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James Ivory

James Ivory

Director, writer and producer, also actor · Born June 7, 1928 (98) · Berkeley, California, USA

Oscar winner · 4 BAFTA Awards · Golden Globe nominee · 7 other major award bodies

James Francis Ivory (born June 7, 1928) is an American film director, best known for the results of his long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, which included both Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Their films won six Academy Awards. Ivory has been nominated three times for the Best Director Oscar, and won his first Academy Award at the age of 89 in 2018, Best Adapted Screenplay for Call Me by Your Name. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Ivory, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 7, 1928 (98)
From
Berkeley, California, USA
Works as
Director, writer and producer, also actor
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 55 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 31% in 30 days

What are James Ivory's films like?

Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama20 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: 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
28%
Self
27%
Society
16%
Power
11%
Ideas
8%
Morality
6%
Survival
4%
Romantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt5 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 30 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 13 · Serious 10 · Dark 7

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 16 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 2

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 19 · Charged 9 · Intense 2

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

Steady 26 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 23 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 27 · Even-paced 3 · 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 8 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 1

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 12 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 7

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 14 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
21
Contemplative
19
Tense
9
Romantic
8
Bittersweet
8
Other
16

How their films linger

Bittersweet21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous9

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 James Ivory's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Ivory'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

55 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Her Song(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • I figli della scimmia(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Merchant Ivory(2023)

    Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Way It Was: Paris Restaurants in the 1970s (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Executive Producer

  • A Cooler Climate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer · as Self - Filmmaker / Narrator (voice)

  • Chinese Laundry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Producer

  • The Aspern Papers(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • American Marriage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Co-Writer · Executive Producer

  • Call Me by Your Name(2017)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Arcadia Lost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Co-Producer

  • The City of Your Final Destination(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Zefirino: The Voice of a Castrato (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Costume Design · Actor

  • The White Countess(2005)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Divorce(2003)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Golden Bowl(2000)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries(1998)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Mrs Dalloway(1997)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Surviving Picasso(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Lumière and Company(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Jefferson in Paris(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Remains of the Day(1993)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Howards End(1992)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Mr. & Mrs. Bridge(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Slaves of New York(1989)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Maurice(1987)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • A Room with a View(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Noon Wine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Executive Producer

  • The Bostonians(1984)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Heat and Dust(1983)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Courtesans of Bombay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Writer

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Quartet(1981)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Jane Austen in Manhattan(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Five Forty-Eight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • The Europeans(1979)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Roseland(1977)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Autobiography of a Princess(1975)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Wild Party(1975)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Writer

  • William: The Life, Works and Times of William Shakespeare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Teleplay

  • ABC Afterschool Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Teleplay

  • Savages (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Idea

  • Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Writer

  • Bombay Talkie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Guru (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director · Writer

  • Shakespeare-Wallah(1965)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Delhi Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • The Householder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director · Writer

  • The Sword and the Flute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • Venice: Theme and Variations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

  • Andorra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

  • Brutta Figura (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Writer · as James

  • Richard II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Roselli’s Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

Career shape

A full career of 54 titles, 50 of them dated from 1957 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

$73M worldwide

Highest rated

The Remains of the Day (1993)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 54: 0 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting36 of 54: 22 only directing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score51stWriting21 of 54: 4 only writing, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stProducing14 of 54: 9 only producing, 5 with another roleCinematography3 of 54: 0 only cinematography, 3 with another roleEditing2 of 54: 0 only editing, 2 with another roleOther crew2 of 54: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

54 titles, 18 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 14 of them.

By decade

1950s2 · crew1960s4 · crew1970s12 · crew1980s10 · crew1990s8 · crew2000s5 · 1 acting · 5 crew2010s4 · crew2020s5 · 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

an Oscar, 4 BAFTA Awards and 8 other major awards from 39 major nominations, 1965–2018.

WinNomination
  1. 2018
    • Oscar, won · Best Adapted Screenplay
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Screenplay (Adapted)
    • +3 other major bodies · 2 wins and 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, won · Adapted Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Adapted Screenplay
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
  2. 2003
    • Venice award, won
  3. 2002
    • BAFTA Award, won · Film
  4. 2000
    • Cannes award, nominated
  5. 1995
    • Cannes award, nominated
    • Directors Guild Award, won
  6. 1994
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Director
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
  7. 1993
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Director
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Direction
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Foreign Film
  8. 1992
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated
Show 8 earlier years
  1. 1990
    • Venice award, won ×2 · Best Film
    • Venice award, nominated
  2. 1987
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Director
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Direction
    • +2 other major bodies · 1 win and 2 nominations
      • Venice award, won
      • Venice award, nominated
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
  3. 1986
    • Venice award, nominated
  4. 1984
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Direction
  5. 1983
    • Cannes award, nominated
  6. 1981
    • Cannes award, nominated
  7. 1979
    • Cannes award, nominated
  8. 1965
    • Berlinale award, nominated

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 James Ivory's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 29; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Approval · how many liked their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · producer

The Aspern Papers (2018)

81st percentile spread · 43% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

The Remains of the Day (1993)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 75/100 and the pacing 39/100 in their films, across 27 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 James Ivory's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films and violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles4–26 · median 6 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles14–61 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles1–35 · median 13 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles28–36 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles5–21 · median 10 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian 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 James Ivory work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Ivory's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ismail Merchant shares the most, 22.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers