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Taylor Hackford

Taylor Hackford

Producer and director, also writer, actor and editor · Born December 31, 1944 (81) · Santa Barbara, California, U.S.

Taylor Edwin Hackford (born December 31, 1944 in Santa Barbara, CA) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982), "The Devil's Advocate" (1997) and "Proof of Life" (2000), and for directing Jamie Foxx to an Academy Award for Best Actor in "Ray" (2004). Hackford served as president of the Directors Guild of America from 2009 to 2013.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 31, 1944 (81)
From
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Works as
Producer and director, also writer, actor and editor
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 38% in 30 days

What are Taylor Hackford's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Biography6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 32nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Mystery2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Mystery movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
27%
Self
27%
Morality
16%
Society
14%
Survival
7%
Ideas
7%
Power
4%
Ambition8 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 16 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 13 · Intense 9

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 6

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 9 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 7 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Melancholic
15
Hopeful
7
Warm
6
Contemplative
7
Other
19

How their films linger

Hopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet13
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Taylor Hackford's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Taylor Hackford's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

30 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 17 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Comedian(2016)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • A Place to Stand(2014)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Parker(2013)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Love Ranch(2010)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • E-Ring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Ray(2004)

    Director · Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Proof of Life(2000)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • G:MT Greenwich Mean Time(1999)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Devil's Advocate(1997)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • When We Were Kings(1996)

    Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Dolores Claiborne(1995)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Blood in Blood Out(1993)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Defenseless(1991)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Sweet Talker(1991)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Mortal Thoughts(1991)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Queens Logic(1991)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Long Walk Home(1990)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Rooftops(1989)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Everybody's All-American(1988)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • La Bamba(1987)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • White Nights(1985)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Against All Odds(1984)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • An Officer and a Gentleman(1982)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Idolmaker(1980)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Teenage Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Bukowski (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • Budd Boetticher: A Study in Self-Determination (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Producer · Actor

  • Sniff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • The Reluctant Movie Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles, 28 of them dated from 1971 to 2016.

Biggest box office

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

$153M worldwide

Highest rated

When We Were Kings (1996)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 30: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting19 of 30: 7 only directing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stWriting2 of 30: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing23 of 30: 9 only producing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score48thEditing1 of 30: 0 only editing, 1 with another role

30 titles, 14 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 12 of them.

By decade

1970s3 · 1 acting · 3 crew1980s8 · crew1990s10 · crew2000s3 · crew2010s4 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Taylor Hackford's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 24; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · producer

A Place to Stand (2014)

95th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer, editor

When We Were Kings (1996)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 67/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Taylor Hackford's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles35–88 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles43–72 · median 54 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles55–88 · median 77 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles41–85 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles46–84 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Taylor Hackford work with?

People who share at least 2 of Taylor Hackford's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Stuart Benjamin shares the most, 7.

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers