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Thomas Carter

Thomas Carter

Director, actor and producer · Born July 17, 1953 (73) · Austin, Texas, USA

Thomas Carter (born July 17, 1953) is an American film and television director known for Swing Kids, Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles, and Coach Carter with Samuel L. Jackson. As an actor, Carter is probably best known for his work on the television series The White Shadow, playing James "Hollywood" Hayward, a high school basketball star with a high IQ for justice.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 17, 1953 (73)
From
Austin, Texas, USA
Works as
Director, actor and producer
Titles
37 on MovieCove · 68 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 16% in 30 days

What are Thomas Carter's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Comedy 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
Morality
25%
Self
19%
Power
16%
Survival
15%
Society
14%
Bonds
11%
Community3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 4

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 4 · Engaged 7 · 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 3 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Hopeful
6
Melancholic
3
Absurd
2
Romantic
1
Other
8

How their films linger

Hopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous1

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 Thomas Carter's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 30 of their 37 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Thomas Carter'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

68 credits, 37 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Color of You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Animation

  • The Morning Show(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Project Blue Book(2019)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • New Amsterdam(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Five Points (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 20 episodes · Director

  • Gone(2017)

    Show 12 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • The Resident(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • SEAL Team(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • American Gods(2017)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Ice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Animal Kingdom(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Roots(2016)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Colony(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Shades of Blue(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Bosch(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • When the Game Stands Tall(2014)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Strain(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Nashville(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story(2009)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Damages(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Brotherhood(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Hitched (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Coach Carter The Man Behind the Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Coach Carter(2005)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Hack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 40 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

  • UC: Undercover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Cinematographer

  • UC: Undercover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Save the Last Dance(2001)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Trapped in a Purple Haze(2000)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Don King: Only in America(1997)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Five Desperate Hours(1997)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Michael Hayes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Metro(1997)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Uninvited(1996)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • E! True Hollywood Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Divas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

  • Under One Roof (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Producer

  • Swing Kids(1993)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Equal Justice(1990)

    Show 5 episodes · Director · Creator

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • Midnight Caller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • A Year in the Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • A Year in the Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Under the Influence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Heart of the City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Amazing Stories(1985)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Miami Vice(1984)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Call to Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Call to Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Bay City Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Trauma Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Remington Steele(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Whose Life Is It Anyway?(1981)

    as Orderly John

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Bret Maverick(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Full Moon High(1981)

    as High School Student

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Hill Street Blues(1981)

    Show 9 episodes · Director · Actor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The White Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · as James Hayward

  • Almost Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Dean Hampton

  • Szysznyk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 15 episodes · Actor

  • The Monkey Hu$tle(1976)

    as Player

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • What's Happening!! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Bobby

  • Isis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Fabian

  • Good Times(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • M*A*S*H(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Company Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Executive Producer

Career shape

A full career of 67 titles, 66 of them dated from 1972 to 2021.

Biggest box office

Save the Last Dance (2001)

$132M worldwide

Highest rated

Coach Carter (2005)

Midcredits 94th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting12 of 67: 10 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdDirecting52 of 67: 44 only directing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thWriting1 of 67: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing8 of 67: 3 only producing, 5 with another roleCinematography1 of 67: 1 only cinematography, 0 with another roleOther crew2 of 67: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

67 titles, 8 with more than one role — directing and acting overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1970s8 · 8 acting · 1 crew1980s20 · 3 acting · 18 crew1990s10 · 1 acting · 9 crew2000s10 · crew2010s17 · 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.

How do Thomas Carter's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 11 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 11

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 37 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 37 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · director

Equal Justice (1990)

84th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Bosch (2014)

Midcredits 98th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 57/100 and the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 10 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 Thomas Carter's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles46–62 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles26–43 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles35–78 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 34 · mildMedian of all films: 39

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 Thomas Carter work with?

People who share at least 2 of Thomas Carter's MovieCove titles; Peter E. Berger shares the most, 4.