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Richard LaGravenese

Richard LaGravenese

Writer, director and producer · Born October 30, 1959 (66) · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Oscar nominee · Primetime Emmy nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 4 other major award bodies

Richard LaGravenese (born October 30, 1959) is an American screenwriter and occasional film director. He is best known as the writer of The Fisher King. Description above from the Wikipedia article Richard LaGravenese, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.​

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 30, 1959 (66)
From
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Writer, director and producer
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 31 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

What are Richard LaGravenese's films like?

Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography 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
40%
Self
21%
Survival
13%
Morality
11%
Power
6%
Society
6%
Ideas
4%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 24 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 16 · Intense 4

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

A split, not a type: Steady 13 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 3

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 18 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 17 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

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

Easy watch 6 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 7

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

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
16
Hopeful
13
Romantic
9
Tense
8
Bittersweet
8
Other
19

How their films linger

Hopeful19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet13
  • 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 Richard LaGravenese's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Richard LaGravenese'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

31 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • A Family Affair(2024)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Disenchanted(2022)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Call Your Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Executive Producer

  • The Comedian(2016)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Pushing Dead(2016)

    Producer · as Mugger

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Unbroken(2014)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Last Five Years(2014)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Divide(2014)

    Show 8 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Behind the Candelabra(2013)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Beautiful Creatures(2013)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Water for Elephants(2011)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans & the Movies(2008)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • P.S. I Love You(2007)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Freedom Writers(2007)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Paris, Je T'aime(2006)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Felicity: An American Girl Adventure(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Samantha: An American Girl Holiday(2004)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • A Decade Under the Influence(2003)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Blow(2001)

    as Detective #2

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Living Out Loud(1998)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Beloved(1998)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Horse Whisperer(1998)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Mirror Has Two Faces(1996)

    Screenplay · Screenstory

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Unstrung Heroes(1995)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Bridges of Madison County(1995)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • A Little Princess(1995)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Ref(1994)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Fisher King(1991)

    Writer · as Strait Jacket Yuppie

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Rude Awakening (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Screenplay

  • Blood on the Tracks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Screenplay

  • The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 29 titles, 27 of them dated from 1989 to 2024.

Biggest box office

The Horse Whisperer (1998)

$187M worldwide

Highest rated

Freedom Writers (2007)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

The Horse Whisperer (1998)

Film career

MilestoneNomination

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 29: 3 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting8 of 29: 1 only directing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndWriting22 of 29: 13 only writing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thProducing6 of 29: 1 only producing, 5 with another roleOther crew1 of 29: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

29 titles, 11 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s9 · 1 acting · 9 crew2000s6 · 2 acting · 4 crew2010s9 · 1 acting · 8 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

9 major nominations and no wins, 1992–2015.

  1. 2015
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
  2. 2014
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
  3. 2013
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
  4. 2006
    • Cannes award, nominated
  5. 2004
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Nonfiction Special
  6. 2003
    • Sundance award, nominated · Documentary
  7. 1992
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay - Original
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

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 Richard LaGravenese's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 24 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans & the Movies (2008)

86th percentile spread · 18% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer

Freedom Writers (2007)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 55/100 and the plot and story 49/100 in their films, across 24 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 Richard LaGravenese's work okay for kids?

Across up to 19 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore16 titles3–75 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity19 titles16–57 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity14 titles17–68 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles10–51 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense15 titles8–75 · median 36 · 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 Richard LaGravenese work with?

People who share at least 2 of Richard LaGravenese's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Danny DeVito shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles