![Peter Hedges](/image-library/port/1000/p/peter-hedges---wi04-13.jpg)
Peter Hedges
Peter Hedges returns to the director's chair this week with his charming new film The Odd Life Of Timothy Green.
But it was twenty years ago that Hedges kicked off him movie career as his novel What's Eating Gilbert Grape was adapted for the big screen.
Hedges' novel of the same name was released in 1991 and it took just two years to adapt the story into a successful movie.
It was Hedges' first foray into film as he was brought on board to adapt his own novel into a screenplay.
Lasse Hallström was in the director's chair for the film while Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio were on the cast list.
The movie was a critical success and it was a film that really boosted DiCaprio's career as he went on to pick up a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.
Hedges screen writing career was up and running as he went on to pen the screenplays for A Map of the World and About A Boy - which was an adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel.
The movie starred Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult and was a big hit when it was released back in 2002.
Hedges has continued to pen scripts but in 2004 he made the move into the director's chair as he helmed Pieces of April.
Starring Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson and Derek Luke the movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was met well by the critics.
The movie was also a financial success taking $3.2 million - easily making back it's $300,000 budget.
He returned to the director's chair in 2008 with Dan In Real Life - a project that he also penned with Pierce Gardner.
Starring Steve Carell in the lead role the movie follows a widower who finds out the woman he fell in love with is his brother's girlfriend.
This was a very different role for funnyman Carell as he was joined on the cast list by Juliette Binoche, Dianne West and Alison Pill.
Dan In Real Life was the last time that we saw Hedges in the director's chair until this week and his new movie The Odd Life of Timothy Green.
The movie sees Hedges team up with Walt Disney Pictures while Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton are on the cast list.
The movie follows happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green (Garner and Edgerton), who can't wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like.
When young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim - and their small town of Stanleyville... learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life's greatest gifts.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green is out now.