Profession-Defining Movies: 17 Administrators Greatest Recognized for One Masterpiece

Posted On Mar 2, 2024 By admin With Comments Off

Some directors have a track record of excellent work throughout multiple films. In contrast, other directors relied on one genuinely great picture to establish their place in cinematic history and the hearts of moviegoers forever. Below, we’ll examine the careers of a few filmmakers whose work is dominated by a single masterpiece.

1. Ivan Reitman

Ivan Reitman in a studio for Draft Day (2014) — Image Credit: Summit Entertainment, LLC.

Ivan Reitman does have a decent filmography under his belt, but there is one movie that will always be associated with him and largely regarded as his best work. It’s his legacy film, which his son helped carry on in 2021 with a long-awaited sequel. We’re talking, of course, about Ghostbusters, the horror-comedy that turned four New York schlubs into unappreciated heroes battling supernatural threats. The film inspired a franchise of video games, comic books, action figures, and Saturday morning cartoons.

2. Irvin Kershner

Kershner with Jim Henson puppets — Image Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.

Irvin Kershner isn’t a household name unless you’re a big film buff, largely because his filmography is filled with forgettable or unknown movies. However, virtually everyone may know him from a little 1980s film called The Empire Strikes Back. Kershner won the Saturn Award for Best Director in a year that also included a nomination for Stanley Kubrick for The Shining. Despite his achievements with The Empire Strikes Back, Kershner’s directorial career ended in 1993 with an episode of SeaQuest DSV.

3. M. Night Shyamalan

The Last Airbender M. Night Shyamalan — Image Credit: Paramount Pictures.

An Indian-born writer, Night has 15 films to his directing credit. However, his third directorial movie The Sixth Sense (1999), became his breakthrough movie. This movie litters Night’s list of nominations, winning two for Best Director (Empire Awards, 1999) and Best Screenplay (Bram Stoker Awards, 1999).

4. The Wachowski Sisters

Jupiter Ascending — Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Born two and half years apart, Lana and Lilly are a Chicago-bred team of writers and directors who made their directorial debut in 1996. However, their second movie, The Matrix (1999), was ground-breaking, dwarfing their other works. What more could they ask for with more than 50 nominations and almost three dozen awards?

5. James McTeigue

Ninja Assassin James McTeigue — Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Having honed his skills with The Matrix as assistant director, it’s no surprise that McTeigue got nominated for Best Promising Director (Chicago Film Critics Association Awards in 2006) with his directorial debut movie V for Vendetta (2005). Although he has no lime-light film ever since he has been in collaboration with other film productions.

6. Peter Jackson

The Lovely Bones Peter Jackson — Image Credit: Paramount Pictures.

Jackson’s popularity hit the roof after The Lord of the Rings (2001 – 2003). This Trilogy garnered 30 nominations, winning 17 in the Academy Awards alone – both records for any trilogy – including the award for Best Director. Aside from this, it’s been a quiet front for him.

7. Frank Darabont

The Walking Dead Frank Darabont — Image Credit: AMC.

Suppose The Shawshank Redemption (1994) has defied time to merit a place in a modern list of adapted screenplays. In that case, its director, Darabont, deserves mention on this list, mainly because it’s the one movie of his five movies to date that crowns his directorial effort. This French-born director is also a screenwriter and produces films.

8. Bryan Singer

Valkyrie Bryan Singer — Image Credit: 20th Century Fox.

Singer was an unusual suspect for the accolades received for his The Usual Suspects (1995) movie that earned him the Empire Award for Best Newcomer in 1996. By the sheer number of nominations, this movie lived up to its hype compared to his other works.

9. Kevin Costner

Yellowstone Kevin Costner — Image Credit: Paramount Network.

Winning seven of its 12 Academy Awards nominations and ranking fourth-highest in gross in 1990, Dances with Wolves (1990) encapsulates Costner’s debut effort at directing and the Meisterstuck of his directorial list. As one viewer puts it, “Kevin Costner has never had a movie as good as Dances With Wolves.”

10. Richard Kelly

The Box Richard Kelly — Image Credit: The Weinstein Company.

Kelly directed a movie that accumulated 21 nominations and 11 wins. Donnie Darko (2001) even ended up number two on Empire magazine’s list of the 50 greatest independent films ever. He has churned out seven other movies ever since, yet they have yet to come close.

11. George Miller

Three Thousand Years of Longing Idris Elba,Tilda Swinton, George Miller — Image Credit: United Artists Releasing.

Twelve of Miller’s other movies pale in comparison to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), which earned 19 nominations (58% of all nominations for films he has directed) and won 10 (71% of all wins for films he has directed).

12. Mark Waters

The Spiderwick Chronicles Mark Waters — Image Credit: Paramount Pictures.

Mean Girls (2005) is the only movie of 12 directorial attempts that makes Waters’s list of accolades. It won six awards, including MTV Movie Awards for Best On-Screen Team.

13. Michel Gondry

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Michel Gondry, Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey — Image Credit: Focus Features.

Gondry’s best work yet is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). Like others on this list, it has a list of nominations as long as its name, including the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, which it also won.

14. Neill Blomkamp

Elysium Matt Damon, Neill Blomkamp — Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Known chiefly for his science fiction drama District 9 (2009), Blomkamp gave his first shot the best shot as the nominations and awards testify that include IGN Movie Awards for Best Sci-Fi movie.

15. Sofia Coppola

While Sofia Coppola has several films in her portfolio, many fans think her 2003 film, Lost in Translation is her best work. While it was early in her career, fans believe it’s the best movie she’s ever made.

16. Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro e1668404920144 — Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Guillermo del Toro has made many dark, fantastical films, and a lot of people think Pan’s Labyrinth is his best work. The movie was released in 2006 and won three Oscars, including Best Achievement in Cinematography.

17. Orson Welles

Citizen Kane is known to be one of the best movies ever created, and even 80 years after its release, people still believe this is Orson Welles’ best piece of media he’s ever directed.

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