One reason for the longevity of "The Godfather" over the past 40 years is that, behind its gangster plot, is a classic story of an American family, tracing its journey from immigration and poverty toward assimilation and success. In fact, it's not just the story of the Corleone family, but of the Coppola family as well. The movie feels like a personal glimpse into a family album, but it's director/co-screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola's family album as much as it is the fictional Michael Corleone's. True, the characters came from Mario Puzo's novel. But, on screen, Coppola not only invested them with details from his own family history, he even cast several members of his own family in the three movies, often in roles corresponding to their real-life relationships to him. Playing Michael's sister Connie was Francis' sister, Talia Shire. The director's father and mother, Carmine and Italia Coppola,...
- 3/23/2012
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
His films are hit-and-miss with the critics but Nicolas Cage is undoubtedly one of the most successful Hollywood actors in the business today. With an Academy Award under his belt and having starred in over 70 movies, he's a well-known public figure, but there is more to Nicolas than meets the eye. Keep reading for ten quickfire facts about Mr Cage. 1. Nicolas Cage, born Nicolas Kim Coppola, was born on January 7, 1964 to parents August and Joy. He comes from a family of celebrities including his composer grandfather Carmine Coppola, his actress grandmother Italia Pennino and his director uncle Francis Ford Coppola, while his two brothers are Christopher Coppola, a director, and Marc 'The Cope' Coppola, a New York radio personality. 2. He changed his name from Coppola to Cage in the early stages of his career to avoid association with his already famous uncle. (more)...
- 1/12/2011
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
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