Feature Stories
Patrick Duncan, '74
Patrick Sheane Duncan is an American writer, film producer, and director.
A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Duncan's career has been influenced by his Vietnam War experiences, which inspired the television mini-series Vietnam War Story (1987) and its sequel Vietnam War Story: The Last Days(1989) and also the films 84Charlie MoPic (1989) and Courage Under Fire (1996). Additional writing credits include A Home of our Own (1993), The Pornographer (1994) Nick of Time (1995), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), and the television movies A Painted House (2003), Elvis (2005) and the Little Red Wagon.
Duncan is a winner of the CableACE Award for Writing for a Dramatic Series for Vietnam War Story: The Last Days and a Christopher Award for Mr. Holland's Opus, which also garnered him a Golden Globe nomination. He was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for 84C MoPic and The Pornographer and the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature and Best Screenplay for 84Charlie MoPic.
Duncan's play, Souls on Fire was produced by Danny Glover's theatre company Robey Theatre Company in Los Angeles. Duncan is a founding member of the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation that has donated 13,000 instruments to over 1,000 school and community music programs across the country. In the last 15 years the foundation has raised over $12 Million to assist with music programs.
Duncan currently resides in Santa Monica, California.
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