Filmography

The Berkeley Connection (2006)

Directed by
Michael Corrente

Writing credits
Marshall Brickman

Car Wars (2006)

A fusty Mercedes-Benz dealer (Hoffman) is befriended by an upstart car salesman (Shepard) who opens a classic auto shop across the street.

 

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with no smell, develops a superior olfactory sense, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. His work, however, takes a dark turn as he searches for the ultimate scent

 

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

An IRS auditor suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death.

 

The Lost City (2005)

Set in Havana, Cuba, during the 50's, a club owner is caught in the turbulent transition from the oppressive 

 

Father Knows Less (2005)

A loving but aloof guy abandoned by his trophy wife finds himself in charge of raising his young kids. In order to connect with them as their father, he turns to his children from his first marriage for help.

 

 

Racing Stripes (2005)

In the middle of a raging thunderstorm, a traveling circus accidentally leaves behind some very precious cargo--a baby zebra. Horse farmer Nolan Walsh, who takes him home to his young daughter Channing, rescues the gangly little foal. Once a champion thoroughbred trainer, Walsh has given up horse training for a quiet life with Channing on their modest Kentucky farm. The little zebra, or "Stripes," as Channing calls him, is soon introduced to the farm's misfit troupe of barnyard residents, led by a cranky Shetland Pony named Tucker and Franny, a wise old goat who keeps the family in line. Goose, a deranged big-city pelican who's hiding out in the sticks until the heat dies down in Jersey, joins the group. The un-aptly named bloodhound Lightening keeps a lazy eye on goings-on at the farm - in between naps. The Walsh farm borders the Turfway Racetrack, where highly skilled thoroughbreds compete for horse racing's top honor, the ultra-prestigious Kentucky Crown. From t! he first moment Stripes lays eyes on the track, he's hooked--he knows that if he could just get the chance, he could leave all those other horses in the dust. What he doesn't know is--he's not exactly a horse. But with characteristic zeal, he devotes himself to training for the big time, with a little help from Tucker, who has coached a host of champion racehorses in the past.

 

 

Meet the Fockers (2004)

Having given permission to male nurse Greg Focker (Stiller) to wed his daughter (Polo), ex-CIA man Jack Byrnes (De Niro) and his wife (Danner) travel to Detroit to "meet the parents", who this time around are Mr. and Mrs. Focker (Hoffman and Streisand), who are as different from them as can be.

 

 

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

This is the story of the Bauedelaires, three young orphans, Violet (Browning), Klaus (Aiken) and Sunny, looking for a new home, who are taken in by a series of odd relatives and other people, including Lemony Snicket, who narrates the film, and starting with the cunning and dastardly Count Olaf (Carrey), who hopes to snatch their inheritance from them. Violet is the oldest of the Baudelaires at 14, and is their brave and fast-thinking leader. The only boy is middle child Klaus, 12, who is intensely intelligent and obsessed with words. The youngest is infant Sunny, who speaks in a language only her siblings can understand, and she has a tendency to... bite.

 

 

Finding Neverland (2004)

Set in London in 1904, the film follows J.M. Barrie's creative journey to bring Peter Pan to life, from his first inspiration for the story up until the play's premiere at the Duke of York's Theatre - a night that will change not only Barrie's own life, but the lives of everyone close to him. David Magee's screenplay is based on the play "The Man Who Was Peter Pan," written by Allen Knee.

 

 

I Heart Huckabees (2004)

This ensemble comedy is about a married couple, the Jaffes (Hoffman, Tomlin), who work as detectives, helping people solve existential crises in their lives. For those not familiar with the philosophy-based term of "existential crisis", some examples of such a crises would be a "mid-life crisis", a "what am I doing with my life?" sort of hang up, "my life has been a mistake", "my whole life is a joke", etc. Their first client in this movie is Albert Markovski (Schwartzman), who is experiencing angst because of his position at Huckabee's, a popular chain of retail stores. Investigating his workplace, the Jaffes take on one of Albert's coworkers, Brad Stand (Law) as a client as well, which leads them to investigate his girlfriend, Dawn Campbell (Watts), who is the spokesmodel in the Huckabees TV commercials. Meanwhile, Albert teams up with an existential firefighter (Wahlberg) and a French radical (Huppert) out of frustration with the idea that the Jaffes are helping the very man who seems to be part of Albert's existential crisis.

 

 

Runaway Jury (2003)

Set in New Orleans, this is the story of a mysterious man, Nick Easter (Cusack) who gets himself on the jury of a landmark case against a gun manufacturer in an attempt to influence the other jury members to vote a certain way. Meanwhile, Easter's girlfriend, Marlee (Weisz), tries to swindle the attorneys (Hackman, Hoffman) to pay millions of dollars to have the jury return a verdict friendly to their clients. The case involves the widow of a man killed in an office shooting suing the gun manufacturer of the weapon that was used, under the claim that they knew the store that sold it was not obeying the laws about firearm sales.

 

 

Confidence (2003)

This is the story of a con man (Burns) whose latest scam puts him in debt with the mafia, when it turns out that his victim, an accountant, is a *mob* accountant, leading the kingpin (Hoffman) to assign an enforcer to shadow his every move, even as the con man and his crew work to pull off another scam for the mob to pay off the debt completely before they come collecting.

 

 

Moonlight Mile (2002)

When Joe Nast's (Jake Gyllenhaal) plans for marriage change due to an unexpected loss, he wants to be the man he believes everyone wants him to be - dutifully bereaved husband-to-be and perfect would-be son-in-law to Ben (Dustin Hoffman) and JoJo (Susan Sarandon). But when another woman unexpectedly enters his life, he's quickly torn between fulfilling his new role and following his heart.

 

 

The Kid Stays In The Picture (2002)

A documentary on the life of legendary film producer, movie mogul and "bad boy" Robert Evans, adapted from his tell-all autobiography.

 

 

The Messenger: the Story of Joan of Arc (1999)

Action master Besson takes on French history in this ambitious look at the legendary saint and martyr. Beginning with a young Joan witnessing her sister's rape and murder at the hands of brutal English soldiers, the film picks up years later when Joan (Jovovich) appears at the court of the French Dauphin (Malkovich), who is making little progress against his enemies. Joan's self-confidence and charisma induce the Dauphin to take a gamble by allowing her to lead troops, resulting in an upset victory at Orleans. However, Joan eventually outlives her usefulness to the French throne and is sold out to the English, who burn her for heresy. All the while, Joan struggles with her faith, exasperating the experienced French generals and having impassioned arguments with her imaginary "Conscience" (Hoffman). Features several exciting medieval battle scenes.

 

 

A Walk on the Moon (1999)

Tony Goldwyn's A Walk on the Moon is a wonderfully realized, nostalgic (if you are as old as I am) melodrama set during the summer of 1969. It is a time of change across America--sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll--and a historic year in the space program, but not everything is in upheaval. Pearl Katrowitz, a thirty-year-old Brooklyn housewife (Diane Lane), is spending the summer, as she has for the last decade, at Dr. Fleigel's Bungalow Colony in the Catskills. Along with her daughter, son, and mother-in-law, she waits dutifully for her husband's weekend visits, commuting from his job in New York City. The insularity of the camp is interrupted only by calls from the traveling salesman, the "ice cream man," "the knish man," or "the dress man." On one of these occasions, Pearl meets "the blouse man," Walker (Viggo Mortensen). Both hip and sexy, he is at first just casually friendly. But it rapidly becomes evident that the undercurrent of sexual tension won't disappear, ! and the steamy love affair that ensues changes the lives of everyone involved. With a tone that is romantic yet very authentic, Goldwyn creates a charmingly comic but intense love story that interweaves coming of age for Pearl's newly adolescent daughter with Pearl's own trek toward self-realization. Against the backdrop of Woodstock, and with Lane's complex, yet compelling, sexuality, Goldwyn's storytelling avoids the era's easy cliches to offer a memorable and satisfying look back at the time when change was in the air.

 

 

Sphere (1998)

When psychologist Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman) wrote a report for the government on how to deal with extraterrestrial life forces, he didn’t expect his recommendations to be used. Now that a secret government agency is investigating what may be an alien spaceship that has been discovered partially buried on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, Norman finds that the plan he outlined is being put into effect and that the team he named in his report has been assembled. In addition to Norman, there is Harry Adams (Samuel L. Jackson), a mathematician; Ted Fielding (Liev Schreiber), a physicist; and Beth Halperin (Sharon Stone), a biochemist and Norman’s old flame. Led by the secretive Barnes (Peter Coyote), the foursome undergoes a crash course in diving and living under the sea in a naval habitat and begins investigating the mysterious vessel, discovering a huge glowing sphere made of an unidentifiable substance with a shimmering, almost liquidlike surface. As the investigation continues, a series of strange, horrific events leads the team of scientists to doubt each other’s sanity and motives. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Michael Crichton.

 

 

Wag the Dog (1998)

Less than two weeks before election day, a scandal erupts that threatens to cripple the President's bid for a second term. But before the incident can cause irreparable damage, a mysterious fixer is called to the White House. The ultimate spin doctor, Conrad Brean has the uncanny ability to manipulate politics, the press and most importantly--the American people. Anticipating the frenzied press corps, Brean deftly deflects attention from the President by creating a bigger and better story -- a war. With the help of Stanley Motts, a famed Hollywood producer and his irreverent entourage, Brean assembles an unlikely crisis team who orchestra a global conflict unlike any ever seen on CNN.

 

 

Mad City (1997)

When a recently fired museum guard files a grievance with his boss by menacing her with a shotgun and ends up with a gaggle of schoolkid hostages, it seems like the perfect opportunity for a has-been news anchor to revive his flagging career. Indeed, the ratings soar, with the newsman inflating the standoff and priming his slow-witted star for the limelight.

 

 

Sleepers (1996)

Tommy, John, Michael, and Shakes are four young teenage punks growing up in the streets of Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen in the mid-1960s. When these four friends pull a prank that that goes awry, they find themselves serving time at the Wilkinson School for Boys, where they are repeatedly and sadistically violated and tortured by four guards--the most menacing being Noles, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. Fifteen years later, the foursome is still dealing with the emotional repercussions of their abuse. Tommy (Billy Crudup) and John (Ron Eldard) have become common criminals, and when they spot Noles in a local watering hole they can’t pass up the chance for revenge. It’s up to Shakes (Jason Patric), a low-profile newspaper employee, and Michael (Brad Pitt), a lawyer with the district attorney’s office, to save their friends while keeping the details of their tortured childhoods secret. Dustin Hoffman appears as Danny Snyder, and Robert De Niro stars as Father Bobby, the local neighborhood priest who is as comfortable on the streets or in a bar as he is behind the pulpit. Based on the allegedly true story by Lorenzo Carcaterra, the film is directed by Barry Levinson (DINER, RAIN MAN).

 

 

American Buffalo (1996)

A plot to steal a potentially valuable buffalo-head nickel binds together two mistrusting, disaffected schlubs and their young, would-be accomplice. David Mamet adapted the screenplay from his hard-biting 1975 stage play.

 

 

Outbreak (1995)

In director Wolfgang Petersen's fast-paced, intelligently written thriller, Dustin Hoffman plays Col. Sam Daniels, an expert on infectious diseases who is called in to study the outbreak of a deadly illness in Zaire. He finds a virus that spreads so quickly it could wipe out an entire nation in just a few weeks, and he believes that it might have spread to the United States. With the help of his ex-wife (Rene Russo), who works at the Centers for Disease Control, Daniels tracks the virus to the quiet seaside town of Cedar Creek, California. His superiors' reticence to help begins to raise questions in Daniels's mind, and he must find a cure before a panicky U.S. army general decides to kill the town's populace in order to save the world. The all-star cast includes Hoffman, Russo, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Morgan Freeman, and Cuba Gooding, Jr.

 

 

Hero (1992)

When a plane crashes in a rainstorm, Bernie Laplante (Dustin Hoffman), a small time crook, anonymously risks his life and saves everyone. One of the passengers, Gayle Gayley (Geena Davis), a workaholic newscaster, sets out to find her hero with the help of a lost loafer. However, this hero won't stand up under too bright a light in this delightful Capra-esque fable.

 

 

Hook (1991)

Director Steven Spielberg brings J.M. Barrie’s PETER PAN to the screen with a delightfully modernized twist. Forty-year-old Peter (Robin Williams) has grown up to be a workaholic lawyer with more affection for his cell phone than his wife and two children. When the family travels to England to visit Granny Wendy (Maggie Smith), Peter’s son and daughter are kidnapped by the villainous Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman). Peter’s faithful pal, Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts), helps him return to Neverland--"Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning"--to the world Peter has forgotten. There the Lost Boys welcome Peter back and try to get him in shape for his fight with Captain Hook. Peter must somehow remember his long-forgotten boyhood in Neverland and learn how to fly again before he can rescue his children away from the evil clutches of Captain Hook. Bob Hoskins costars as Hook’s right-hand man, Smee, and Gwyneth Paltrow, in her first film role, plays the young Wendy. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song for John Williams’s "When You’re Alone."

 

 

Billy Bathgate (1991)

E.L. Doctorow's acclaimed novel forms the basis of BILLY BATHGATE, which stars Loren Dean as the title character. In the New York of 1935, the naive Bronx-born teenager wangles his way into the gang of his hero, crime boss Dutch Schultz (Dustin Hoffman), as a gofer. Although the boy doesn't know it, Schultz is approaching the end of his storied career and the Feds are closing in, hoping to put him behind bars for income-tax evasion. The youth quickly learns about the endless violence, treachery, and double-crossing that characterize mob life, such as Schultz's cold-blooded execution of his former enforcer, Bo Weinberg (Bruce Willis). After Billy tips Dutch off about some traitorous activity in his organization, he moves up a couple of rungs and is soon entrusted with guarding the gangster's girlfriend, Drew Preston (Nicole Kidman). This proves to be something of a problem, since the beauty has a mind of her own and doesn't take anything from anybody, including Dutch. Worse still, Billy finds himself falling in love with her. Dean's pivotal performance strikes just the right balance between street-smart toughness and wide-eyed wonder, and the protean Hoffman adds his explosive portrait of the ruthless, beleaguered Schultz to his long list of unforgettable roles. Steven Hill also shines as Schultz's kindly, razor-sharp business adviser. The film features handsome, period-specific sets by Patrizia von Brandenstein and characteristically brilliant photography by legendary cinematographer Nestor Almendros (DAYS OF HEAVEN), in his last film.

 

 

Dick Tracy (1990)

Warren Beatty directs and stars in this lavish adaptation of Chester Gould's famous comic strip. Against a stylized and solid color backdrop of 1930s Chicago, straight-laced, square-jawed, detective hero Dick Tracy battles gangster Big Boy Caprice -- and temptation in the form of blonde bombshell Breathless Mahoney. Dick's long-time girlfriend Tess Trueheart and a feisty street urchin are on hand to offer support. With songs by Stephen Sondheim, Madonna as Breathless Mahoney, and a vast array of cartoon villains -- Mumbles, Pruneface, Lips, Flattop -- brought to life by a glittering cast of stars.

 

 

Family Business (1989)

Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, and Matthew Broderick star as three generations of a family formerly linked to organized crime. Grandfather Jesse has been in and out of jail, and his son Vito has decided to leave a life of crime in order to become a respectable family man, but when grandson Adam comes up with a can't-miss heist plan, the intergenerational sparks begin to fly.

 

 

Rain Man (1988)

After an autistic savant inherits three million dollars from his deceased father, his younger brother, in an attempt to trick him out of the money, learns some valuable lessons of life.

 

 

Ishtar (1987)

Two down-and-out singer/songwriters (played by Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty) who dream of becoming the next Simon and Garfunkel find themselves hitting the bottom of the barrel after their women leave them and their careers never get off the ground. Out of money, and with no prospects of work in New York, they grudgingly agree to accept a gig in Morocco. Before they even leave the airport in Morocco, they are suddenly ensnared into the revolution brewing in the country, and unwittingly get sucked into Middle Eastern political turmoil beyond their wildest dreams. Before their Moroccan adventure is over, Chuck and Lyle question their trust, their loyalty, and their sanity--but never their talent. A would-be road picture a la Hope and Crosby, the film is worth seeing for Hoffman's and Beatty's dry portrayals of down-on-their-luck ne'er-do-wells, and their earnest, off-key renditions of the film's original songs. Additionally, the film was beset by production and budget challenges that are now the stuff of publicity legend.

 

 

Death of a Salesman (1985)

Volker Schlצndorff's tragic film is an outstanding stage production of Arthur Miller's 1949 Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Dustin Hoffman recreates his Broadway role of Willy Loman, a tired, emotionally bankrupt salesman. The award-winning cast also features John Malkovich as Willy's son, Biff.

 

 

Tootsie (1982)

What do you get when you cross a hopelessly straight starving actor with a dynamite red sequined dress? You get America's hottest new actress.

 

 

Agatha (1979)

In December 1926 famed mystery writer Agatha Christie disappeared, setting off speculation that she had either committed suicide or had been murdered. When she was found 11 days later, she claimed to have suffered amnesia, which many did not believe. AGATHA imagines what might have happened in those "lost" days. Vanessa Redgrave subtly portrays the shy Christie, while Timothy Dalton gives a creepy performance as her philandering, arrogant husband. Dustin Hoffman plays an ace American reporter determined to track down the mystery writer by any deception necessary. An effective re-creation of 1920s England, AGATHA unfolds like the best of Christie's mysteries, with Hoffman as the Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple character. Although many of the incidents in the film stretch the imagination, some of the details have been confirmed by statements from Christie's relatives and recent books published on the subject; AGATHA is based on a book of the same name by Kathleen Tynan. For director Michael Apted, who has made both documentaries (7 UP series) and mainstream films (THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH), AGATHA demonstrates his dual interests, as it succeeds in blurring the boundaries between true life and fiction.

 

 

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)

Robert Benton's moving and well-observed adaptation of Avery Corman's novel about the aftermath of divorce stars Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep as the separating couple, Ted and Joanna Kramer. When dutiful wife and mother Joanna decides to leave Ted, an advertising executive, she also leaves him with the responsibility of caring for their young son, Billy (Justin Henry). The situation proves to be especially difficult since the workaholic father has never really taken care of the boy and, in truth, barely knows him. Things are rough at first, but as the two become accustomed to life without Joanna and Ted's caretaking skills improve, father and son finally develop a relationship. As Ted devotes more time to his son and less to his work, however, the latter suffers, and Ted's subsequent firing coincides with the return of Joanna, who wants her son back.

 

 

Straight Time (1978)

After 6 years in jail, Hoffman runs into trouble with a mean parole officer that sends him on a downward slide.

 

 

All the President's Men (1976)

Covers the period from 1972-1974; Produced and released in 1976.

With ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, director Alan Pakula adapts the best-selling book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Pakula created a film that takes its place among such important conspiracy dramas as THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR and THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. The focus is on the 1972 investigation of the break-in to the Democratic Party headquarters, otherwise known as the Watergate burglary. Through a complicated web of intrigue and secrecy that eventually involves the highest levels of government, hungry young journalists Woodward (Robert Redford) and Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) of the Washington Post aggressively examine the incident, uncovering information that ultimately leads to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Exceptional performances by Redford and Hoffman are complemented by Jason Robards as the dubious but supportive executive editor at the Post, and Hal Holbrook's celebrated characterization of mysterious informer Deep Throat. The pacing of the film is quick and exciting, drawing viewers into the action of one of the most intriguing mysteries in all of American political history.

 

 

Marathon Man (1976)

Columbia University graduate student Babe Levy (Dustin Hoffman) spends his spare time running in marathons. He finds himself running for his life, however, when a series of deadly events beyond his control leads to his pursuit by fierce Nazi fugitive Szell (Sir Laurence Olivier). Reunited with British director John Schlesinger (MIDNIGHT COWBOY), Hoffman gives a powerful performance alongside Olivier and Roy Scheider. The screenplay is by William Goldman, based on his own novel. Academy Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actor--Laurence Olivier.

 

 

Lenny (1974)

Director Bob Fosse (CABARET) brings his characteristically scathing commentary on the entertainment biz to this biopic about the controversial comedian Lenny Bruce. Bruce's career was brought to a dramatic halt just years before this film was made, when he was found dead of a drug overdose on the bathroom floor of his home. He was 40 years old.

 

 

Papillon (1973)

One man sentenced to life in the French prison system refuses to give up trying to escape even when transferred to the prison colony on Devil's Island. Despite years of degradation and horror, the undying spirit of "Papillon" never dies. Academy Award Nominations: Best Original Dramatic Score.

 

 

Alfredo, Alfredo (1972)

From the director of DIVORCE ITALIAN STYLE and SEDUCED AND ABANDONED comes the comedic tale of a timid young man (Hoffman) who marries a sociable, exceptionally sexy woman (Sandrelli) but soon discovers his new life is not as wonderful as originally anticipated.

 

 

Straw Dogs (1971)

A quiet, peace-loving American moves with his wife to an isolated English village where he is constantly harassed. He is finally pushed into a violent confrontation in order to protect himself and his wife. Academy Award Nominations: Best Original Dramatic Score.

 

 

Little Big Man (1970)

LITTLE BIG MAN was significant when it was made because of its editing, which was still being explored in Hollywood at the time as a vehicle for innovative, simple storytelling.

 

 

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Joe Buck (Jon Voight), an aspiring male prostitute from Texas, heads to Manhattan where he hopes to find plenty of wealthy women willing to pay for the services of a handsome man. When he arrives, the naive country boy befriends Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), a tubercular homeless con artist who dreams of moving to Florida. As they go about trying to get the money Ratso needs, the two men confront the seediness, corruption, and cruelty that flourish in the big city.

 

 

Madigan's Millions (1968)

Hoffman is a Maxwell Smartish U.S. Treasury Agent who goes to Italy after money stolen by the mob. This was Hoffman's first starring role.

 

 

The Graduate (1967)

Director Mike Nichols's THE GRADUATE is the satirical coming-of-age comedy that became an emotional touchstone for an entire generation. In the mid-1960s, Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), a confused college graduate, is pulled in myriad directions by family, friends, and associates just days after receiving his degree. Seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), an older friend of the family, Ben carries on an affair with the married woman even as he falls for her daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross). However, Ben and Elaine's attempts at romance are threatened by the spiteful rage of Mrs. Robinson, who proceeds to hastily arrange Elaine's marriage to someone else, leading up to one of the most memorable endings in cinema history.

With its striking photography and clever editing, THE GRADUATE established Nichols as a major director. The film also made a star out of young Hoffman, who gives an understated portrayal of the perplexed Ben--the actor's first role in a Hollywood film, which he almost didn't get because he wasn't Waspy enough. Outstanding performances by the rest of the cast are highlighted by Bancroft's sexy, embittered turn as Mrs. Robinson and Ross's endearing presence as the gorgeous yet innocent Elaine. The film's impact on popular culture is immeasurable: "Plastics" will live on eternally as depressing but solid career advice, and older women will never eye younger men without fear of becoming a "Mrs. Robinson." Buck Henry (who appears briefly in the film) cowrote the influential screenplay, based on the novel by Charles Webb, and the soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel remains a movie classic.

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