The Scene
Much of Ratner’s current story takes place at the filmmaker’s home, Hillhaven Lodge, in Beverly Hills, California. The history of the location is as captivating as its current owner. The English country mansion was designed by Gordon Kaufman, the same great mind responsible for the Hoover Dam. Hillhaven was built in 1923 and has since passed through the hands of many Hollywood greats like Allan Carr, producer of Grease, James Caan of Godfather-fame, and starlet Ingrid Bergman before ending up in Ratner’s possession. “I walked in [to Hillhaven Lodge],” recalls Brett, “and was like ‘This is my house.’ I couldn’t afford it, but I was like, ‘This is my house.’” It could be the disco in the basement built by Carr in the 70s, or the location at the end of a private road that affords privacy to its owner, but whatever the reason, he had to have it.
With his home filled with photographic artwork from Helmut Newton and Peter Beard, Ratner explains, “I think photography is really the art of the future because most people can’t afford the works of the traditional masters.” The home is infused with works by Warhol and Rodin, and collectible furniture by Prouvés. The beautiful works complete the feel of the mansion, which has been restored to its original condition.
As evidenced by the coffee table book The Hillhaven Lodge: The Photo Booth Pictures, published in 2003, everyone who’s anyone has made their way to casa Ratner. The book is filled with black and white filmstrips from Ratner’s famed photo booth, portraying goofy shots of everyone from Michael Jackson and Britney Spears to legendary producers such as Robert Evans and Dino De Laurentiis. The Lodge has been known to be a playground for the likes of Paris and Lindsay, as well as a more sophisticated crowd- even recently hosting a Hillary Clinton event, followed by a John Edwards fundraiser.
The Characters
The people who surround Ratner make for an all-star cast. From his mentor Al Malnik (“Al is my mentor on life, my mentor in business, and he even helps choose the movies I make,” he says) to his friends Bob Evans, Russell Simmons, Warren Beatty, Shareef Malnik, Jeff Soffer, and George Pérez, Brett has constantly surrounded himself with extremely successful individuals he can learn from.
“I didn’t pick their brain, I ate their brain,” he says of everyone he would meet. “I would always ask questions. ‘How did you do it? How did you reach your success?’ And all I did was apply it to what I wanted to do, which was make a movie.”
One such mentor is producer Bob Evans, who took Ratner under his wing upon Ratner’s arrival in Hollywood. “I met Brett when he came into town during Rush Hour, and I immediately took an interest in him because he is dynamic, positive, likeable, and a terribly, terribly serious worker with the outside veneer of a kid. The inside of his body and brain is that of a brilliant film maker,” says Evans. Ratner even resided with Evans for a period of time before purchasing Hillhaven. It was Evans’ “old school Hollywood” house that prompted Ratner to go on a hunt for a home like Hillhaven. After seeing Evans’ place, Ratner says, “I called [Evans'] broker, and he said ‘Those houses don’t become available unless someone dies.’ So I moved into the Beverly Hills Hotel and stayed there for six months-cost me a fortune! And then I get a call, and he’s like ‘Somebody died, get over here!’”
“Brett is a dynamic and unstoppable force of nature!” says George Pérez, president of Turnberry International Realty. “He never was one to wait and see what life had in store for him, he made it happen. We go back twenty-five years, and despite all of his successes, his love for family and the loyalty he shares with his friends, and his insatiable passion for life have always remained the focal point of his character.”
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San Francisco
Jan/Feb 2012
