Kenneth Lonergan is an award-winning filmmaker, known for storytelling very emotional stories. An accomplished director, screenwriter and playwright, he has had a very successful career on screen and stage. One of his main achievements is delivering the epic scenario for Gangs of New York. He has earned four Academy Award nominations and won the Oscar for his screenplay for Manchester by the sea. His characters are interesting, layered and compelling. Lonergan is certainly one of the most talented filmmakers working today.
Lonergan was born in New York City and started writing at a young age. He got recognition for his first play The Rennings children while studying at Wesleyan University. Lonergan graduated from NYU and also attended HB Studio. After working as a speechwriter for a while, Lonergan began to achieve success with plays like This is our youth and The Waverly Gallery. He eventually switched to film when he wrote the comedy Analyze this. Since then, Lonergan has become a very prominent figure in Hollywood as both a screenwriter and filmmaker. Here are the best movies written and/or directed by Kenneth Lonergan, ranked.
6/6 The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
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Let’s be honest: The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle is not a good movie. Longergan took the job early in his film career. It offers hair-raising performances and it was not well received. That said, the movie does have some cool animations, and it had a star-studded cast that included Jason Alexander, Rene Russo, and even Robert De Niro. It follows the beloved cartoon characters, and some critics like Roger Ebert even enjoyed it. Maybe the movie was misunderstood, but that’s up to the public to decide.
5/6 Analyze this
Lonergan wrote the very popular comedy Analyze thisdirected by Harold Ramis. It follows a mob boss, played by Robert De Niro, and his complicated, but hilarious, relationship with his psychiatrist (Billy Crystal). The two actors had fantastic chemistry and the mixing of psychiatry and the mafia definitely worked. Lonergan proved with this film that he was perfectly capable of writing good comedy. The film was a success, and a sequel, Analyze thatwas made years later.
4/6 Margaretha
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Margaretha is an underrated film written and directed by Lonergan. The psychological story follows a young woman who witnesses a tragic death and is forced to bear the consequences. Anna Paquin leads the way as Lisa Cohen and gives an effective performance from start to finish. It’s a provocative tale of good and evil, and it includes some great supporting performances. The cast includes Matt Damon, Jean Reno, Mark Ruffalo and more. It’s a fascinating dramatic story that deserved more recognition than it got.
3/6 You can count on me
You can count on me was a fascinating drama with interesting and layered characters. The film follows Sammy (Laura Linney) who struggles to balance her love and family life. It’s a solid dramatic film with fantastic performances from Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick and more. The film is an honest approach to romantic relationships and family, and the film won several Academy Award nominations. Longergan showed with this film that he is fantastic when it comes to getting the best out of his actors.
2/6 Gangs of New York
Lonergan co-wrote the masterpiece Gangs of New Yorkdirected by Martin Scorsese. It’s a fascinating look into American history that showed us the cruel truths of the past. The film gives an honest look into the history of the United States and shows us the birth of American politics. There is no doubt that this is one of the most influential films of modern times. It features several memorable performances by Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, and more. The film was subsequently nominated for several Academy Awards. It was based on an informative and fascinating script by Lonergan.
1/6 Manchester by the sea
Lonergan wrote and directed this brilliant film following the journey of a New England handyman (Casey Affleck) after a series of tragic events. It’s a very honest look at loss and grief, and the film is difficult to watch at some points. The film is a love letter to the New England region and gives an honest picture of the people of Manchester. Manchester by the sea offers Affleck’s best performance yet. It also proves Lonergan’s tremendous abilities as a director. He can certainly bring out the best in his actors when it comes to dramatic performances. When it comes to Lonergan’s talents as a filmmaker, this film proves his capabilities. He eventually won the Oscar for: Best Original Screenplay.