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Jonathan Dayton

Jonathan Dayton

Director, producer and cinematographer · Born July 7, 1957 (69) · Alameda County, California

Primetime Emmy nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 3 other major award bodies

Jonathan Dayton (born 7 July 1957) and Valerie Faris (born 20 October 1958) are a team of American music video directors, also husband and wife, that received critical acclaim for their feature film directorial debut, Little Miss Sunshine. Description above from the Wikipedia article  Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 7, 1957 (69)
From
Alameda County, California
Works as
Director, producer and cinematographer
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 22 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 1% in 30 days

What are Jonathan Dayton's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile
: browse their Documentary 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
39%
Bonds
19%
Society
16%
Survival
13%
Morality
6%
Ideas
6%
Identity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 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 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 5 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 1

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 1

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 4 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 4 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
4
Contemplative
4
Bittersweet
3
Hopeful
3
Melancholic
3
Other
5

How their films linger

Feel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

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 Jonathan Dayton's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jonathan Dayton'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

22 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Stick(2025)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • Fleishman Is in Trouble(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Living with Yourself(2019)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Battle of the Sexes(2017)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Highston (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show Creator

  • Ruby Sparks(2012)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Little Miss Sunshine(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Offspring - Complete Music Video Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • The Check Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Janet Jackson: From Janet. To Damita Jo: The Videos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Weezer: Video Capture Device - Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • R.E.M.: In View 1988-2003 (The Best of R.E.M.) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • The Smashing Pumpkins - Greatest Hits Video Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Making the Video (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Sick(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Smashing Pumpkins: 1979 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Mr. Show with Bob and David(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • R.E.M.: Rough Cut(1995)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Janet Jackson: janet. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Actor

  • The Jim Rose Circus Sideshow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Camera Operator

  • Shadrach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

  • The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years(1988)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 22 titles from 1988 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

$101M worldwide

Highest rated

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Stick (2025)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 22: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting18 of 22: 13 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thProducing5 of 22: 1 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thCinematography2 of 22: 1 only cinematography, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 22: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

22 titles, 5 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1980s2 · crew1990s7 · 1 acting · 6 crew2000s7 · crew2010s4 · crew2020s2 · 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.

Awards

3 major awards from 8 major nominations, 1990–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
  2. 2007
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
    • +2 other major bodies · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Director
  3. 2000
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Short Form Music Video
  4. 1999
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Short Form Music Video
  5. 1997
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Music Video, Short Form
  6. 1990
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Music Video, Long Form

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Jonathan Dayton's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 87th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 84th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th4

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 10 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser7

Most divisive · director, producer, cinematographer

R.E.M.: Rough Cut (1995)

90th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 73/100 and the pacing 59/100 in their films, across 5 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 Jonathan Dayton's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films and violence & gore lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles6–31 · median 8 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles28–50 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles40–71 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles30–56 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles8–35 · median 30 · mildnear 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 Jonathan Dayton work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jonathan Dayton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Valerie Faris shares the most, 7.

Directors

Actors

Editors

Producers