Melissa Mathison

Writing

Melissa Mathison

Born 1950-06-03 · Los Angeles, California, USA

Melissa Marie Mathison (June 3, 1950 – November 4, 2015) was an American film and television screenwriter and an activist for the Tibetan independence movement. She was best known for writing the screenplays for the films The Black Stallion (1979) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), the latter of which earned her the Saturn Award for Best Writing and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Mathison later wrote The Indian in the Cupboard (1995), based on Lynne Reid Banks's 1980 children's novel of the same name, and Kundun (1997), a biographical-drama film about the Dalai Lama. Her final film credit was The BFG (2016), which marked her third collaboration with film director Steven Spielberg. Description above from the Wikipedia article Melissa Mathison, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial poster
7.5

An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

1982

Spielberg poster
7.5

A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg

2017

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Refuge

2006

The 'E.T.' Journals poster
10.0

The following documentary is composed exclusively of original behind-the-scenes footage shot during the production of "E.T." in 1981. It follows the order of the scenes as they appear in the film.

The 'E.T.' Journals

2012

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 20th Anniversary Special poster
7.3

A retrospective of "E.T.," featuring a cast reunion and a look at the making of the 20th anniversary edition of the film.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 20th Anniversary Special

2002

The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' poster
7.4

A behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Steven Spielberg's 1982 film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."

The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'

1996

In Search of 'Kundun' with Martin Scorsese poster
7.3

In Search of Kundun, a “making-of” documentary that is so much more, follows Scorsese as he plans his epic film and shoots in Morocco, and continues on to an audience with the Dalai Lama himself in the foothills of the Himalayas. Edited from over a hundred hours of footage, the documentary captures Scorsese’s fervor as a filmmaker and a man, the modest yet charismatic Dalai Lama, and the plight of the exiled Tibetans. -Denver Film Society

In Search of 'Kundun' with Martin Scorsese

1998

Behind the camera

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial poster
7.5

An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

1982

The BFG poster
6.3

An orphan little girl befriends a benevolent giant who takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world.

The BFG

2016

Twilight Zone: The Movie poster
6.5

An anthology film presenting remakes of three episodes from the "Twilight Zone" TV series—"Kick the Can", "It's a Good Life" and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"—and one original story, "Time Out."

Twilight Zone: The Movie

1983

The Indian in the Cupboard poster
6.5

A nine-year-old boy gets a plastic Indian and a cupboard for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life and befriends him.

The Indian in the Cupboard

1995

The Black Stallion poster
7.1

While traveling with his father, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion that is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a deserted island. He befriends it, so when finally rescued both return to his home where they soon meet Henry Dailey, a once successful trainer. Together they begin training the horse to race against the fastest ones in the world.

The Black Stallion

1979

Kundun poster
6.8

From childhood to adulthood, Tibet's fourteenth Dalai Lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems.

Kundun

1997

The Escape Artist poster
6.2

The young and self-confident Danny bluffs at the local police-station that he will escape from prison within an hour. What follows is a flashback showing his childhood with his uncle and aunt, who are 'vaudeville'-artists themselves.

The Escape Artist

1982