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Sydney Pollack

Sydney Pollack

Producer, actor and director · Died May 26, 2008, aged 73 · Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Pollack is known for directing commercially and critically acclaimed studio films. During his forty-year career, he received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and six BAFTA Awards. Pollack won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for Out of Africa (1985). He was also nominated for Academy Awards for Best Director for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) and Tootsie (1982). Pollack's other notable films include Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Way We Were (1973), The Yakuza (1974), Three Days of the Condor (1975), Absence of Malice (1981), The Firm (1993), and Sabrina (1995). Pollack produced and acted in Michael Clayton (2007), and he produced numerous films including The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Sense and Sensibility (1995), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Iris (2001), Cold Mountain (2003) and The Reader (2008). Pollack acted in Robert Altman's The Player (1992), Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives (1993), and Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Description above from the Wikipedia article Sydney Pollack, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 1, 1934
Died
May 26, 2008 (aged 73)
From
Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Works as
Producer, actor and director
Titles
77 on MovieCove · 106 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 63 days to Oct 26Up 20% in 30 days

What are Sydney Pollack's films like?

Across their 64 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Drama22 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Crime9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure 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
Self
24%
Morality
21%
Bonds
20%
Survival
10%
Society
9%
Ideas
8%
Power
8%
Romantic love17 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity12 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose10 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt10 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception8 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy8 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 64 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 20 · Serious 18 · Dark 26

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 48 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 5

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

Gentle 16 · Charged 25 · Intense 23

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

Steady 32 · Shifting 30 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 47 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 3

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 35 · Even-paced 28 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 24 · Engaged 29 · Full focus 11

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 20 · Affecting 19 · Heavy 25

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

Resolved 37 · Open-ended 23 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Threshold guardian: 2 of 6 analyzed roles.

Threshold guardian
2 of 6
Ally
1 of 6
Herald
1 of 6
Shadow
1 of 6
Mentor
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
34
Melancholic
35
Contemplative
25
Warm
20
Romantic
14
Other
47

How their films linger

Thought-provoking26 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 10 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet35
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous9
  • Cyclical2

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 Sydney Pollack's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 43 of their 77 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sydney Pollack'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

106 credits, 77 with a MovieCove page; 64 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Amazing Grace(2018)

    Director · as Self - Director (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Silver Linings Playbook(2012)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Margaret(2011)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Reader(2008)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Recount(2008)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Made of Honor(2008)

    as Thomas Sr.

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Leatherheads(2008)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • James Taylor | One Man Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Executive Producer

  • Michael Clayton(2007)

    Producer · as Marty Bach

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Breaking and Entering(2006)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Catch a Fire(2006)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Sketches of Frank Gehry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Cinematographer · Executive Producer · as Self

  • Orchestra Seats(2006)

    as Brian Sobinski

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Forty Shades of Blue(2005)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Interpreter(2005)

    Director · Executive Producer · as Jay Pettigrew (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Entourage(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Sydney Pollack

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Cold Mountain(2003)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin(2003)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • In the Name of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Executive Producer

  • The Quiet American(2002)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller(2002)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Changing Lanes(2002)

    as Stephen Delano

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Heaven(2002)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Majestic(2001)

    as Studio Executive (voice)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Iris(2001)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Birthday Girl(2001)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Blow Dry(2001)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Up at the Villa(2000)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Talented Mr. Ripley(1999)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Random Hearts(1999)

    Director · Producer · as Carl Broman

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Eyes Wide Shut(1999)

    as Victor Ziegler

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Sopranos(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Warren Feldman

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • A Civil Action(1998)

    as Al Eustis

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Will & Grace(1998)

    Show 5 episodes · as George Truman

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Poodle Springs(1998)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Sliding Doors(1998)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Just Shoot Me!(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Sydney Pollack

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • King of the Hill(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Grant Trimble (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Sabrina(1995)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Sense and Sensibility(1995)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Red Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Executive Producer

  • Flesh and Bone(1993)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Holden Thorpe (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Searching for Bobby Fischer(1993)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Fallen Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 15 episodes · Executive Producer

  • The Firm(1993)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Mad About You(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Sydney Warren

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Husbands and Wives(1992)

    as Jack

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Death Becomes Her(1992)

    as Hospital Doctor (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • A Private Matter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Executive Producer

  • The Player(1992)

    as Dick Mellen

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Leaving Normal(1992)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Dead Again(1991)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • King Ralph(1991)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Havana(1990)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • White Palace(1990)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Sanford Meisner Master Class (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Executive Producer · Other · as Self

  • Presumed Innocent(1990)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Fabulous Baker Boys(1989)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Bright Lights, Big City(1988)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • A Tiger's Tale(1987)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • 9½ Weeks(1986)

    Other

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Out of Africa(1985)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Songwriter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Producer

  • Tootsie(1982)

    Director · Producer · as George Fields

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Absence of Malice(1981)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Honeysuckle Rose(1980)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Electric Horseman(1979)

    Director · as Man Who Makes Pass at Alice (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The South Bank Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Bobby Deerfield(1977)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Three Days of the Condor(1975)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Yakuza(1974)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Way We Were(1973)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks(1973)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Jeremiah Johnson(1972)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • They Shoot Horses, Don't They?(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Castle Keep(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Swimmer(1968)

    Co-Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Scalphunters(1968)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • This Property Is Condemned(1966)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Slender Thread(1965)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Slattery's People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Breaking Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Arrest and Trial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • War Hunt(1962)

    as Sgt. Owen Van Horn

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Frontier Circus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The New Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Austin Rogers · as Bert Masters

  • Ben Casey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 9 episodes · Director

  • Target: The Corruptors! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Cain's Hundred (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Defenders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Young Savages(1961)

    Dialect Coach

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Tall Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Turn of the Screw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Dialogue Coach

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Dialogue · as Harry

  • The Twilight Zone(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur Willis

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • For Whom the Bell Tolls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Andres

  • Now Is Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Capt. Stein

  • Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 2 episodes · as Joe Culp

  • Playhouse 90 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 2 episodes · as Andres

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Bernie Samuelson

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 106 titles from 1955 to 2018.

Biggest box office

The Firm (1993)

$270M worldwide

Highest rated

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Film career

  • 1962Screen debut· War Hunt
  • 1999Career best· Eyes Wide Shut
  • 2003First top-billed film· Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting35 of 106: 29 only acting, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score70thDirecting35 of 106: 22 only directing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score82ndWriting1 of 106: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing48 of 106: 34 only producing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thCinematography1 of 106: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleOther crew6 of 106: 5 only other crew, 1 with another role

106 titles, 16 with more than one role — producing and acting overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1950s8 · 7 acting · 2 crew1960s21 · 2 acting · 19 crew1970s8 · 3 acting · 6 crew1980s9 · 1 acting · 9 crew1990s31 · 12 acting · 20 crew2000s26 · 10 acting · 18 crew2010s3 · crew

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 8% of 13 roles
6202

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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Sydney Pollack's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 67; across their 64 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Midcredits score across 77 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up39
  • 50th to 74th21
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

44 of their 77 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved13
  • Crowd Pleaser44
  • Broadly Agreed11
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · producer

Forty Shades of Blue (2005)

55th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 77/100 in their films, across 55 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 53. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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 Sydney Pollack's work okay for kids?

Across up to 38 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore25 titles10–66 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity38 titles12–67 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity31 titles18–72 · median 47 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs27 titles30–59 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense27 titles12–74 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Sydney Pollack work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sydney Pollack's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Anthony Minghella shares the most, 10.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles