Born in Kansas City, MO; studied English at the University of Missouri in Columbia, graduating in 1965. After working as a free-lance writer and reviewer,Getchell penned his first screen-play, ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (1974), which garnered him an Oscar® nomination for best original screenplay of 1974 and gained him a BAFTA Award. His next screenplay, BOUND FOR GLORY (1976, an adaptation of Woody Guthrie's autobiography), also received an Oscar nomination. Other notable writing credits include MOMMIE DEAREST (1981), SWEET DREAMS (1985), STELLA (1990), POINT OF NO RETURN and THIS BOY'S LIFE (both 1993), and his last film, THE CLIENT (1994). Television work includes the series "Alice" (1976-80) and "Flo" (1980). Since the mid-1990s he has been a teacher of Literature at the University of Missouri and the University of Miami, Ohio.  Nominated for Writing (Best Original Screenplay) 1974: ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE  Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) 1976: BOUND FOR GLORY 2 nominations