Philip Kaufman (born October 23, 1936) is an American film director and screenwriter who has directed fifteen films over a career spanning more than six decades. He has been described as a "maverick" and an "iconoclast," notable for his versatility and independence. He is considered an "auteur" whose films have always expressed his personal vision. Kaufman's works have included genres such as realism, horror, fantasy, erotica, Westerns, underworld crime, and inner city gangs. His choice of topics has been eclectic and sometimes controversial, having adapted novels with diverse themes and stories. Examples are Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), Michael Crichton's Rising Sun (1993), a remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), and the erotic writings of Anaïs Nin's Henry & June (1990). His film The Wanderers (1979) has achieved cult status. His greatest success was Tom Wolfe's true-life The Right Stuff (1983), which received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. According to film historian Annette Insdorf, "no other living American director has so consistently and successfully made movies for adults, tackling sensuality, artistic creation, and manipulation by authorities." Other critics note that Kaufman's films are "strong on mood and atmosphere," with powerful cinematography and a "lyrical, poetic style" to portray different historic periods. His later films have a somewhat European style, but the stories always "stress individualism and integrity, and are clearly American." Early life Kaufman was born in Chicago in 1936, the only son of Elizabeth (Brandau), a housewife, and Nathan Kaufman, a produce businessman. He was the grandson of German Jewish immigrants. One of his grammar and high school friends was William Friedkin, who also became a director. He developed an early love of movies and during his youth he would often go to double features. He attended the University of Chicago where he received a degree in history, and then enrolled at Harvard Law School where he spent a year. He returned to Chicago for a postgraduate degree, hoping to become a professor of history. Before graduating Kaufman became involved in the counterculture movement and in 1960 moved to San Francisco. He took various jobs there, including postal worker, and befriended a number of influential people, such as writer Henry Miller. He and his wife then decided to travel and live in Europe for a while where he would teach. After spending time working on a kibbutz in Israel, he taught English