Jonathan Demme

Roger Corman gave Demme his start on exploitation pictures, and all through his Hollywood years he kept a fondness for ordinary faces at the edge of the story. In The Silence of the Lambs an FBI trainee is sent to interview Hannibal Lecter in his cell. Philadelphia has two lawyers suing a law firm for AIDS discrimination. Rachel Getting Married lets a woman out of rehab for her sister's wedding, and films the weekend like a home movie.

Signature

• Faces in close-up, looking almost into the lens.
• Warmth toward supporting characters and crowds.
• Music everywhere, down to the wedding band in Rachel Getting Married.
• Studio films about prejudice and trauma (Philadelphia, Beloved).