I don't think American independent films have ever really been particularly experimental, except for the original guys from the '60s who were huge influences, like Stan Brakhage, Robert Breer, and Stan van der Beek. They were the true independents.

However those same reviewers were less impressed with the script's schematic Scent of a Woman-meets-Good Will Hunting template. In addition to directing he also devoted considerable energy to releasing two albums and publishing a novel Pink which was a thinly veiled exploration of his grief over River Phoenix's 1993 death. Mala Noche was made two years after Van Sant went to New York to work in an advertising agency.

His filmography as writer and director includes a 1994 adaptation of Tom Robbins' 1976 novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues which features a diverse cast (Keanu Reeves Roseanne Barr Uma Thurman and k. (born July 24 1952) is an American film director screenwriter painter photographer musician and author. He lives in Portland Oregon.