24 Great Movies Each Written & Directed By The Same Person
A List (Spanning 80 Years) Of Movies To Watch And Learn From
Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay
“You should do your work as perfectly as you possibly can with no thought of rewards, and only that way can you be a really happy person.”
This was “Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger’s work ethic, according to Eberhard Alsen in the Documentary Salinger (2013).
Although the above quote may be interpreted as a glorification of the starving artist toiling away in obscurity to remain true to their art and not “sell out” for financial reward or social acclaim, there is another interpretation. And that is that doing good work itself is its own reward, one which you cannot fully experience if you are too focused on obtaining external feats like wealth and fame. The reward of doing work as perfectly as you can is a subtle flavor that needs a cleansed palate to enjoy, not one that is overwhelmed by the powerful aftertaste of envy and desire.
But it is this kind of reward, the one that is found in the process of creating something and polishing it until it is beautiful that can not only bring you real happiness, but can also help spread it to others. It is not surprising then that after watching hundreds of movies as a film reviewer, a clear pattern has emerged: The better films—those that demonstrate real devotion and approximate perfection—are often written and directed by the same person. These movies are the result of individuals putting their all into making a movie, of working as perfectly as they can to bring a story to life, and the quality reflects it. When someone gives that much of themselves, it makes a noticeable difference.
The movies that emerge from this kind of careful and deliberate dedication tend to be the ones that seem special. These are the movies that create fans, people who develop a deep affection for a movie and for anyone who had a hand in creating it. These are the movies that leave audiences feeling satisfied and feeling connected to others. These are the films that seem to reach out, to pierce the depths of consciousness, in order to illuminate our understanding of ourselves. These movies feel good and right, like the joy of decoding a secret message.
It is powerful stuff.
Here is a list of movies that approximate perfection, all written and directed by the same person, in chronological order:
Modern Times (1936) is a comedy written and directed by Charlie Chaplin about the Little Tramp, a man who struggles to keep a job in a modern industrial society, but finds an ally in a destitute woman (Paulette Goddard).
This is an impressive, funny, masterful, mind-blowing, jewel of a movie that should not be missed. The level of talent and skill displayed in this movie puts the vast majority of films to shame.
Life Lesson: Keep trying, for that is the only way to get what you want.
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The Great Dictator (1940) is a thoughtful comedy written and directed by Charlie Chaplin about a humble Jewish barber who is mistaken for Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin), the cruel, anti-Semitic, and inept dictator of a small country.
Anyone who is interested in having a complete education about filmmaking and comedy must see the master at work in this true classic.
Life Lesson: “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”—Nelson Mandela
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Sullivan’s Travels (1941) is a comedy written and directed by Preston Sturges about John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea), a successful Hollywood director who sets out on a journey to experience poverty firsthand with the help of an actress (Veronica Lake).
Preston Sturges is historically significant because he is the first career screenwriter to become a director in Hollywood, opening the door for all the other writer/directors who came after him on this list.
Life Lesson: We don’t laugh because we’re happy,
we are happy because we laugh. — William James
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High Anxiety (1977) is a comedy co-written and directed by Mel Brooks about Dr. Richard H. Throndyke (Mel Brooks), a successful psychiatrist who also suffers from a debilitating fear of heights, which is made worse when he starts to work at the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very VERY Nervous alongside Dr. Charles Montague (Harvey Korman) and Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman).
Mel Brooks joins a few on this list who not only wrote and directed their own movies, but also starred in them. This is an amazing accomplishment not just because of the tremendous amount of work that must have gone into making these films, but also because of how good they are. High Anxiety, is also remarkable because it has to date the funniest scripted scene in a movie. This is a brilliant film by a master of gags, spoofs, jokes, and puns. Everyone deserves to laugh this hard.
Life Lesson: Figure out what you really are afraid of.
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Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) is a sci-fi fantasy written and directed by George Lucas about a scrappy group of rebels, including Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), who team up to destroy the Death Star, a weapon powerful enough to obliterate a planet.
Star Wars is the touchstone of myth-making. This movie literally created an empire of devoted fans worldwide because of its masterful combination of storytelling, music, and special effects. It is astonishing to consider that one person set it all in motion.
Life Lesson: Fight for something greater than yourself.
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Back to the Future (1985) is a sci-fi fantasy co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis about a teenaged slacker named Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), who is ready to give up on his dreams until he goes 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his scientist friend, Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd), and changes his future.
Every shot in Back to the Future feels significant and intentional, from the opening sequence of a room full of clocks to the tardiness of a teenager that not even a time machine can help. Few movies track a storyline so tightly. Everything fits perfectly—the logic, the drama, the ending. It is always exciting and mesmerizing to watch.
Life Lesson: Learn to persevere—if you put your mind to it,
you can accomplish anything.
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Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) is a comedy written and directed by John Hughes about Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), a high school senior who knows that time is running out to be with his friends and decides to skip school in order to enjoy a day with them.
For a gentle and satisfying reminder to enjoy life, nothing beats a day with a high school senior taking a day off from school to be with his friends. They do nothing untoward—no drinking, no drugs, no vandalism—yet it is pure teenage rebellion, and you get to come along.
Life Lesson: “Stop and smell the roses.”
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Lucas (1986) is a coming of age drama written and directed by David Seltzer about Lucas (Corey Haim), a bookish, small-framed teen from the poor side of town who wants to win the affections of a classmate, Maggie (Kerri Green), by joining the school’s football team, while being oblivious to the affections of his friend, Rina (Winona Ryder).
Lucas is for those who want to see portrayals of friendship and humanity that leave you hopeful about others. It is a film that makes you wish real life was just like the movies.
Life Lesson: Just because you like someone
does not mean they will like you back.
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Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) is a comedy written and directed by John Hughes about two very different men, uptight executive Neal Page (Steve Martin) and jovial salesman Del Griffith (John Candy), who embark on an accident-prone Thanksgiving journey together.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a surprisingly touching comedy about discovering how to get along with someone who is nothing like you. Here is a film that serves as a reminder that we can learn to see the humanity in each other if we spend a little time together.
Life Lesson: “Don’t sweat the small stuff …and it’s all small stuff.”
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La Bamba (1987) is a drama written and directed by Luis Valdez about Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips), a Mexican-American teenager who was signed by Bob Keane (Joe Pantoliano) to Del-Fi Records and had three major rock hits: “C’mon Let’s Go,” “Donna,” and “La Bamba” before dying in a plane crash at age 17 with J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and Buddy Holly on February 3, 1959, “The Day the Music Died.”
Perhaps the best takeaway a movie can deliver is that life is short. This movie does that by delving into the subject matter of a young talented person dying: Ritchie Valens. The feeling of loss is tremendous, as is the appreciation for what he left behind.
Life Lesson: Don’t let your friends hold you back.
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Grand Canyon (1991) is a drama co-written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan about the intertwining lives of six Los Angeles residents who experience the city in vastly different ways.
Grand Canyon contains one of the best quotes about movies in all of fandom, and one that embodies the whole raison d'être—reason or justification for the existence of—moviewise:
That’s part of your problem, you know. You haven’t seen enough movies.
All of life’s riddles are answered in the movies.
Life Lesson: Don’t get distracted from your life’s purpose.
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Strictly Ballroom (1992) is a comedy co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann about Fran (Tara Morice), a novice dancer who convinces Scott (Paul Mercurio), a ballroom champion, to be her partner for the Pan Pacific Grand Prix, and dance the steps their way, non-Federation, even though it means forfeiting a win.
In the grand scheme of things, nothing really matters, which means that everything does. On the surface Strictly Ballroom is about something small, a regional dance competition. But in terms of meaning, it is about fighting tyranny and choosing between living on your knees or dying on your feet. Yes, dance can inspire these feelings, and this movie shows how.
Life Lesson: “Vivir con miedo es como vivir a medias.”
—A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.
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Groundhog Day (1993) is a comedic fantasy co-written and directed by Harold Ramis about Phil, a self-centered grouch played by Bill Murray, who repeatedly wakes up on the same day, February 2, until he learns to care about others.
Groundhog Day is a step-by-step guide to self-redemption, but it is done so humorously and lightly that all you see is a great, imaginative story playing out before you. That is, until you look back and notice how profound it really is.
Life Lesson: You will be a happier person if you take joy in the simple pleasures of life: books, music, learning, being kind to others.
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The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) is a comedy co-written and co-directed by Joel and Ethan Coen about Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins), a recent business school graduate from a small town who is unwittingly made president of a successful company as part of a scam by its board of directors.
The Coen brothers, along with writer/director Sam Raimi, created The Hudsucker Proxy, a reimagining of Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy, with the Wheel of Fortune represented as a giant clock towering over the denizens of a metropolis.
Life Lesson: You always have a second chance.
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The Matrix (1999) is a sci-fi fantasy written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers about Thomas “Neo” Anderson (Keanu Reeves), a computer hacker who uncovers that the world is a simulated reality created by machines and joins a rebellion led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) to end it.
The Matrix is a thrilling ride into philosophical debates about the nature of reality, perception, and free will. It’s an amazing movie full of suspense and surprises with a complex message about seeing reality for what it is—and using that knowledge to change it.
Life Lesson: To be in control of your life and make your own choices, you must free your mind—then anything is possible.
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Almost Famous (2000) is a semi-autobiographical drama written and directed by Cameron Crowe about William Miller, a fifteen-year-old writer for Rolling Stone magazine whose first assignment is to tour with a tumultuous rock band, Stillwater, while needing to call home to check-in with his mother, Elaine Miller (Frances McDormand), and getting advice from a cantankerous music critic, Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
Almost Famous is a coming of age, heartwarming film that inspires and motivates. It is for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood and out of place, and wants to learn how to persevere.
Life Lesson: Be yourself, always.
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Something’s Gotta Give (2003) is a romantic comedy written and directed by Nancy Meyers about Erica Barry (Diane Keaton), an accomplished playwright who falls in love with her daughter’s new sixty-three-year-old boyfriend, Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson), and starts a romantic relationship with a much younger man, Dr. Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves).
Something’s Gotta Give is a really touching movie about falling in love with someone unexpected, knowing that it is unlikely to work out, but hoping that the world didn’t work the way you know it does. This is romance, and it is magical.
Life Lesson: “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
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March of the Penguins (2005) is a documentary co-written and directed by Luc Jacquet about the annual back and forth 70-mile walk Emperor penguins take in order to find a mate and raise a baby chick in the harsh climate of Antarctica, where the average temperature is 58 degrees Celsius below 0.
March of the Penguins is a powerful documentary about life itself, in the form of the mighty struggle for survival of the Emperor penguins. Watching this movie gives viewers the kind of perspective that is needed to overcome personal tragedy, and serves as a reminder of what a treasure it is to be alive.
Life Lesson: Life is a beautiful struggle—
splendor and sadness co-exist for us all.
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Ghost Rider (2007) is a fantasy written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson about Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage), a man who makes a deal with a demon, Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda), so that he can save his father, Barton Blaze (Brett Cullen), and be with his girlfriend Roxanne Simpson (Eva Mendes), but ends up cursed and is obligated to become the Devil’s bounty hunter.
Ghost Rider is an excellent movie, full of exciting action sequences with a touch of romance and an inspirational representation of pure, powerful love. It also gives viewers the very satisfying experience of feeling the spirit of vengeance.
Life Lesson: If you make amends, you may get a second chance.
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Ratatouille (2007) is a humorous animated fantasy written and directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava about Remy, a street rat voiced by Patton Oswalt, who trains to become a master chef in Gusteau’s gourmet Parisian restaurant.
Ratatouille is a beautiful, funny film about following your passion no matter what your limitations are. It is astounding to realize that every frame was meticulously and deliberately crafted, because the movie feels so real and believable. You forget that you’re watching a cartoon.
Life Lesson: If you want to be great at something, you need commitment: dedication, devotion.
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A Serious Man (2009) is a drama written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen about Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a man searching for help with serious marital and professional problems.
If you remember being frightened as a kid by a vengeful and violet Yahweh of the Old Testament, by stories of Dybbuks, by a Biblical or other morality tale, then the movie A Serious Man will recapture and sustain that incredulous but fearful feeling for the movie’s entire runtime, and it’s for the same reason. The movie opens with a quote from Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki), and it is the mindset you are advised to develop:
Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you.
“Simplicity” here can be interpreted to mean “calmness and grace,” that is, without anger, vengeance, or bitterness. In other words:
Life Lesson: Even if you think life is meaningless and unfair, be a good person with integrity, because without it things will get even worse.
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The Avengers (2012) is a fantasy written and directed by Joss Whedon about a group of superheroes: Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Captain America (Chris Evans), who come together with the help of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., to defend the Earth.
Childhood heroes come to life in a spectacular fashion in order to celebrate teamwork and the pleasure of being part of something great. The Avengers is pure fun, and that’s truly one of the best things a movie can be.
Life Lesson: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” —Aristotle
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Marjorie Prime (2017) is a drama written and directed by Michael Almereyda, based on the play by Jordan Harrison, about a family that obtains artificial intelligence holograms to help them cope with the death of loved ones.
The truth is that we forget. And also, there are things we want to forget. And lastly, we are not who we used to be or will be. But at every point in time, we can feel love, and that’s all that really matters. Isn’t it nice to have a movie like Marjorie Prime to remind us of that?
Life Lesson: Memory is fragile, but love is felt in the present.
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Klaus (2019) is a humorous animated fantasy written and directed by Sergio Pablos about Jesper (Jason Francesco Schwartzman), a self-centered postman who finds purpose and meaning in his life.
Klaus is an enchanting film that has you believing in the power of kindness to change the world for the better. This is a beautiful film that has all the ingredients necessary to make it a holiday tradition, and all the qualities seen in a classic movie.
Life Lesson: “Kindness, I’ve discovered, is everything in life.”
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While the films listed above may not appeal to everyone, most people probably can appreciate how well crafted they are, and thereby derive some pleasure from seeing solid technique and even artistry. Of course, not all movies written and directed by the same person will be good, and the list is miles long of wonderful movies not written and directed by the same person.
But when done right, the message comes through cleaner and clearer when the work is guided and nurtured by one person. These stories stand out because they are truly unique and interesting, and the result is often something amazing. Note the clarity of the message in Ferris Bueller's Day Off—stop and smell the roses—and the innovative splendor of Groundhog Day—a man trapped in time. Note the timelessness of Star Wars, Strictly Ballroom, or Ratatouille. Even reading the titles is fun; they’re that good.
All these movies welcome multiple viewings. They never get old; they never lose their impact. The titles listed here are profoundly rewarding to watch because they gratify as well as entertain. They are a glimpse, perhaps, of the level of fulfillment that can be attained by those who do their work as perfectly as they can without thought of reward. Watching these movies may even allow audiences to feel something akin to true happiness. They are worth seeking.
Visit the moviewise catalogue—a searchable database of one sentence movie summaries, movie quotes, and movie wisdom—for movie recommendations.
Also visit the moviewise store. Get a t-shirt, bag, or pillow with your favorite #LifeLesson from a movie. Reply to this or leave a comment below to make a request.
Have a look at the movie "The Man From Earth", about an immortal man recounting his life. Wonderful.