The only filmmaker to come from Austin who has any merit and is recognized by his peers as talented is Robert Benton.
www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=robert+benton+
In 1987 I was here when he filmed "Nadine" with Kim Bassinger and Jeff Bridges. What surprised me about Bridges is how tall he is. In film you never see how short some actors are, and apparently you can never tell when someone is really tall...and Bridges was tall.
It was a wacky story set in Austin in the 1950s based on real characters he knew then, and many old timers here know who those people are.
There can be no doubt that it's the best film ever made here for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it's about the town itself, rather than just using the city as a location for anywhere.
As far as Rodriquez or Linklater are concerned I just laugh. They are examples that the film business has grown so big that there's ample room in it now for individuals who have no talent at all...for anything.
Best Austin Movie?
Nadine
