The Filmmakers

Joel Schumacher Director	Sally Field Producer
Kevin McCormick Producer	Duncan Henderson Co-Producer
Mauri Gayton Associate Producer	Richard Friedenberg Screenwriter
Juan Ruiz Anchia Cinematographer	Guy Comtois Production Designer
Neil Spisak Visual Consultant	Susan Becker Costume Designer
Robert Brown Editor	James Newton Howard Composer

"Dying Young" marks a departure for director JOEL SCHUMACHER. His previous films, "Flatliners," "Cousins," "The Lost Boys" and "St. Elmo's Fire," have all been distinctly different yet have utilized his keen ability to blend the talents of a large ensemble cast.

Says Schumacher about his attraction to "Dying Young," "I try to make different movies each time out, and this was certainly very different from anything else I've done. Also, I had directed a lot of ensemble films, and this was an opportunity to dna more focused story revolving around two people."

Schumacher was born and raised in New York City. where lie worked as a design and display artist for the Henri Bendel department stores while studying fashion design at Parson's School of Design After graduation, he opened his own boutique, Paraphenalia, then joined Revlon as a designer of clothing and packaging. He began his career in the entertainment industry as an art director for television commercials, before becoming a costume designer for feature films such as "Sleeper," "The Last of Sheila," "Blume in Love" and "Interiors,"

Turning to a different aspect of filmmaking, Schumacher also began writing screenplays. His writing credits include "Sparkle" and "Car Wash" as well as two feature films he directed, "D.C. Cab" and "St. Elmo's Fire" (the later co-written with Carl Kurlander).

Schumacher broke into directing with two television films, "The Virginia Hill Story" and the award-winning "Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill," both of which he also wrote. "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" marked his feature film directing debut.

In 1988 Schumacher directed tie record-breaking Chicago run of David Mamet's play "Speed-the-Plow.'

He will next direct "And the Band Played On" for HBO. 

Field has a remarkable record performing in roles that reflect the versatility and depth of her talent. In 1983 she formed Fogwood Films to enable her to develop scripts and characters about which she felt passionate.  Through her company she produced "Punchline," in which she also starred with Tom Harks. Previously, she produced "Murphy's Romance," starring Field and James Garner, directed by Martin Ritt and written by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank, Jr., the creative team behind "Norma Rae," for which Field won an Academy Award for best Actress.

Field won a second Oscar for her performance as the widow of a Depression-era cotton farmer in Robert Benton's "Places in the Heart."

Born in Pasadena, California, to a show-business family, she became well known to television audiences through her series work. Branching into feature films, she received critical acclaim for her performance in Bob Rafelson's "Stay Hungry," but it was her Emmy Award-winning performance in the miniseries "Sybil" that marked a turning point in her career.

She first met Julie Roberts while filming "Steel Magnolias," with Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah and Dolly Parton. Impressed by the young actress, Field looked forward to future collaborations with her.

Field most recently starred in director Brian Gilbert's drama "Not Without My Daughter." She stars this summer in the comedy "Soap Dish"' opposite Kevin Kline, Whoopi Goldberg and Robert Downey, Jr.
 

Before joining Fogwood, McCormick worked as an independent producer, active in many areas of the film industry. As senior vice president of the Hollywood-based motion picture operation of Nelvana, a Canadian production company, he developed and produced the controversial HBO film "Into The Homeland," written by Anna Hamilton Phelan and starring Powers Boothe, and the feature film "Burglar," staring Whoopi Goldberg.  Before that, McCormick was president of Michael Nesmith's Pacific Arts video production company.

McCormick entered the film industry in 1971 as personal assistant to Robert Stigwood. Within five years he had become senior vice president of production and development for the Robert Stigwood Organization. Working out of New York, he headed RSO's new film division. The first motion picture he developed and executive produced was the phenomenal hit "Saturday Night Fever," starring John Travolta. He served as executive producer on several other films including "The Fan," starring Lauren Bacall and James Garner, and "Times Square," directed by Alan Moyle, before leaving the Stigwood organization in 1981.

Raised in a suburb of New Jersey. McCormick at twenty moved to London, where he ran a theatrical program for the Institute of Contemporary Arts. He also worked as a contributing writer for London's Plays and Players magazine and as a production assistant on several West End plays, before beginning his ten-year working relationship with Stigwood.
 

Henderson, a native of Los Angeles, studied economics and geography at UCLA and received an MBA in finance from the University of Southern California before deciding to pursue his interest in motion pictures. Following completion of the Directors Guild training program, he served as assistant director on numerous films including "Rocky IV' and "Cobra" and moved into the position of production manager on "Over the Top" and "No Man's Land."  In 1987 he was line producer for Julien Temple's "Earth Girls Are Easy." He then served as associate producer/production manager on "Three Fugitives" and "Dead Poets Society" before graduating to co-producer on "Taking Care of Business" in 1989.

Her production experience was gained from the numerous feature films on which she worked as a production coordinator, among them "Taking Care of Business," "Big Business," "Over the Top," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Flashdance" and "Airplane, The Sequel."  Moving to Los Angeles in 1979, Gayton was introduced to the industry when she was hired by Allan Carr as assistant to the producer on the feature "Can't Stop the Music."

An ardent traveller who has lived and worked around the world, Gayton has also been a freelance translator. Among her assignments was translating the original stage version of "La Cage Aux Folles" from the French for the American Theatre.
 

For television, Anchia served as cinematographer for Michael Dinner on the award-winning "Miss Lonelyhearts" and photographed the television films "Single Bars, Single Women" and "Noon Wine."

Born in the Basque capital of Bilbao, Spain, Anchia graduated from the Escuela Oficial do Cinematografia in 1972 and worked on many films in his homeland,  including two Spanish/American co-productions "1919" and "Cronica del Alba." His first American assignment was on "Reborn," and he went on to study cinematography/filmmaking at the American Film Institute, from which he graduated in 1981.
 

Production designer GUY COMTOIS lists among his credits "If Looks Could Kill," "Navy SEALs." "Shadow of Kilimanjaro," "The French Kiss," "Quest for Fire" and "Cujo."

For television he designed the film's "Sadat," "War and Remembrance" and "Little Gloria," which earned him an Emmy nomination.
 

After graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University, where he majored in scenery and costume design, he moved to New York and met well-known costume designer Ann Roth, eventually assuming her duties for the touring companies and London production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." He assisted Roth on numerous feature films and Broadway shows, before beginning to design his own shows

As a production designer, Spisak numbers among his film credits "Pacific Heights," "Nightgame," "Full Moon in Blue Water," "End of the Line," "The Trip to Bountiful," "Tigertown" and the television film "Andre's Mother" for PBS.
 

Among her many credits are three films with Diane Keaton, "Baby Boom" "The Good Mother" and "The Lemon Sisters," and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" with Whoopi Goldberg.  She costumed Ellen Barkin in "Sea of Love" and Jessica Lange in "Men Don't Leave."

She also designs clothing for Maxfield, a top Los Angeles boutique.
 

In a career that spans over twenty years Brown's credits also include "Permanent Record," "Police Academy," "The Pope of Greenwich Village," "High Risk," " Brubaker," "The Amityville Horror" and "Damien: The Omen II."

Brown began his editing career in documentaries, He co-directed "Holding," a documentary about Americans serving time in prison in Spain.
 

Howard began his career as a songwriter and record producer, and worked with Elton John as his keyboardist. He co-produced Randy Newman's "Land of Dreams" and co-wrote the hit song "You Are My Everything" for Jody Watley. Howard has also written songs and produced albums for Glenn Frey, Rickie Lee Jones, George Benson and Cher.

His other film credits include "Major League," "Coupe de Ville," "The Package," "Everybody's All American," "Eight Million Ways to Die," "Some Girls," "Nobody's Fool," "Tap," "Promised Land", "Tough Guys" and "Wildcats."