The Great Outdoors

Howard Deutch (born September 14, 1950) is an American film director. His most recent theatrical release was My Best Friend’s Girl, starring Jason Biggs, Kate Hudson, Dane Cook, and Alec Baldwin. Deutch is perhaps best known for his collaboration with the late filmmaker John Hughes, having directed two of Hughes’ best known screenplays (of those that Hughes did not direct himself), Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful.

Deutch graduated from George W. Hewlett High School and then attended The Ohio State University. He began his career in the advertising department of United Artists Records, where his father, Murray Deutch, was company president. Deutch directed music videos for performers such as Billy Idol (“Flesh for Fantasy”) and Billy Joel (“Keeping the Faith”). Deutch’s feature-length directorial debut was the John Hughes penned Brat Pack film, Pretty in Pink. His next two directorial efforts were also written by Hughes: Some Kind of Wonderful and The Great Outdoors. Deutch met his wife, Lea Thompson, during the filming of Some Kind of Wonderful; she was also featured in Article 99, his first feature venture without Hughes. He has directed three sequels to movies in which he did not direct the originals: Grumpier Old Men, The Odd Couple II, and The Whole Ten Yards. During a hiatus from features, Deutch directed episodic television, including two installments of Tales from the Crypt, the premiere of Melrose Place, and installments of Caroline in the City, starring his wife. —Wikipedia