Jonathan Demme

Directing

Jonathan Demme

Born — Died

1944-02-22 — 2017-04-26

Place of birth

Baldwin, Long Island, New York, USA

Known for

Directing

Credits

70 titles

Robert Jonathan Demme (February 22, 1944 – April 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. He was best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director. He also directed the acclaimed films Something Wild (1986), Married to the Mob (1988), Philadelphia (1993), and Rachel Getting Married (2008), as well as the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense (1984), which is widely considered to be one of the greatest concert films of all time.

Known for

Oz poster
8.0

The daily lives of prisoners in Emerald City, an experimental unit of the Oswald Maximum Security Prison where ingroups - Muslims, Latinos, Italians, Aryans - stick close to their mutual friends and terrorize their mutual enemies.

Oz

1997

Rachel Getting Married poster
6.3

A young woman who has been in and out from rehab for the past 10 years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding.

Rachel Getting Married

2008

Adaptation. poster
7.3

Charlie Kaufman is a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman and Orlean's book become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the other's.

Adaptation.

2002

Philadelphia poster
7.7

Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.

Philadelphia

1993

That Thing You Do! poster
6.9

A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager. But behind the scenes, the group’s sudden fame tests their strength, their maturity and responsibility, and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible.

That Thing You Do!

1996

The Manchurian Candidate poster
6.5

Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw, now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco's doubts deepen, Shaw's political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mysterious implant embedded in his back, the memory of what really happened begins to return.

The Manchurian Candidate

2004

Film credits

2020s · 3 titles

2010s · 5 titles

Corman's World poster
7.0

A chronicle of the long career of American filmmaker Roger Corman, the most tenacious and ingenious low-budget producer and director in the US film industry, a pioneer of independent filmmaking and discoverer of new talent.

Corman's World

2011

Inside Story - The Silence of the Lambs poster
7.2

With interviews from cast and crew, including stars Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and director Jonathan Demme, this feature-length documentary tells the story of how a film with a young director trained in B-movies and cheesy comedies managed to make one of the most chilling films in decades, and how a studio in the midst of collapse turned out a film that took the box office - and Oscars - by storm.

Inside Story - The Silence of the Lambs

2010

I Thought I Told You To Shut Up!! poster
5.0

This documentary short tells the story of cartoonist David Boswell and his greatest creation: Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman. In the late '70s, David Boswell birthed Reid Fleming, a counterculture icon in the form of a comic book anti-hero. Fast forward to the '80s, Warner Brothers aimed for a Hollywood film. Today, three decades later, Reid Fleming remains stuck in a contractual quagmire. Jonathan Demme, Academy Award-Winner (The Silence of the Lambs, Stop Making Sense), narrates "I Thought I Told You To Shut Up!!" This documentary blends stop-motion animation with interviews from Boswell, Hollywood cohorts, and fans, exploring the enduring allure of the indomitable Reid Fleming, the World's Toughest Milkman.

I Thought I Told You To Shut Up!!

2015

Richard Linklater: Dream Is Destiny poster
6.8

Highlighting one of the most innovative American directors, this film reveals the path traveled by the auteur from his small-town Texas roots to his warm reception on the awards circuit. Long before he directed Boyhood, Richard Linklater’s intense desire to create fueled his work outside the Hollywood system. Rather than leave Texas, he chose to collaborate with like-minded artists crafting modest, low-budget films in a DIY style. His ability to showcase realistic characters and tell honest stories was evident from his films, and others soon took notice of his raw talent.

Richard Linklater: Dream Is Destiny

2016

Pablo poster
6.9

Pablo blends documentary and animation elements to tell the saga of "famous unknown" Pablo Ferro, a man with a personal journey that spans from Havana, during the pre-Cuban revolution to his current home, in the garage behind his son's house.

Pablo

2012

2000s · 8 titles

Inside the Labyrinth: The Making of 'The Silence of the Lambs' poster
7.3

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of this Oscar winning thriller, prepared for its tenth anniversary. Includes interviews with star Anthony Hopkins, as well as other members of the cast and crew, giving their views on the experience of creating this masterpiece of terror and suspense.

Inside the Labyrinth: The Making of 'The Silence of the Lambs'

2001

The Silence of the Lambs: Breaking the Silence poster
1.0

"Breaking the Silence" is one of three Johnathan Demme & Jodie Foster documentary features included in the physical release of "The Silence of the Lambs." This part talks about film's tone, impact, release and how it was received.

The Silence of the Lambs: Breaking the Silence

2005

Jimmy Carter Man from Plains poster
6.5

A chronicle of the former president's tour recent for his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid."

Jimmy Carter Man from Plains

2007

The Silence of the Lambs: The Beginning poster
NR

"The Beginning" is one of three Johnathan Demme & Jodie Foster documentary features included in the physical release of "The Silence of the Lambs." This part focuses on the early beginnings of the script, story and how it came to unfold.

The Silence of the Lambs: The Beginning

2005

The Silence of the Lambs: Making Silence of the Lambs poster
NR

"Making Silence of the Lambs" is one of three Johnathan Demme & Jodie Foster documentary features included in the physical release of "The Silence of the Lambs." This part discusses and showcases the different aspects that went into the making of the film.

The Silence of the Lambs: Making Silence of the Lambs

2005

Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB poster
8.0

An East Village performance space fought against the Bowery homeless shelter who threatened to shut them down. Some of the most iconic figures in music have performed here.

Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB

2009

People Like Us: Making 'Philadelphia' poster
4.8

10 years after the release of "Philadelphia," director Jonathan Demme, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington and others discuss about the making of that film and it's important legacy through the years of being the first mainstream Hollywood film about dealing with the topic of Aids, revealing its impact on culture and society. Cast and crew talk about the inception of the project, the making of it and curious stories about one of the greatest hits of 1993.

People Like Us: Making 'Philadelphia'

2004

Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster poster
6.5

Documentary about the making of "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991). Presented as three short documentaries on the collector's edition DVD (MGM, January 2007), but first appeared in the 2005 European release.

Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster

2005

1990s · 6 titles

That Thing You Do! poster
6.9

A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager. But behind the scenes, the group’s sudden fame tests their strength, their maturity and responsibility, and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible.

That Thing You Do!

1996

Cousin Bobby poster
6.7

Robert Castle is the idealistic pastor of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Harlem, and also the cousin of filmmaker Jonathan Demme. Demme's affectionate portrait of his cousin traces Castle's story, beginning with his first parish assignment, in New Jersey in the early 1960s, in an increasingly African-American-populated neighborhood rocked by violence and civil rights protests. The film raises intimate discussions of race, faith and family, while also showing Castle's daily routine as a pastor.

Cousin Bobby

1992

Blood Brothers poster
8.4

This documentary highlights the reunion of Bruce Springsteen with his E Street Band as they join forces to record several new tracks for Springsteen's GREATEST HITS album. Featured songs include longtime bootleg favorite "This Hard Land" and the brand-new songs "Secret Garden" and "Blood Brothers," as well as other previously unreleased tracks. The show aired originally on the Disney Channel. The documentary provides a thrilling behind-the-scenes look at Springsteen's creative process, which is famous for its attention to detail. Springsteen also constantly flips around music and lyrics among different songs until he nails it perfectly. The closeness of the band is evident at the outset in its ability to gel with Springsteen right off the bat even though they hadn't played together regularly since the late 1980s.

Blood Brothers

1995

The Making of 'The Silence of the Lambs' poster
6.1

This brief throwback piece focused on interview snippets from Hopkins, Demme, Glenn, Foster, FBI agent John Douglas and another unnamed FBI agent.

The Making of 'The Silence of the Lambs'

1991

Hitchcock: Shadow of a Genius poster
8.5

This documentary is a fascinating look at the cinematic genius of Alfred Hitchcock. Briefly covering much of his early British works, the film primarily focuses on his American classics, such as "Shadow of a Doubt", "Notorious", "Rear Window", "Vertigo", "Psycho" and "The Birds". The movie also covers his television years and neatly examines the Hitchcock signature touches, from his inevitable brief cameo to his famous MacGuffin.

Hitchcock: Shadow of a Genius

1999

One Foot on a Banana Peel, the Other Foot in the Grave: Secrets from the Dolly Madison Room poster
3.7

Secrets from the Dolly Madison Room This thoughts and feelings of gays with AIDS are revealed in this documentary set in a New York West Village clinic. One of the patients dies during the course of the film. The patients speak with candor and humor about their grave condition, about the support they give each other, and about their preparations for death. The outcome alternates between pathos and the upbeat.

One Foot on a Banana Peel, the Other Foot in the Grave: Secrets from the Dolly Madison Room

1994

1980s · 3 titles

1970s · 3 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera

Rachel Getting Married poster
6.3

A young woman who has been in and out from rehab for the past 10 years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding.

Rachel Getting Married

2008

Rachel Getting Married poster
6.3

A young woman who has been in and out from rehab for the past 10 years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding.

Rachel Getting Married

2008

Adaptation. poster
7.3

Charlie Kaufman is a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman and Orlean's book become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the other's.

Adaptation.

2002

Philadelphia poster
7.7

Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.

Philadelphia

1993

Philadelphia poster
7.7

Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.

Philadelphia

1993

That Thing You Do! poster
6.9

A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager. But behind the scenes, the group’s sudden fame tests their strength, their maturity and responsibility, and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible.

That Thing You Do!

1996

The Manchurian Candidate poster
6.5

Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw, now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco's doubts deepen, Shaw's political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mysterious implant embedded in his back, the memory of what really happened begins to return.

The Manchurian Candidate

2004

The Manchurian Candidate poster
6.5

Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw, now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco's doubts deepen, Shaw's political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mysterious implant embedded in his back, the memory of what really happened begins to return.

The Manchurian Candidate

2004

The Silence of the Lambs poster
8.3

Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

The Silence of the Lambs

1991

Stop Making Sense poster
8.4

A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.

Stop Making Sense

1984

Stop Making Sense poster
8.4

A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.

Stop Making Sense

1984

Something Wild poster
6.6

A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-con husband shows up.

Something Wild

1986

Something Wild poster
6.6

A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-con husband shows up.

Something Wild

1986

Ricki and the Flash poster
5.8

Meryl Streep stars as Ricki Rendazzo, a guitar heroine who made a world of mistakes as she followed her dreams of rock-and-roll stardom. Returning home, Ricki gets a shot at redemption and a chance to make things right as she faces the music with her family.

Ricki and the Flash

2015

Married to the Mob poster
6.0

Angela de Marco is fed up with her gangster husband's line of work and wants no part of the crime world. When her husband is killed for having an affair with the mistress of mob boss Tony "The Tiger" Russo, Angela and her son depart for New York City to make a fresh start. Unfortunately, Tony has set his sights upon Angela -- and so has an undercover FBI agent looking to use her to bust Tony.

Married to the Mob

1988

The Truth About Charlie poster
4.9

Regina meets charming Joshua while vacationing in Martinique, as she contemplates ending her whirlwind marriage to enigmatic Charlie. Upon her return to Paris, she finds that both her apartment and her bank account have been emptied, and her husband has been murdered. Stuck in ever-increasing danger and with four men pursuing her, another stranger offers assistance - but who can she trust?

The Truth About Charlie

2002

The Truth About Charlie poster
4.9

Regina meets charming Joshua while vacationing in Martinique, as she contemplates ending her whirlwind marriage to enigmatic Charlie. Upon her return to Paris, she finds that both her apartment and her bank account have been emptied, and her husband has been murdered. Stuck in ever-increasing danger and with four men pursuing her, another stranger offers assistance - but who can she trust?

The Truth About Charlie

2002

The Truth About Charlie poster
4.9

Regina meets charming Joshua while vacationing in Martinique, as she contemplates ending her whirlwind marriage to enigmatic Charlie. Upon her return to Paris, she finds that both her apartment and her bank account have been emptied, and her husband has been murdered. Stuck in ever-increasing danger and with four men pursuing her, another stranger offers assistance - but who can she trust?

The Truth About Charlie

2002

Beloved poster
5.8

After Paul D. finds his old slave friend Sethe in Ohio and moves in with her and her daughter Denver, a strange girl comes along by the name of "Beloved". Sethe and Denver take her in and then strange things start to happen...

Beloved

1998

Beloved poster
5.8

After Paul D. finds his old slave friend Sethe in Ohio and moves in with her and her daughter Denver, a strange girl comes along by the name of "Beloved". Sethe and Denver take her in and then strange things start to happen...

Beloved

1998

Last Embrace poster
5.5

Secret agent Harry Hannan suffers a mental breakdown when a botched mission in Mexico results in the death of his wife. He is sent to a mental asylum, after which he eventually returns to work. But, once again, he begins to doubt his sanity when he receives a bizarre death threat written in Hebrew. Not knowing which of his colleagues wants to kill him, Hannan teams up with pretty young college student Ellie Fabian to attempt to unravel the mystery.

Last Embrace

1979

Miami Blues poster
6.0

After Junior is released from prison, he plans on starting a new life in Miami. But when he kills a man in the airport, he flees the scene and finds Susie, a mild-mannered prostitute searching for stability. The two opposites become romantically involved, and Junior steals a badge and gun from a veteran detective. Using the officer's identity, Junior embarks on a crime spree and convinces Susie that he is the perfect man.

Miami Blues

1990

Swing Shift poster
5.6

In 1941 America, Kay and her husband are happy enough until he enlists after Pearl Harbor. Against his wishes, she takes a job at the local aircraft plant where she meets Hazel, the singer from across the way. The two soon become firm friends and with the other girls become increasingly expert workers. As the war drags on, Kay finally dates her trumpet-playing foreman and life gets more complicated.

Swing Shift

1984

Crazy Mama poster
5.6

Melba Stokes, her mother Sheba and daughter Cheryl embark on a crime spree after their California beauty parlor is repossessed. Their destination is Arkansas, where the three generations of women want to reclaim the family farm.

Crazy Mama

1975

Swimming to Cambodia poster
7.0

Spalding Gray sits behind a desk throughout the entire film and recounts his exploits and chance encounters while playing a minor role in the film 'The Killing Fields'. At the same time, he gives a background to the events occurring in Cambodia at the time the film was set.

Swimming to Cambodia

1987

Caged Heat poster
5.1

A young woman is convicted on drug offenses and sent to a women's penitentiary run by a repressed and oppressive female warden. When the prison's sadistic doctor begins conducting illegal "therapeutic" experiments on the inmates, the ladies plot their revenge.

Caged Heat

1974

Caged Heat poster
5.1

A young woman is convicted on drug offenses and sent to a women's penitentiary run by a repressed and oppressive female warden. When the prison's sadistic doctor begins conducting illegal "therapeutic" experiments on the inmates, the ladies plot their revenge.

Caged Heat

1974

Subway Stories poster
5.6

An anthology of 10 stories depicting real-life incidents of subway riders in New York City, which range from compassion and love to violence and loss.

Subway Stories

1997

Fighting Mad poster
4.6

An evil corporation tries to pressure a bunch of Arkansas farmers and ranchers to sell their land so they can strip-mine it for coal. The fiercely proud and stubborn Hunter family refuse to give in. This leads to a bitter conflict that results in several casualties. Eventually the take-charge no-nonsense Tom Hunter exacts a harsh revenge on the villains with the help of his bow and arrow.

Fighting Mad

1976

Fighting Mad poster
4.6

An evil corporation tries to pressure a bunch of Arkansas farmers and ranchers to sell their land so they can strip-mine it for coal. The fiercely proud and stubborn Hunter family refuse to give in. This leads to a bitter conflict that results in several casualties. Eventually the take-charge no-nonsense Tom Hunter exacts a harsh revenge on the villains with the help of his bow and arrow.

Fighting Mad

1976

A Master Builder poster
5.8

A successful, ego-maniacal architect who has spent a lifetime bullying his wife, employees and mistresses wants to make peace as his life approaches its final act.

A Master Builder

2014

Song One poster
5.7

Estranged from her family, Franny returns home when an accident leaves her brother comatose. Retracing his life as an aspiring musician, she tracks down his favorite musician, James Forester. Against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s music scene, Franny and James develop an unexpected relationship and face the realities of their lives.

Song One

2014

Melvin and Howard poster
6.5

The story of hard-luck Melvin Dummar, who claimed to have received a will naming him an heir to the fortune of Howard Hughes. Inspired by real events.

Melvin and Howard

1980

Ulee's Gold poster
6.4

Third-generation Florida beekeeper Ulee Jackson may have gotten out of Vietnam alive, but he left a part of himself behind. Now he methodically tends his bees, carefully provides for his two grandchildren and keeps his emotions at bay. But when a long-buried secret threatens Ulee's business and family, he is forced to break through his emotional walls and confront the terror of his wounded spirit.

Ulee's Gold

1997

The Agronomist poster
6.2

Documentary on Jean Dominique, Haitian radio personality and human rights activist.

The Agronomist

2004

The Agronomist poster
6.2

Documentary on Jean Dominique, Haitian radio personality and human rights activist.

The Agronomist

2004

Cousin Bobby poster
6.7

Robert Castle is the idealistic pastor of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Harlem, and also the cousin of filmmaker Jonathan Demme. Demme's affectionate portrait of his cousin traces Castle's story, beginning with his first parish assignment, in New Jersey in the early 1960s, in an increasingly African-American-populated neighborhood rocked by violence and civil rights protests. The film raises intimate discussions of race, faith and family, while also showing Castle's daily routine as a pastor.

Cousin Bobby

1992

Beah: A Black Woman Speaks poster
NR

Beah: A Black Woman Speaks is a 2003 documentary about the life of Academy Award nominated actress Beah Richards. Directed by Lisa Gay Hamilton, it won the Documentary Award at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival in 2003.

Beah: A Black Woman Speaks

2004

Enzo Avitabile Music Life poster
10.0

Jonathan Demme helms this musical documentary that shines a light on the eclectic sounds of songwriter-musician Enzo Avitabile.

Enzo Avitabile Music Life

2013

Enzo Avitabile Music Life poster
10.0

Jonathan Demme helms this musical documentary that shines a light on the eclectic sounds of songwriter-musician Enzo Avitabile.

Enzo Avitabile Music Life

2013