Writers and the Writing Life
List activity
581 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
81 titles
- DirectorGavin MillarStarsCoral BrowneIan HolmPeter GallagherIan Holm is children's author Lewis Carroll in this poignant fantasy-drama set in 1930s New York and populated by the fabulous special effects creatures of Muppet master Jim Henson.
- DirectorSpike JonzeStarsNicolas CageMeryl StreepChris CooperA lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsPeter WellerJudy DavisIan HolmAfter developing an addiction to the substance he uses to kill bugs, an exterminator accidentally kills his wife and becomes involved in a secret government plot being orchestrated by giant bugs in a port town in North Africa.
- DirectorJane CampionStarsKerry FoxAlexia KeoghKaren FergussonJanet Frame was a brilliant child who, as a teen, was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. Explore Janet's discovery of the world and her life in Europe as her books are published to acclaim.
- DirectorShari Springer BermanRobert PulciniStarsPaul GiamattiShari Springer BermanHarvey PekarAn original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJohn TurturroJohn GoodmanJudy DavisA renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsRobin WilliamsMary Beth HurtGlenn CloseA struggling young writer finds his life and work dominated by his unfaithful wife and his radical feminist mother, whose best-selling manifesto turns her into a cultural icon.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsTim RobbinsGreta ScacchiFred WardA Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected, but which one?
- DirectorRichard AttenboroughStarsAnthony HopkinsDebra WingerJulian FellowesC.S. Lewis, a world-renowned Christian theologian, writer and professor, leads a passionless life until he meets spirited poet Joy Gresham from the U.S.
- DirectorJohn SingletonStarsJanet JacksonTupac ShakurRegina KingGrieving hairdresser Justice goes on a road trip from South Central L.A. to Oakland on a mail truck alongside her friend and an obnoxious postal worker.
- DirectorBen LewinStarsGia CaridesAnthony LaPagliaRebecca GibneyPutting your best foot forward has never been so sexy - or so deliciously funny - as in this entertaining, oddball comedy that proves that it's worth it to go to outrageous lengths for the one you love.
- DirectorBrian GilbertStarsWillem DafoeMiranda RichardsonRosemary HarrisIn 1915, Tom and Viv elope, but her gynecological and emotional problems disrupt their honeymoon. Her father is angry because Tom's poetry doesn't bring in enough to live, but her mother is happy Viv has found a tender and discreet husband.
- DirectorGillian ArmstrongStarsSusan SarandonWinona RyderKirsten DunstThe March sisters live and grow in post-Civil War America.
- DirectorAlan RudolphStarsJennifer Jason LeighCampbell ScottMatthew BroderickDorothy Parker remembers the heyday of the Algonquin Round Table, a circle of friends whose barbed wit, like hers, was fueled by alcohol and flirted with despair.
- DirectorZalman KingStarsAudie EnglandCostas MandylorEric da SilvaA struggling American writer (England) and a fellow American expatriate (Mandylor) begin a sordid affair among the chaos and discord of 1940 Paris, France on the brink of World War II.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsMarisa ParedesJuan EchanoveCarme EliasLeo writes trashy romance novels under a pseudonym but as she struggles in her relationship with her husband, she finds her output becoming darker.
- DirectorDan IrelandStarsVincent D'OnofrioRenée ZellwegerAnn WedgeworthIn 1933 Texas, a schoolteacher and aspiring writer meets a pulp fiction writer, and a relationship soon develops between the two, but it is doomed by his slavishly devotion to his ailing mother and insistence on his freedom.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenJudy DavisJulia Louis-DreyfusSuffering from writer's block and eagerly awaiting his writing award, Harry Block remembers events from his past and scenes from his best-selling books as characters, real and fictional, come back to haunt him.
- DirectorHal HartleyStarsThomas Jay RyanJames UrbaniakParker PoseyAn introverted garbageman writes his thoughts in a notebook after Henry Fool, writer and ex-con, rents the basement and gives him a notebook and the idea. He writes poetry and Henry helps him along.
- DirectorRowdy HerringtonStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Tom BerengerMarianne Jean-BaptisteA disbarred lawyer takes credit for a late friend's book, which becomes a smash hit but the tables turn on him sooner than he suspected.
- DirectorMike HodgesStarsClive OwenNick RedingNicholas BallAn aspiring writer is hired as a croupier at a casino, where he realizes that his life as a croupier would make a great novel.
- DirectorMarc LevinStarsSaul WilliamsSonja SohnBonz MaloneGrand Jury Prize, 1998 Sundance Film Festival. A talented youth (Saul Williams) copes with urban crime and despair by competing in poetry slams. Sonja Sohn of "The Wire" costars.
- DirectorChristopher MenaulStarsHelen MirrenEric StoltzJulie DelpyThe rather eccentric (especially in her thinking) author of "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" becomes involved with a much younger, and married man, to the dismay of those close to her.
- DirectorRaja GosnellStarsDrew BarrymoreDavid ArquetteMichael VartanA newspaper reporter enrolls in high school as part of research for a story.
- DirectorMalcolm D. LeeStarsTaye DiggsNia LongMorris ChestnutJust before his best friend's wedding, the life of a Chicago writer becomes crazy when his best friend guesses that his new book's story is based on his bride's fervent past.
- DirectorAlbert BrooksStarsAlbert BrooksSharon StoneAndie MacDowellWith his career on the skids, a Hollywood screenwriter enlists the aid of a modern-day muse, who proves to test his patience.
- DirectorJulian SchnabelStarsJavier BardemJohnny DeppOlatz López GarmendiaThe life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas.
- DirectorStanley TucciStarsIan HolmStanley TucciHope DavisAround 1940, The New Yorker staff writer Joe Mitchell meets Joe Gould, a Greenwich Village character, who is writing a voluminous Oral History of the World, a record of twenty thousand conversations he's overheard.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsLinus RoacheJohn HannahSamantha MortonFriendship and betrayal between two poets during the French Revolution.
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsMichael DouglasTobey MaguireFrances McDormandAn English Professor tries to deal with his wife leaving him, the arrival of his editor who has been waiting for his book for seven years, and the various problems that his friends and associates involve him in.
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsSean ConneryRob BrownF. Murray AbrahamForrester, the author of a famous book, decides to help Jamal, a 16-year-old student, discover his writing prowess by mentoring him and enrolling him into a prestigious private school.
- DirectorAndrew BergmanStarsBette MidlerNathan LaneStockard ChanningBette Midler and Nathan Lane star in this comedy about Jacqueline Susann, the ambitious woman of dubious talent who wrote Valley of the Dolls, a best-selling novel that became a sensation.
- DirectorLeon IchasoStarsBenjamin BrattGiancarlo EspositoTalisa SotoMiguel Pinero's creative and turbulent life was cut short at age 40: a Tony Award nominee who did time at Sing-Sing, a volatile urban poet whose work is recognized as a precursor to rap and hip-hop, and a writer of hit TV shows.
- DirectorRichard EyreStarsJudi DenchJim BroadbentKate WinsletTrue story of the lifelong romance between novelist Iris Murdoch and her husband John Bayley, from their student days through her battle with Alzheimer's disease.
- DirectorLasse HallströmStarsKevin SpaceyJulianne MooreJudi DenchAn emotionally beaten man with his young daughter moves to his ancestral home in Newfoundland to reclaim his life.
- DirectorSharon MaguireStarsRenée ZellwegerColin FirthHugh GrantBridget Jones is determined to improve herself while she looks for love in a year in which she keeps a personal diary.
- DirectorTodd SolondzStarsSelma BlairLeo FitzpatrickRobert WisdomCollege and high school serve as the backdrop for two stories about dysfunction and personal turmoil.
- DirectorMichael KalesnikoStarsKenneth BranaghRobin WrightSuzi HofrichterA sarcastic playwright in LA gets new neighbors - single mom and 8 y.o. girl. His wife wants kids and babysits the girl. He doesn't want kids yet plays with her to find out how children talk - for his play. Paternal instincts?
- DirectorJake KasdanStarsColin HanksJack BlackSchuyler FiskA guidance counselor mistakenly sends out the wrong transcripts to Stanford University under the name of an over-achieving high schooler.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsLuke WilsonKate HudsonDavid PaymerA writer must turn out a novel in thirty days or face the wrath of loan sharks.
- DirectorBilly RayStarsHayden ChristensenChloë SevignySteve ZahnThe story of a young journalist who fell from grace when it was discovered he fabricated over half of his articles from the publication The New Republic magazine.
- DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsJack NicholsonHelen HuntGreg KinnearA single mother and waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.
- DirectorChristine JeffsStarsGwyneth PaltrowDaniel CraigLucy DavenportStory of the relationship between poets Edward James "Ted" Hughes and Sylvia Plath.
- DirectorNancy MeyersStarsJack NicholsonDiane KeatonKeanu ReevesA swinger on the cusp of being a senior citizen with a taste for young women falls in love with an accomplished woman closer to his age.
- DirectorAudrey WellsStarsDiane LaneRaoul BovaSandra OhFrances Mayes, a 35-year-old San Francisco writer, gets a divorce that leaves her with terminal writer's block and depression. Later, she decides to buy a house in Tuscany in order to change her life.
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsJohnny DeppKate WinsletJulie ChristieThe story of Sir J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
- DirectorDavid KoeppStarsJohnny DeppMaria BelloJohn TurturroA successful writer in the midst of a painful divorce is stalked at his remote lake house by a would-be scribe who accuses him of plagiarism.
- DirectorTod WilliamsStarsJeff BridgesKim BasingerJon FosterA writer's young assistant becomes both pawn and catalyst in his boss's disintegrating household.
- DirectorChris NoonanStarsRenée ZellwegerEwan McGregorEmily WatsonThe story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness, and success.
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanClifton Collins Jr.Catherine KeenerIn 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.
- DirectorJane AndersonStarsJulianne MooreWoody HarrelsonLaura DernIn order to support her ten children, Evelyn Ryan enters a commercial jingle-writing contest.
- DirectorBent HamerStarsMatt DillonLili TaylorMarisa TomeiThis drama centers on Hank Chinaski, the fictional alter-ego of "Factotum" author Charles Bukowski, who wanders around Los Angeles, CA trying to live off jobs which don't interfere with his primary interest, which is writing. Along the way, he fends off the distractions offered by women, drinking and gambling.
- DirectorAdam RappStarsEd HarrisZooey DeschanelWill FerrellAn editor offers actress/bartender Reese $100,000 for her late mom's letters from her novelist dad. She heads home from NYC to get them and finds her dad living in the garage while two strangers live in the house.
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsWill FerrellEmma ThompsonDustin HoffmanI.R.S. auditor Harold Crick suddenly finds his mundane Chicago life to be the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire existence, from his work to his love life to his death.
- DirectorJake KasdanStarsDavid DuchovnySigourney WeaverIoan GruffuddThe story of a TV pilot as it goes through the network TV process of casting, production and finally airing.
- DirectorLasse HallströmStarsRichard GereAlfred MolinaDavid Aaron BakerIn what would cause a fantastic media frenzy, Clifford Irving sells his bogus biography of Howard Hughes to a premiere publishing house in the early 1970s.
- DirectorCraig RosenbergStarsDemi MooreHenry Ian CusickNicholas GleavesRachel Carlson, a successful novelist moves to a small Scottish village to move on with her life after the death of her son. Strange things start to happen when she is haunted by ghosts and real life terror.
- DirectorAndrew WagnerStarsFrank LangellaLauren AmbrosePatti PerkinsAn ambitious graduate student convinces a writer that her thesis can resurrect his career.
- DirectorMenno MeyjesStarsJohn CusackAmanda PeetBobby ColemanA science-fiction writer, recently widowed, considers whether to adopt a hyper-imaginative 6-year-old abandoned and socially rejected boy who says he's really from Mars.
- DirectorRichard LaGraveneseStarsHilary SwankImelda StauntonPatrick DempseyA young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves and pursue education beyond high school.
- DirectorJulian JarroldStarsAnne HathawayJames McAvoyJulie WaltersA biographical portrait of a pre-fame Jane Austen and her romance with a young Irishman.
- DirectorEdward BurnsStarsAnnette ArnoldMax BakerSelma BlairPatti Petalson (Blair) struggles with the pressure of becoming the next important American writer.
- DirectorRod LurieStarsSamuel L. JacksonJosh HartnettKathryn MorrisUp-and-coming sports reporter rescues a homeless man ("Champ") only to discover that he is, in fact, a boxing legend believed to have passed away. What begins as an opportunity to resurrect Champ's story and escape the shadow of his father's success becomes a personal journey as the ambitious reporter reexamines his own life and his relationship with his family.
- DirectorJennifer FlackettMark LevinStarsJodie FosterGerard ButlerAbigail BreslinImagination and reality collide when young Nim's father goes missing at sea. Fate brings to her the author of the Alex Rover series, her favorite books, and together they try to find Nim's father.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsZac EfronClaire DanesChristian McKayIn 1937, a teenager is cast in the Mercury Theatre production of "Julius Caesar", directed by a young Orson Welles.
- CreatorDarren StarStarsSarah Jessica ParkerKim CattrallKristin DavisFour female New Yorkers gossip about their sex lives (or lack thereof) and find new ways to deal with being a woman in the late 1990s.
- DirectorMichael Patrick KingStarsSarah Jessica ParkerKim CattrallCynthia NixonA New York City writer on sex and love is finally getting married to her Mr. Big. But her three best girlfriends must console her after one of them inadvertently leads Mr. Big to jilt her.
- DirectorJane CampionStarsAbbie CornishBen WhishawPaul SchneiderThe three-year romance between 19th-century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne near the end of his life.
- DirectorJohn HindmanStarsJeff DanielsLauren GrahamLou Taylor PucciA reclusive author of spiritual books is pursued for advice by a single mother and a man fresh out of rehab.
- DirectorKatherine DieckmannStarsUma ThurmanAnthony EdwardsMinnie DriverIn Manhattan, a mother of two preparing for her daughter's sixth birthday party has no idea of the challenges she's about to face in order to pull off the event.
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsJamie FoxxRobert Downey Jr.Catherine KeenerA newspaper journalist discovers a homeless musical genius and tries to improve his situation.
- DirectorMichael HoffmanStarsHelen MirrenJames McAvoyChristopher PlummerA historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer's) struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things.
- DirectorP.J. HoganStarsIsla FisherHugh DancyKrysten RitterA college grad lands a job as a financial journalist in New York City to support where she nurtures her shopping addiction and falls for a wealthy entrepreneur.
- DirectorVictor NunezStarsKuno BeckerMiguel SandovalRubén BladesA San Francisco spoken word artist returns to New Mexico to be with his dying father, only to find he loses his "voice" as he is sucked back in to the dysfunctional life of drugs and violence he left behind.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsOwen WilsonRachel McAdamsKathy BatesWhile on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.
- DirectorNeil BurgerStarsBradley CooperAnna FrielAbbie CornishA mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.
- DirectorJason ReitmanStarsCharlize TheronPatrick WilsonPatton OswaltSoon after her divorce, a fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend who is now happily married and has a newborn daughter.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsRhys IfansVanessa RedgraveDavid ThewlisThe theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford, who penned Shakespeare's plays. Set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I and the Essex rebellion against her.
- DirectorJonathan DaytonValerie FarisStarsPaul DanoZoe KazanAnnette BeningA novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.
- DirectorBrian KlugmanLee SternthalStarsBradley CooperDennis QuaidOlivia WildeA writer at the peak of his literary success discovers the steep price he must pay for stealing another man's work.
- DirectorJosh BooneStarsGreg KinnearJennifer ConnellyLily CollinsAn acclaimed writer, his ex-wife, and their teenaged children come to terms with the complexities of love in all its forms over the course of one tumultuous year.