Alvin Sargent

Alvin Sargent (April 12, 1927 – May 9, 2019) was an American screenwriter. He won two Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, for Julia and Ordinary People (1980). Sargent's other works include screenplays of the films The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1970), Paper Moon (1973), Nuts (1987), White Palace (1990), What About Bob? (1991), Unfaithful (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012).

Early life Alvin Sargent was born Alvin Supowitz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Esther (née Kadansky) and Isaac Supowitz. He was of Russian Jewish descent. Sargent attended Upper Darby High School, leaving aged 17 to join the Navy. As of 2006, he was one of 35 alumni to be on the school's Wall of Fame.

Career Sargent began writing for television in 1953. Through the 1960s he scripted episodes for Route 66, Ben Casey and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. His first film screenplay was Gambit (1966), written with Jack Davies. He gained recognition for I Walk the Line (1970) and Paper Moon (1973). For his work on the latter, he won the WGA Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and was nominated for an Academy Award. He won the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay in 1978 for the film Julia (1977), and again in 1981 for Ordinary People (1980). Near the end of his career, he collaborated on the screenplays for three Spider-Man films: Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012).

Personal life He had a longtime relationship with producer Laura Ziskin; they were married from 2010 until her death in 2011. His brother was writer and producer Herb Sargent.

Death Sargent died from natural causes in Seattle on May 9, 2019, four weeks after his 92nd birthday.

Filmography Writer Year Title Notes 1966 Gambit Co-written with Jack Davies. 1968 The Stalking Moon Co-written with Wendell Mayes. 1969 The Sterile Cuckoo 1970 I Walk the Line 1972 The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds 1973 Paper Moon Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing 1977 Julia Bobby Deerfield 1978 Straight Time Co-written with Jeffrey Boam. 1980 Ordinary People 1987 Nuts Co-written with Tom Topor and Daryl Ponicsan. 1988 Dominick and Eugene 1990 White Palace Co-written with Ted Tally. 1991 Other People's Money What About Bob? Story only; co-written by Laura Ziskin. 1992 Hero Story only; co-written by Laura Ziskin and David Webb Peoples. 1996 Bogus 1999 Anywhere but Here 2002 Unfaithful Co-written with William Broyles Jr. Spider-Man Uncredited. 2004 Spider-Man 2 2007 Spider-Man 3 Co-written with Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi. 2012 The Amazing Spider-Man Co-written with James Vanderbilt and Steve Kloves.

Actor From Here to Eternity (1953) - Nair (uncredited)