Hedges was born in West Des Moines, Iowa, where he was raised, the son of Carole (Simpson), a psychotherapist, and the Rev. Robert Boyden Hedges, an Episcopal priest. He attended Valley High School, where he was involved in the theater department, including the improvisional group and the mime troupe, The Bakers Dozen. He later went to the North Carolina School of the Arts where he studied drama.\n', '

Hedges\' novel What\'s Eating Gilbert Grape was adapted into a critically acclaimed movie of the same title, which launched his film career.\n', '

In 2002, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for About a Boy. In the same year, he wrote and directed Pieces of April, starring Katie Holmes, which he dedicated to his mother.\n', '

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