Kasdan was certain about his career path, a passion that led him to the University of Michigan as an undergraduate.
Today, Kasdan stands as the most successful filmmaker to have graduated from the university. His extensive collection of papers, which shed light on the making of some of cinema’s most influential films, has been added to the University of Michigan Library’s Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers Collection. This collection also features other notable figures like Orson Welles and Robert Altman, but Kasdan is unique as the first U-M alum included.
According to Philip Hallman, the collection’s curator, Kasdan’s career is distinctive. “His career is distinct in many ways,” Hallman explained. “Unlike the others, he worked within the studio system, but unlike most within that system, he was able to direct his own screenplays, and so his films are very much infused with his unique viewpoint and vision.”
Why U-M?
Kasdan’s decision to attend the University of Michigan was influenced by a friend who mentioned the Hopwood Awards Program. This program, which offers writing prizes, helped playwright Arthur Miller fund his education. The potential to finance his studies through writing was appealing to Kasdan, reflecting his early confidence in his talents.
During his time at U-M, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1970 and a master’s in 1972, he won four Hopwood Awards. Although these awards were vital, they weren’t enough to cover all expenses, forcing Kasdan to take part-time jobs. He also engaged with the Cinema Guild, a student-run organization that exposed him to a diverse range of films beyond mainstream Hollywood offerings.
“It was a crazy, wonderful time,” Kasdan stated, during which he consumed as many as 10 films a week. The Cinema Guild was transformative for him, offering exposure to genres he would later explore in his career. Hallman credits this wide-ranging film exposure as key to Kasdan’s versatile storytelling approach.
At U-M, Kasdan also learned from Kenneth Rowe, the playwriting seminar instructor credited by Arthur Miller as pivotal in his career. Rowe taught Kasdan about story structure, serving as a “benevolent professor, like something out of a 1940s movie,” Kasdan recalled.
‘Very rarely a straight line’
Kasdan’s office displays a poster of Akira Kurosawa’s film “Yojimbo,” signed humorously by a friend. “Actually, I did meet him once. But there was no poster exchange,” Kasdan said, describing his encounter with Kurosawa. This incident echoes his belief that stories “are very rarely a straight line.”
Kasdan’s film successes in the 1980s and 90s might appear linear, with titles like “Body Heat” (1981), “The Big Chill” (1983), and “The Accidental Tourist” (1988). He also contributed to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) and co-wrote “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Return of the Jedi” (1983).
Steven Spielberg’s interest in his script “Continental Divide” led to collaboration with George Lucas and the creation of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” “It was insane,” Kasdan remarked about his sudden career shift from advertising to filmmaking. Yet this rise masked years of rejected screenplays, with “The Bodyguard” alone rejected 67 times.
Kasdan credits his perseverance to the confidence gained from winning Hopwood Awards. “There was never a day after I received that [Hopwood Award] letter that I doubted I would be able to make my way as a writer,” he shared during a 1999 lecture at the university.
What’s in the archive?
Philip Hallman is currently organizing Kasdan’s archive, making it accessible through the University’s Special Collections Research Center. The work is about one-third complete, focusing initially on the 1980s films. The archive includes unsold scripts and rare photographs, like those of Kevin Costner’s deleted scene from “The Big Chill.”
The collection also contains photo albums documenting the camaraderie among cast and crew on various film projects. “I was never drawn to the popular Hollywood idea that conflict on a set makes great art,” Kasdan stated, emphasizing trust and collaboration in filmmaking.
Kasdan’s papers are noted for their exceptional organization, thanks to skilled assistants and his own meticulous records. “I valued the records, and I wanted them compiled into an archive in case someone wanted them,” Kasdan said, ensuring they would be accessible and organized for future exploration by researchers and filmmakers.
