Jonathan Demme is well-known for directing the psychological thriller ‘The Silence of the Lams’ (1991) that earned him the ‘Academy Award for Best Director.’
He started his career by writing the screenplay for the action adventure drama movie ‘Angels Hard as They Come,’ which he also produced.
Thereafter he direct movies, and received positive reviews for ‘Citizens Band’ (1977). The movie was later renamed ‘Handle with Care.’
His highest rated movies as a director are ‘Swimming to Cambodia’ (1987) and ‘Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids’ (2016).
He produced and directed the movie ‘Philadelphia’ (1993) for which he was nominated for a ‘Golden Bear Award.’
Demme has also directed a number of documentary films that include the live performance of the rock band ‘Talking Heads’ in the movie ‘Stop Making Sense’ (1984) and ‘Neil Young: Heart of Gold’ (2006).
Stop Making Sense
In this Academy Award-winning psychological thriller, FBI trainee Clarice Starling is pulled from her training to interview former psychiatrist and imprisoned cannibalistic psychopath Hannibal Lecter in connection with grisly murders by another serial killer, nicknamed Buffalo Bill, who skins his victims. However, she can only retrieve information from the manipulative killer in exchange for exposing her own psychological traumas.
One of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality, and homophobia, Philadelphia is a gripping tale of a homosexual senior associate at a large corporate law firm who gets fired due to his sexuality, and his fight to get justice.
Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is having difficulty adapting Susan Orlean's book The Orchid Thief into a screenplay. His agonies enhance with the arrival of his confident twin brother, Donald who is essentially cheerful. Charlie enlists Donald’s help in writing the screenplay and interviewing Orlean. Finding her answers unconvincing, they decide to follow her.
Set in a small town, the film binds together several stories about different characters, united by their use of CB radio. In the center is a young boy, who does not know that his girlfriend likes to strike up erotic conversations over the radio. There is also the bigamist truck driver, whose wives meet for the first time after he has an accident near the town.
That Thing You Do! is a critically-acclaimed comedy film, which tells the story of a local Pennsylvania band which scores a one hit-wonder, after which they ride the star-making machinery for as long as they can, with help from their manager.
Charles Driggs is a businessman living in New York City, who is “kidnapped” by a free-spirited woman named Lulu. She takes him on an adventurous ride but the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when Lulu’s former husband who is an ex-convict shows up, and the two of them have no other option but to face trouble.
Kym, who has been in drug-rehab, is released for few days to attend her sister’s wedding. At the family home, she becomes an object of attention for watching eyes. Kym takes her father’s concern as his distrust, whereas Rachel resents her big day getting overshadowed by Kym. Her arrival brings back memories of past conflicts, bitterness and tragedy, affecting the family dynamics.
Devil in a Blue Dress is a mystery drama film which tells the story of Easy Rawlins, a World War II veteran, who finds himself in need of a job after he is laid off from Champion Aircraft. He soon meets DeWitt Albright, a white man who has been looking for a woman, and he decides to hire Easy to find her.
Gulf War veteran Major Bennett ‘Ben’ Marco starts looking into his past after experiencing vivid dreams. While investigating his friend, Sergeant First Class Raymond Shaw, now a senator, who was also part of the same mission, Marco unveils a conspiracy by elite politicians and the Manchurian Global corporation.
After discovering that his wife has been cheating on him, an insomniac aerospace engineer named Ed Okin drives to an airport on the suggestion of his friend. However, his life takes a turn when a beautiful jewel smuggler named Diana jumps into his car and asks him to drive her to various locations.
After learning that corrupt land developers want to evict him and his neighbors for real estate development, and the police is of no help, an Arkansas farmer named Tom Hunter, wages a one-man war against the corporation.
Fred Frenger is a sociopath who begins a crime spree in Miami, shortly after being released from prison. Eventually, an aging and slow-witted cop is assigned to catch him. But things won’t be easy for him, because Fred teams up with a trusting college student Susie, who is also a prostitute.
This action comedy film tells us the story of three women who begin a crime spree, after their family farm was taken off them by corrupt authorities.
Angela de Marco is the wife of Frank de Marco, a mafia kingpin. After Frank is killed, she wishes to escape the life of living in the criminal underworld, along with her son. An undercover agent falls for her, but at the same time, she is being harassed by Tony, another mafia kingpin who wants her for himself.
This musical comedy drama film tells the story of Ricki, a woman who follows her passion and manages to become a rock star. However, due to circumstances, she is forced to return to her estranged family.
Beloved is a horror drama film which tells the story of Sethe, a former slave, who lives with her daughter. Her life takes a turn when she is visited by the spirit of a young woman, which starts bringing back her past fears to life.
Song One is a musical drama film which tells the story of Franny Ellis, a young girl whose musician brother Henry suffers an accident leading him to a coma. She returns home, and goes to great lengths to cure her ailing brother, which includes tracking down his favorite musician James Forester and asking him to pay a visit to Henry.
Amos and Andrew is a crime comedy film which tells the story of an African-American playwright Andrew Sterling, who moves to a predominantly white suburb. The local police soon surround his home, assuming that he is a burglar. To cover up their mistake, corrupt Chief Tolliver sends in a low-profile criminal named Amos to break in and take Sterling hostage. When Amos and Andrew realize that Tolliver plans to eliminate both of them, they decide to work together to get out alive.
Angels Hard As They Come is an action thriller drama film which revolves around the adventures of a biker gang consisting of Long John, Juicer and Monk, who get invited to a race, after a drug deal goes off.
The film tells the story of a group of four nurses from America who are working in the Republic of San Rosario. However, they get kidnapped by a band of guerillas.
After returning from holiday, a woman discovers that her husband has been murdered. Meanwhile, several groups of people are also pressurizing her to unravel the mystery of his true identity. At the same time, more people are ending up dead.
Jonathan Demme Awards
| The Silence of the Lambs | Best Director | 1992 |
