Philip Kaufman (born October 23, 1936) is an American filmmaker. Although not noted for directing a large number of films, the films he has worked on have been recognized for their intelligence and independence. He is noted for directing films of eclectic subjects, ranging from realism to fantasy, and often incorporating satire or subtle humor as part of his “artistic signature.” He was born in Chicago, Illinois. Kaufman has been considered a “risk taker.” He has successfully adapted novels of widely different types – from Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being to Michael Crichton’s Rising Sun; from Tom Wolfe’s heroic epic The Right Stuff to the erotic writings of Anais Nin’s Henry & June. According to film historian James Welsh, his candid treatment of adult relationships in Henry & June was considered an “artistic breakthrough by an unconventional filmmaker who was willing to take a chance and put his career on the line.” His greatest success was the blockbuster film The Right Stuff, where he directed and wrote the screenplay. It earned eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. And his best films have always had his personal imprint, “stressing values of individualism and integrity,” and always being "clearly American."
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Biography from TMDB.
- October 23, 1936 (90)
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Writer, director, actor and producer
- 20 on MovieCove · 22 credits in all
Known for
What are Philip Kaufman's films like?
Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 2 · Earnest 13
A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 5 · Dark 7
Grounded 5 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 3
Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 11
Steady 2 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 3
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 1
Casual 2 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 4
Easy watch 4 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 6
Resolved 7 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet9
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous3
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 Philip Kaufman's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Philip Kaufman'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, 20 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
The Right Stuff(2020)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows
Hemingway & Gellhorn(2012)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Twisted(2004)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Quills(2000)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Montana Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Rising Sun(1993)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Henry & June(1990)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
The Right Stuff(1983)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
The Wanderers(1979)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
The Outlaw Josey Wales(1976)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The White Dawn(1974)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Fearless Frank(1967)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Goldstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Career shape
A full career of 22 titles from 1965 to 2023.
Biggest box office
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Highest rated
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Film career
- 1978Screen debut· Invasion of the Body Snatchers
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 Philip Kaufman's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 81st percentile, the median of all 19; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up11
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th4
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
7 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved6
- Crowd Pleaser7
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the dialogue 58/100 and the plot and story 48/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
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 Philip Kaufman's work okay for kids?
Across up to 12 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
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 Philip Kaufman work with?
People who share at least 2 of Philip Kaufman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Chapman shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Steven SpielbergShared titles: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Steven Spielberg
Writers
- Rose KaufmanShared titles: Henry & June (1990), The Wanderers (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Rose Kaufman
- George LucasShared titles: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)See all 2 shared titles with George Lucas
Actors
- David StrathairnShared titles: Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012), Twisted (2004)See all 2 shared titles with David Strathairn
- Sean ConneryShared titles: Rising Sun (1993), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Sean Connery
- Fred WardShared titles: Henry & June (1990), The Right Stuff (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Fred Ward
- Denholm ElliottShared titles: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Denholm Elliott
Cinematographers and editors
- Michael ChapmanShared titles: Rising Sun (1993), The Wanderers (1979), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The White Dawn (1974)See all 4 shared titles with Michael Chapman
- Douglas StewartShared titles: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The White Dawn (1974), The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)See all 3 shared titles with Douglas Stewart
- Rogier StoffersShared titles: Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012), Quills (2000)See all 2 shared titles with Rogier Stoffers
- Walter MurchShared titles: Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Walter Murch
Producers
- Peter KaufmanShared titles: Twisted (2004), Quills (2000), Rising Sun (1993), Henry & June (1990)See all 4 shared titles with Peter Kaufman
- Frank MarshallShared titles: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Frank Marshall
- Robert WattsShared titles: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Watts
- Martin RansohoffShared titles: The Wanderers (1979), The White Dawn (1974)See all 2 shared titles with Martin Ransohoff
