Robert Benton, Oscar-winning director of ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ and co-creator of ‘Bonnie and Clyde’, dies at 92

Robert Benton, the acclaimed American filmmaker who helped usher in a new era of bold, character-driven storytelling in Hollywood, has died at the age of 92. Robert passed away on Sunday at his Manhattan home of natural causes, his son John Benton confirmed.

Legendary filmmaker Robert Benton is remembered for shaping New Hollywood with emotionally charged storytelling and Oscar-winning direction

The Oscar-winning director and screenwriter left an indelible mark on cinema with seminal works like Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984), winning three Academy Awards during a storied 40-year career. A Texan by birth and a Hollywood rebel by instinct, Robert played a pivotal role in breaking narrative norms and redefining American film in the late 1960s.

Benton’s breakthrough came as the co-writer of Bonnie and Clyde (1967), a controversial crime drama that fused French New Wave flair with Depression-era grit. The film, produced and starred in by Warren Beatty, was initially divisive for its graphic violence but soon became a cultural watershed, credited with launching the New Hollywood movement.

Though Robert didn’t direct Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn did), his original vision—bolder than what ultimately made it to screen—included a bisexual Clyde Barrow and a three-way relationship, ideas deemed too radical even for the time. Still, the film’s legacy was undeniable, setting the tone for the gritty realism and moral complexity that would define 1970s cinema.

Robert reached his creative peak with Kramer vs. Kramer, an emotionally charged custody drama starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. The film swept five Oscars, including Best Picture, and earned Robert two of his three Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It resonated deeply with audiences navigating evolving family dynamics and remains one of the most acclaimed films of the era.

His follow-up, Places in the Heart, drew on Robert’s own childhood in Texas and won Sally Field her second Oscar. Despite struggles with dyslexia, Robert had a prolific writing career, penning scripts for Superman, What’s Up, Doc? and The Late Show, among others. Though not every film was a critical darling (Billy Bathgate, The Human Stain), his later work, especially Nobody’s Fool (1994) starring Paul Newman, reaffirmed his quiet mastery of character and place.

Robert Benton is survived by his wife, artist Sallie Rendigs, and their son. He leaves behind a legacy of brave storytelling, emotional honesty, and a reminder that home—whether onscreen or off—is always worth fighting for.