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Michael Hoffman

Michael Hoffman

Director, writer and producer · Born November 30, 1956 (69) · Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Berlinale award nominee · Sundance award nominee · Independent Spirit Award nominee

Michael Lynn Hoffman is an American movie director.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 30, 1956 (69)
From
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Works as
Director, writer and producer
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 21 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 29% in 30 days

What are Michael Hoffman's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
27%
Self
22%
Survival
15%
Society
14%
Morality
14%
Power
6%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 5 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 9 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 7 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 4

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 7 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 5

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
8
Tense
6
Warm
6
Romantic
5
Contemplative
4
Other
13

How their films linger

Bittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Michael Hoffman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michael Hoffman's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

21 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page.

  • American Classic(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • The Best of Me(2014)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Gambit(2012)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Last Station(2009)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Black Box (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Animation

  • The Narrows(2008)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Out of the Blue: A Film About Life and Football (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • 12 and Holding(2005)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Game 6(2005)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Great New Wonderful(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Taxi(2004)

    Sound Mixer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Emperor's Club(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream(1999)

    Director · Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • One Fine Day(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Restoration(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Soapdish(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Some Girls(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Promised Land(1987)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Second Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Austrian Policeman

  • Restless Natives(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Privileged (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director · Writer · as Alan

Career shape

A full career of 19 titles from 1982 to 2026.

Biggest box office

One Fine Day (1996)

$98M worldwide

Highest rated

12 and Holding (2005)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

The Best of Me (2014)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 19: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting15 of 19: 10 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thWriting5 of 19: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing3 of 19: 1 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew3 of 19: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

19 titles, 5 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1980s5 · 2 acting · 4 crew1990s4 · crew2000s7 · crew2010s2 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

5 major nominations and no wins, 1986–2010.

  1. 2010
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Director
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Screenplay
  2. 1996
    • Berlinale award, nominated
  3. 1988
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic
  4. 1986
    • Sundance award, nominated · Dramatic

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Michael Hoffman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · producer

The Great New Wonderful (2005)

63rd percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

12 and Holding (2005)

Midcredits 90th · 82% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Michael Hoffman's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity8 titles23–63 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 36

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Michael Hoffman work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michael Hoffman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Leslie Urdang shares the most, 6.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers