Quotes by Francis Ford Coppola

About Francis Ford Coppola:

Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He was part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

My family were symphonic musicians and in the opera. Also, it was my era, the love of radio. We used to listen to the radio at night, close our eyes and see movies far more beautiful than you can photograph.

Francis Ford Coppola

If you're a person who says yes most of the time, you'll find yourself in the hotel business and the restaurant business.

Francis Ford Coppola

Listen, if there's one sure-fire rule that I have learned in this business, it's that I don't know anything about human nature.

Francis Ford Coppola

I'm no longer dependent on the movie business to make a living. So if I want to make movies as other old guys would play golf, I can.

Francis Ford Coppola

You have to really be courageous about your instincts and your ideas. Otherwise you'll just knuckle under, and things that might have been memorable will be lost.

Francis Ford Coppola

It takes no imagination to live within your means.

Francis Ford Coppola

I have more of a vivid imagination than I have talent. I cook up ideas. It's just a characteristic.

Francis Ford Coppola

It is a little disappointing to see that your legs are not as strong. But I like the idea of growing old, and the thought of approaching death is not particularly daunting to me.

Francis Ford Coppola

All of a sudden, there are great Japanese films, or great Italian films, or great Australian films. It's usually because there are a number of people that cross-pollinated each other.

Francis Ford Coppola

To make great movies, there is an element of risk. You have to say, 'Well, I am going to make this film, and it is not really a sure thing.'

Francis Ford Coppola

If I have to be remembered for something, I want it remembered that I really liked children and was a good camp counselor.

Francis Ford Coppola

We do things for good reasons that are bad.

Francis Ford Coppola

The stuff that I got in trouble for, the casting for The Godfather or the flag scene in Patton, was the stuff that was remembered, and was considered the good work.

Francis Ford Coppola

I've been offered lots of movies. There's always some actor who's doing a project and would like to have me do it. But you look at the project and think, 'Gee, there are a lot of good directors who could do that.' I'd like to do something only I can ...

Francis Ford Coppola

I gladly, I voluntarily gave up the kind of commercial film career I had going as soon as I had enough money to finance my own films.

Francis Ford Coppola

When I was going for my graduate degree, I decided I was going to make a feature film as my thesis. That's what I was famous for-that I had my thesis film be a feature film, which was 'You're a Big Boy Now.'

Francis Ford Coppola

That's part of the requirement for me to be an artist is that you're trying to share your personal existence with others and trying to illuminate modern life, trying to understand life.

Francis Ford Coppola

'The Godfather' changed my life, for better or worse. It definitely made me have an older man's film career when I was 29.

Francis Ford Coppola

I think it's better to be overly ambitious and fail than to be underambitious and succeed in a mundane way. I have been very fortunate. I failed upward in my life!

Francis Ford Coppola

I bring to my life a certain amount of mess.

Francis Ford Coppola

My big goal in life was always to figure out how I can make a lot of money so I can go off and make films irrespective of the opinion of the three or four critics who seem to rule the roost.

Francis Ford Coppola

Author Bio

  • NameFrancis Ford Coppola
  • Descriptionfilm director and producer from the United States
  • BornApril 7, 1939
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionScreenwriter; Film Producer; Film Director; Writer
  • WorksColonel Kurtz; American Photojournalist; Benjamin L. Willard
  • AwardsAcademy Award For Best Writing (Original Screenplay); Academy Award For Best Director; Writers Guild Of America Award; Donostia Award; Directors Guild Of America Award; Princess Of Asturias Award - Art; Praemium Imperiale