Bruce Joel Rubin

Writing

Bruce Joel Rubin

Born 1943-03-10 · Detroit, Michigan, USA

Bruce Joel Rubin (b. March 10, 1943, Detroit, Michigan) is a screenwriter best known for the supernatural romance, Ghost for which he won the 1991 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1990 psychological thriller Jacob's Ladder.

Acting credits

Only in Theaters poster
4.2

ONLY IN THEATERS, a film by actor/director Raphael Sbarge, is an intimate and moving journey taken with the Laemmle family, spanning nearly three years of challenges, losses, and personal triumphs. Laemmle Theatres, the beloved 84-year-old arthouse cinema chain 3rd generation family business in Los Angeles, is facing seismic change and financial pressure. Yet the family behind this multigenerational business – whose sole mission has been to support the art of film – is determined to survive.

Only in Theaters

2022

Tales from the Script poster
6.6

Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon"), John Carpenter ("Halloween"), Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption"), William Goldman ("The Princess Bride"), Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver"), and dozens of other Hollywood screenwriters share hilarious anecdotes and penetrating insights in "Tales from the Script," the most comprehensive documentary ever made about screenwriting. By analyzing their triumphs and recalling their failures, the participants explain how successful writers develop the skills necessary for toughing out careers in one of the world's most competitive industries. They also reveal the untold stories behind some of the greatest screenplays ever written, describing their adventures with luminaries including Harrison Ford, Stanley Kubrick, Joel Silver, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. The film was produced in tandem with the upcoming HarperCollins book of the same name.

Tales from the Script

2009

Ghost Stories: The Making of a Classic poster
NR

The making of Ghost

Ghost Stories: The Making of a Classic

2007

No artwork available
10.0

A documentary about the movie Jacob's Ladder by Didier Allouch with Adrian Lyne, Tim Robbins, and Bruce Joel Rubin. Included on the 4K release of Jacob's Ladder.

On the Rungs of Jacob's Ladder

2025

Ghost: Remembering the Magic poster
6.0

The Making of Ghost

Ghost: Remembering the Magic

2001

Building 'Jacob's Ladder' poster
4.5

An overview of the making of the film Jacob's Ladder (1990).

Building 'Jacob's Ladder'

1990

The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin poster
NR

With over 23 years in the business, Bruce Joel Rubin has done it all. From his Oscar-winning screenplay for the romantic-comedy-drama Ghost, to the psychological thriller Jacob's Ladder, the family-friendly adventure Stuart Little 2, and the tearjerker My Life, which he also directed. In this in-depth interview, Rubin delivers some insightful stuff: his carpet-laying theory about writing, the story behind the Jacob's Ladder gut-wrenching opening scene, and which of his screenplays came about thanks to a burrito that didn't digest well.

The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin

2007

Behind the camera

Deep Impact poster
6.2

A seven-mile-wide space rock is hurtling toward Earth, threatening to obliterate the planet. Now, it's up to the president of the United States to save the world. He appoints a tough-as-nails veteran astronaut to lead a joint American-Russian crew into space to destroy the comet before impact. Meanwhile, an enterprising reporter uses her smarts to uncover the scoop of the century.

Deep Impact

1998

Ghost poster
7.2

After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.

Ghost

1990

The Time Traveler's Wife poster
7.0

Due to a genetic disorder, handsome librarian Henry DeTamble involuntarily zips through time, appearing at various moments in the life of his true love, the beautiful artist Clare Abshire.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009

Jacob's Ladder poster
7.4

After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness.

Jacob's Ladder

1990

Jacob's Ladder poster
7.4

After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness.

Jacob's Ladder

1990

Stuart Little 2 poster
5.8

Stuart, an adorable white mouse, still lives happily with his adoptive family, the Littles, on the east side of Manhattan's Central Park. More crazy mouse adventures are in store as Stuart, his human brother, George, and their mischievous cat, Snowbell, set out to rescue a friend.

Stuart Little 2

2002

Deadly Friend poster
6.2

When tragedy strikes his remarkable robot and the beautiful girl next door, lonely teenage genius Paul tries to save them by pushing technology beyond its known limits into a terrifying new realm.

Deadly Friend

1986

My Life poster
6.7

It seems that Bob Jones has everything a man could want, namely a fulfilling job and a beautiful, pregnant wife, Gail. But Bob's life is turned upside-down when he is diagnosed with cancer and given four months to live -- not even enough time to see his first child's birth. To cleanse himself of demons in his remaining days, Bob makes a video diary, hoping to pass along some wisdom to his future child. Along the way, he discovers a lot about himself.

My Life

1993

My Life poster
6.7

It seems that Bob Jones has everything a man could want, namely a fulfilling job and a beautiful, pregnant wife, Gail. But Bob's life is turned upside-down when he is diagnosed with cancer and given four months to live -- not even enough time to see his first child's birth. To cleanse himself of demons in his remaining days, Bob makes a video diary, hoping to pass along some wisdom to his future child. Along the way, he discovers a lot about himself.

My Life

1993

My Life poster
6.7

It seems that Bob Jones has everything a man could want, namely a fulfilling job and a beautiful, pregnant wife, Gail. But Bob's life is turned upside-down when he is diagnosed with cancer and given four months to live -- not even enough time to see his first child's birth. To cleanse himself of demons in his remaining days, Bob makes a video diary, hoping to pass along some wisdom to his future child. Along the way, he discovers a lot about himself.

My Life

1993

Deceived poster
5.8

The murder of a museum curator places art dealer Jack Saunders under suspicion for selling forged treasures to museums. When Jack suddenly dies in a car crash, his wife Adrienne tries to discover what he did on her own. She finds that she knew little about the man she was married to. The more she learns about her husband's possible illegal activities and double life, the more she places her daughter, and herself, in grave danger.

Deceived

1991

The Last Mimzy poster
6.3

Two siblings begin to develop special talents after they find a mysterious box of toys, and soon their parents and even their teacher are drawn into a strange new world – and find a task ahead of them that is far more important than any of them could imagine.

The Last Mimzy

2007

Jennifer poster
8.0

A short film about the actress Jennifer Salt, directed by Brian De Palma and written by Bruce Joel Rubin. Note: As of now, the film is considered lost and no known copies are publicly available.

Jennifer

1964

Dionysus in '69 poster
6.0

Filmed stageplay based on the ancient greek play The Bacchae written by Euripides. This play is performed by members of The Performance Group, an NYC experimental theater group who has made their own personal adaptation of this ancient text.

Dionysus in '69

1970