If the studios had had their way, The Godfather might have been shot in Kansas City instead of on location in New York and Sicily, as director Francis Ford Coppola insisted. Nearly 44 years after the 1972 masterpiece debuted, the filmmaker still firmly believes in location, location, location. The evidence? For more than two decades, he has established a suite of lifestyle brands that are a testament to the director’s attention to mise-en-scène, most prominently the Family Coppola Wines in northern California and the Family Coppola Resorts, a collection of properties with outposts in Belize, Guatemala, Argentina, and, of course, Italy. “I guess a filmmaker is always on the lookout for something dramatic, unusual—something that will please the eye,” says Coppola. “A hotel is much like any sort of presentation designed to appeal to an audience.”
While each resort has its own distinctive vibe, they all somehow feel integrated. “The only overreaching vision that unites so many different types of places with so many disparate lodging requirements, I guess, is me,” says Coppola. “I plan, design, and finish them all myself, with my family as the test customer. So the places tend to reflect our own wants and wishes.” When he’s not visiting his luxurious properties, Coppola makes the most of his time in his Napa Valley, California, home. Read on for a rare glimpse into his everyday life.
Describe your home in five words or less:Sylvan, peaceful, secure, parklike, and indestructible.
What’s your favorite piece that you purchased for this home?An Erwin Sattler pendulum clock, which I ordered from Germany.
What’s always in your fridge?Tortillas, freshly laid eggs, homegrown vegetables, big ice cubes.
If you could own any work of art what would it be?Zouave by Vincent van Gogh.
What was last playing on your TV?The Red Badge of Courage.
If you could only save one thing in your home, what would it be?An Agnes Martin watercolor. It’s the most valuable small, lightweight item in the house.
Most nights you eat dinner . . .With Eleanor, my wife, on an oak table overlooking the wilderness.
Before you leave the house you always . . .Say good-bye to all the creatures.
What song has been playing most often in your home of late?“The Nearness of You.”
What famous person, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party?Lady Ada Lovelace. She was a brilliant young woman, the daughter of Byron, a mathematician, theorist, and the world’s first computer programmer.
