Stepping Behind the Camera Online Trivia | Something in Common

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1. A 2012 film directed by Ben Affleck won the Oscar for Best Picture. Which one of these films was it?

Answer: Argo

"Argo" takes place in 1979 during the militant take over of the U.S. Embassy in Iran. The United States government enlists the help of an extractor, played by Ben Affleck, to rescue the six Americans that were able to escape the Embassy and find a refuge at the residence of the Canadian Ambassador. His plan is to set-up a bogus film production in Iran to disguise the rescue attempt.

"Argo" won Best Picture, but Ben Affleck was not even nominated for Best Director. In the history of the Academy Awards, there have not been a lot of films to win Best Picture without a Best Director nomination. A few of those films that have are "Wings", "Grand Hotel", and "Driving Miss Daisy".

2. "Unbroken" is a film about the true story of an Olympian in a prisoner-of-war camp during World War Two. The screenplay was writing by Joel and Ethan Coen, but which one of these leading ladies directed it?

Answer: Angelina Jolie

This film is not Angelina Jolie's first directing adventure and it is certainly not her last. She is putting on many hats: acting, directing, producing, and writing. Other films that were directed and also written by Jolie are "In the Land of Blood and Honey" and "By the Sea".

3. Which cast member of the popular '90s hit show "Friends" directed the 2010 film "Trust"?

Answer: David Schwimmer

"Trust" starred Clive Owen and dealt with one family's struggle after their teenage daughter was targeted by an online predator. Liana Liberato, who portrayed Clive Owen's daughter, won Best Actress at the Chicago International Film Festival for her performance.

In addition to his long running role on "Friends", Schwimmer has also been in "Band of Brothers", Madagascar" (voice), and "American Crime Story".

4. You may remember him as Opie Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" or Richie Cunningham from "Happy Days", but Ron Howard is also an accomplished director. Which one of these films was NOT directed by him?

Answer: Erin Brockovich

Ron Howard won an Oscar for both Best Picture and Best Director for "A Beautiful Mind". Other films that he has directed include: "The Da Vinci Code", "The Missing", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", "Splash", and so on.

"Erin Brockovich" was directed by Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh is responsible for other such films as "Contagion", "Traffic", "Ocean's Eleven", and so on.

5. She can sing, she can act, and she can also direct. In 1991, she directed Nick Nolte in "The Prince of Tides". Which one of these divas is it?

Answer: Barbra Streisand

"The Prince of Tides" was nominated for Best Picture in 1992, but lost out to "The Silence of the Lambs". Barbra Streisand was not nominated for Best Director by the Academy, but she was nominated by the Golden Globes. She lost out to Oliver Stone for "JFK".

6. Clint Eastwood may have been the Man with No Name, but his name is certainly all over this 2005 Oscar winning film that starred Hilary Swank. Which one of these films is it?

Answer: Million Dollar Baby

"Million Dollar Baby" is about a legendary boxing trainer, who is now running a seedy gym. A female waitress shows up wanting to be trained as a boxer. She is looking for an escape from her current life. The trainer is reluctant at first, but over time they end up changing each others lives.

Clint Eastwood was not originally meant to direct this film. Paul Haggis, who wrote the screenplay, was already committed to direct another film "Crash", so Clint Eastwood stepped in and took over the directing responsibilities.

7. Reigning during the Golden Age of cinema, this actor directed such films as "Citizen Kane" and "Touch of Evil". Which one of these actors directed them?

Answer: Orson Welles

Both films "Citizen Kane" and "Touch of Evil" are in Steven Schneider's book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die". Orson Welles's character Charles Foster Kane in "Citizen Kane" is revered as one the greatest movie characters of all time.

8. This leading actor's first directing attempt was a film about a game show host/ CIA hit-man. "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" was directed by which of these actors?

Answer: George Clooney

The film is based off the memoir of "The Gong Show" host Chuck Barris. Not only was he a television personality, but he also claims to have been a CIA hit-man.

This was the first film that George Clooney directed. Since then he has also directed such films as "Goodnight, and Good Luck", "The Ides of March", and "The Monuments Men".

9. This film won seven Oscars in 1991, one being Best Director for Kevin Costner, who did double time both directing and starring in this film set during the Civil War. Which one of these films is it?

Answer: Dances with Wolves

"Dances with Wolves" is about a Civil War soldier that joins the Lakota Indians. He falls in love with the tribe and with a white woman that grew up in the tribe. But disaster strikes when the Union soldiers come to claim the tribe's land.

A western film had not won Best Picture since 1931's "Cimarron", when "Dances with Wolves" won in 1991. It also won Best Director, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Music, Original Score.

10. "Zoolander" was a 2001 comedy directed by which one of these funny men?

Answer: Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller directed and starred in this film. Starring along side him was his wife Christine Taylor. Ben Stiller has also directed other comedies such as "The Cable Guy", "Tropic Thunder", and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".

Source: Author pinklady887

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor jmorrow before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Stepping Behind the Camera Trivia Quiz

It is not uncommon for actors to try their hand at directing. Test your knowledge on some of those actors and their films.

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