Before trilogy
| The Before Trilogy | |
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 Criterion Collection cover art | |
| Directed by | Richard Linklater |
| Screenplay by | Richard Linklater Kim Krizan (Sunrise) Ethan Hawke (Sunset, Midnight) Julie Delpy (Sunset, Midnight) |
| Story by | Richard Linklater (Sunset) Kim Krizan (Sunset) |
| Produced by | Anne Walker-McBay (Sunrise, Sunset) Richard Linklater (Midnight) Christos V. Konstantakopoulos (Midnight) Sara Woodhatch (Midnight) |
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Running time | 290 minutes |
| Countries | United States Austria (Sunrise) Greece (Midnight) |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $7.5 million |
| Box office | $61.5 million |
The Before Trilogy consists of three romance films directed by Richard Linklater, and starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Beginning with Before Sunrise (1995), and continuing with two sequels, Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013). The films were all written by Linklater, along with Kim Krizan on the first film, and with Hawke and Delpy on the last two.
Set and filmed at nine-year intervals, the films chronicle the romantic relationship between Jesse (Hawke) and Céline (Delpy) at three periods of their lives. The characters also make cameo appearances in Linklater's animated anthology film Waking Life (2001). The first film was distributed by Columbia Pictures, while Warner Independent Pictures and Sony Pictures Classics distributed the second and third film, respectively. All films were produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, with Before Midnight also being produced by Venture Forth and Linklater's production company, Detour Filmproduction.
The films are considered minimal, consisting mostly of monologues and casual conversation with extended dialogue between the characters. Contrasting ideas and perspectives on life and love are detailed, with the series referencing time, self-discovery, age, loss, gender, and parentage; it is considered an exploration of postmodern romance. The trilogy received widespread critical acclaim. Among its numerous accolades, the series was nominated for two Academy Awards, two Writers Guild of America Awards, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for Delpy for Before Midnight. The trilogy grossed $61.5 million worldwide against a combined budget of $7.5 million.