Aaron has been creating successful productions since he began his professional career directing a national company of "The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie", starring Oscar-winning actress Kim Hunter. Later, he switched to filmmaking and made his debut in 1978, directing A Different Story, starring Perry King and Meg Foster. The film turned out to be a "cult classic." After years of directing films, he began producing his films in 1986. After finishing his education at Bennington College, Bennington, Vermont, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the show business. There, he became the Casting and New Programs Director for the Mark Taper Forum. (Named after the real estate developer Mark Taper, the Mark Taper forum in a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles.) Around at the same time, he founded an actor's workshop and directed several plays, including a critically acclaimed production of "The Three Penny Opera". He also worked in New York to direct the successful, off-Broadway rock musical hit, "Salvation", featuring, among others, Bette Midler, Barry Bostwick, and Joe Morton. He next moved to Broadway to direct the comedy "Paris Is Out", starring Sam Levene and Molly Picon, becoming the youngest director in Broadway history. After moving back to the West Coast, Aaron directed the revival of Paddy Chayefsky's, "The Tenth Man", starring Richard Dreyfuss. For his work, he was awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Award as best director of the year. In 1979, he directed his second feature film titled A Force of One, an action-thriller starring Chuck Norris and Jennifer O'Neill, with a screenplay by Academy Award-winner Ernest Tidyman. Also in 1979, he directed the hit NBC TV movie The Miracle Worker, starring Patty Duke, Melissa Gilbert, and Diana Muldaur. For his work, he was nominated for "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Specials/Movies for TV/Actuality" at the 1980 Directors Guild of America Award. He also won the Director's prize from the Monte Carlo Film Festival, a Golden Globe nomination, and the Christopher Award. The film was nominated for four Emmys and won three, including one for Patty Duke as "Lead Actress in a Dramatic Special" and the Emmy as "Outstanding Dramatic Special" of the 1979-1980 season. In 1981, he directed CBS' TV movie Thin Ice (1981), starring Kate Jackson and Lillian Gish. In 1987, he directed the award-winning NBC television special, In Love and War (1987), the story of United States Navy vice admiral James Stockdale, which starred James Woods and Jane Alexander. The film was chosen by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the top five shows televised during the season. In 1992, Aaron sold the management division of his production company, "Elsboy Entertainment," to concentrate on writing and producing. In 1993, he co-wrote and co-produced with the three-hour HBO mini-series titled Laurel Avenue. Pulitzer prize-winning critic Tom Shales of the Washington Post called it "a golden moment in the history of television".
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Biography from TMDB.
- April 23, 1943 (83)
- Hoosick Falls, New York, USA
- Director, writer and producer
- 8 on MovieCove · 18 credits in all
What are Paul Aaron's films like?
Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 8
Light 2 · Serious 3 · Dark 3
Grounded 7 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 1
A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 4
Steady 3 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1
Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 3
A split, not a type: Casual 6 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 3 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 1
Resolved 5 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet3
- Ambiguous2
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 Paul Aaron's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).
Subscription and free streaming for Paul Aaron'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
18 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page.
Devi(L) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
In Too Deep(1999)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all filmsUnder One Roof (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Untamed Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Laurel Avenue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Save the Dog! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
In Love and War(1987)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Maxie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
When She Says No(1984)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Deadly Force (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Maid in America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Thin Ice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
The Octagon(1980)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
The Miracle Worker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
A Force of One(1979)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
A Different Story(1978)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 18 titles from 1978 to 2016.
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.
How do Paul Aaron's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 31st percentile, the median of all 8; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31st percentile for acclaim.
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th3
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
5 of their 8 titles are Mixed.
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the atmosphere 58/100 and the pacing 41/100 in their films, across 6 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.
Who does Paul Aaron work with?
People who share at least 2 of Paul Aaron's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alan Belkin shares the most, 3.
Actors
- Pam GrierShared titles: In Too Deep (1999), Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)See all 2 shared titles with Pam Grier
- Jane AlexanderShared titles: In Love and War (1987), When She Says No (1984)See all 2 shared titles with Jane Alexander
- Chuck NorrisShared titles: The Octagon (1980), A Force of One (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Chuck Norris
Composers and editors
- Dick HalliganShared titles: The Octagon (1980), A Force of One (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Dick Halligan
- Anne GoursaudShared titles: A Force of One (1979), A Different Story (1978)See all 2 shared titles with Anne Goursaud
Producers
- Alan BelkinShared titles: The Octagon (1980), A Force of One (1979), A Different Story (1978)See all 3 shared titles with Alan Belkin
- Michael LeoneShared titles: The Octagon (1980), A Force of One (1979), A Different Story (1978)See all 3 shared titles with Michael Leone