Jay Russell (born January 10, 1960, in North Little Rock, Arkansas), is an American film director, writer and producer.

Jay Russell
Russell on the set of Ladder 49 in 2003
Born (1960-01-10) January 10, 1960 (age 64)
Occupation(s)Film director, producer
Years active1987–present
SpouseLee Cunningham (1991–present)

Biography

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He graduated from Columbia University in 1985 with a MFA in screenwriting and directing, having studied with producer Michael Hausman and director Miloš Forman. He wrote the screenplay and served as director for his debut film, End of the Line (1987), which was a Sundance Institute project and was released by Orion Classics.[1][2][3] In 1996 he directed two episodes of the PBS documentary mini-series Great Drives; notably interviewing Willie Morris for the episode "Highway 61: Memphis to New Orleans".[4]

Russell returned to feature film directing with the Warner Bros. family film My Dog Skip (2000).[5][6][7][8][9] He next directed two Disney features, Tuck Everlasting (2002) and Ladder 49 (2004).[10][11][12][13][14] He directed The Water Horse (2007) for Columbia Pictures.[15] For the Hallmark Channel he directed the original film One Christmas Eve (2014).[16]

Russell served as a producer on Whole Lotta Sole (2011) and the 2015 stage adaptation of the Cornell Woolrich thriller Rear Window, starring his End of the Line and My Dog Skip (2000) collaborator Kevin Bacon.[17]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Maslin, Janet (February 26, 1988). "Film: Wilford Brimley Stars in 'End of the Line'". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Barbara McIntosh (April 3, 1988). "Stony Reception In Little Rock: Film by Mary Steenburgen Draws Cries of Foul in Arkansas 'End of the Line'". The Washington Post. p. G1.
  3. ^ Smith, Sid (August 21, 1988). "Video: A small film brings home fine acting". Chicago Tribune. p. M20.
  4. ^ Jack Bales (2015). Willie Morris: An Exhaustive Annotated Bibliography and a Biography. McFarland & Company. p. 320. ISBN 9781476612317.
  5. ^ French, Philip (August 13, 2000). "Pet storks, pet dogs and a turkey: OTHER FILMS". The Observer. p. D9.
  6. ^ Lyman, Rick (January 21, 2000). "AT THE MOVIES: In the Running For an Oscar A Clearer 'Window' Favorite Foreign Films Tale of a Dog". The New York Times. p. E22.
  7. ^ Reviews, New York Times Theater (December 21, 2001). The New York Times Film Reviews 1999–2000. Taylor & Francis. pp. 222–. ISBN 978-0-415-93696-5. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  8. ^ Kerrigan, Mike (January 1, 2000). "REVIEWS: MY DOG SKIP". Boxoffice. 136: 62.
  9. ^ Scott, A O. (January 12, 2000). "FILM REVIEW: Fetch, Boy! Fetch the Wisdom of the Ages! Good Boy! MY DOG SKIP Fetch, Boy! Fetch the Wisdom of the Ages! Good Boy!". The New York Times. p. E1.
  10. ^ Kehr, Dave (October 11, 2002). "FILM REVIEW: You Only Live Once, But You Can Make It Last". The New York Times. p. E20.
  11. ^ Rehak, Melanie (October 6, 2002). "FILM: Falling for a Children's Tale of an Age-Old Wish". The New York Times. p. A15.
  12. ^ Manohla Dargis (October 1, 2004). "With Many a Fear and Tear, Firefighters Prove Their Mettle". The New York Times. p. E12.
  13. ^ Morgenstern, Joe (October 1, 2004). "Ladder 49' Gives Firefighters' Saga An Honorable and Human Face". The Wall Street Journal. p. W1.
  14. ^ Ann Hornaday (October 1, 2004). "A Guy's Flick That Smolders: With Phoenix, Travolta, 'Ladder 49' Finds Camaraderie in Combustion". The Washington Post. p. C5.
  15. ^ "Fearsome Nessie Started Out As a Good Egg and Playmate". The New York Times. December 25, 2007. p. E5.
  16. ^ "One Christmas Eve' Soundtrack Released". filmmusicreporter.com. November 9, 2014.
  17. ^ Rizzo, Frank (November 2015). "Connecticut Theater Review: Kevin Bacon in 'Rear Window'". Variety.com. Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
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