Jaws (movie) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jaws |
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The official Jaws logo
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| Directed by | Steven Spielberg |
| Produced by | David Brown Richard D. Zanuck |
| Written by | Novel: Peter Benchley Screenplay: Peter Benchley Carl Gottlieb Uncredited: Howard Sackler |
| Starring | Roy Scheider Richard Dreyfuss Robert Shaw Lorraine Gary Murray Hamilton |
| Music by | John Williams |
| Cinematography | Bill Butler |
| Editing by | Verna Fields |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 20, 1975 (ltd) July 25 (wide) |
| Running time | Theatrical cut: 124 minutes TV cut: 130 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7 million |
| Money made | $470,653,000 |
Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's 1974 novel of the same name. In the story, a giant man-eating great white shark attacks beachgoers on Amity Island, a fictional New England summer resort town, prompting the local police chief to hunt it with the help of a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter. The film stars Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody, Robert Shaw as shark hunter Quint, Richard Dreyfuss as oceanographer Matt Hooper, Murray Hamilton as Larry Vaughn, the mayor of Amity Island, and Lorraine Gary as Brody's wife, Ellen. The screenplay is credited to both Benchley, who wrote the first drafts, and actor-writer Carl Gottlieb, who rewrote the script during principal photography.
Shot mostly on location on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, the film had a troubled production, going over budget and past schedule. As the art department's mechanical sharks suffered many malfunctions, Spielberg decided to mostly suggest the animal's presence,using the theme created by composer John Williams to indicate the shark's coming appearances.
Considered one of the greatest films ever made, Jaws was the prototypical summer blockbuster, with its release regarded as a moment in motion picture history. Jaws became the highest-grossing film of all time until the release of Star Wars (1977).
It won several awards for its music and editing. Along with Star Wars, Jaws was pivotal in establishing the modern Hollywood business model, which revolves around high box-office returns from action and adventure pictures with simple "high-concept" premises that are released during the summer in thousands of theaters and supported by heavy advertising. It was followed by three sequels, none with the participation of Spielberg or Benchley, and many imitative thrillers.
Awards
Jaws won three Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound. It was also nominated for Best Picture. Along with the Oscar, John Williams's score won the Grammy Award, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, and the Golden Globe Award.
Jaws was chosen Favorite Movie at the People's Choice Awards. It was also nominated for best Film, Director, Actor (Richard Dreyfuss), Editing, Screenplay and Sound at the 29th British Academy Film Awards, and Best Film—Drama, Director, and Screenplay at the 33rd Golden Globe Awards. Spielberg was nominated by the Directors Guild of America for a DGA Award. The Writers Guild of America nominated Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb's script for Best Adapted Drama.
In 2001, the United States Library of Congress selected it for the National Film Registry. In 2006, its screenplay was ranked the 63rd best of all time by the Writers Guild of America.
Images for kids
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The fishing village of Menemsha, Martha's Vineyard, was the primary location.
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The mechanical shark, attached to the tower
See also
In Spanish: Tiburón (película) para niños
