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John Lindley

John Lindley

Cinematographer, also actor · Born November 17, 1951 (74) · New York City, New York, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee

John Warwick Lindley (born November 17, 1951) is an American cinematographer. He has collaborated with Joseph Ruben, Phil Alden Robinson, and Nora Ephron. He is known for his work on such films as Field of Dreams and Pleasantville, the latter of which earning him positive reviews and nominations for awards. He is also the current National President of the International Cinematographers Guild. Description above from the Wikipedia article John Lindley (cinematographer), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 17, 1951 (74)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Cinematographer, also actor
Titles
50 on MovieCove · 65 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

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

What are John Lindley's films like?

Across their 39 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror 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
26%
Bonds
25%
Self
16%
Survival
12%
Society
10%
Power
8%
Ideas
4%
Family bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 38 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 14 · Serious 14 · Dark 10

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

Grounded 25 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 18 · Intense 12

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

Steady 20 · Shifting 17 · 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 19 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 8

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

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 25 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 17 · Engaged 20 · Full focus 1

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

Easy watch 14 · Affecting 14 · Heavy 10

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

Resolved 32 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
23
Dread
9
Warm
9
Hopeful
10
Thrilling
8
Other
45

How their films linger

Hopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy19
  • Bittersweet13
  • Ambiguous6
  • Cyclical1

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 John Lindley's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 33 of their 50 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Lindley'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

65 credits, 50 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Dark Matter(2024)

    Show 8 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Tulsa King(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows

  • A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Hunters(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Unbelievable(2019)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Father Figures(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Electric Dreams(2017)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Manhunt(2017)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Dirty Dancing(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Good Girls Revolt(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • St. Vincent(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Manhattan(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Witches of East End(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • The Frontier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • The Last Song(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Hotel Hell Vacation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer

  • Legion(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Imagine That(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Reservation Road(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Brooks(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Catch and Release(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Bewitched(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Last Shot(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Core(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Sum of All Fears(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Lucky Numbers(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Freedom Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • You've Got Mail(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Pleasantville(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Michael(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Money Train(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • I Love Trouble(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Good Son(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Sneakers(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Father of the Bride(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Laurie Anderson: The Collected Videos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer

  • Sleeping with the Enemy(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Vital Signs(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Immediate Family(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Field of Dreams(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • True Believer(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Shakedown(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Serpent and the Rainbow(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • In the Mood(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • A Stranger Waits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Cinematographer

  • The Stepfather(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • LBJ: The Early Years(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Killer Party(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Cinematographer

  • Rockabye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Cinematographer

  • Badge of the Assassin(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Howie Mandel: Live from Carnegie Mall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • Organizational Climate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • The Baron and the Kid(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Lily in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • The Goodbye People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Girls of the White Orchid(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Demon Murder Case(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • An Invasion of Privacy(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Amy and the Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

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

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Gentleman Bandit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Cinematographer

  • Mr. Griffin and Me(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

Career shape

A full career of 64 titles from 1981 to 2024.

Biggest box office

You've Got Mail (1998)

$251M worldwide

Highest rated

Pleasantville (1998)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

You've Got Mail (1998)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 64: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleCinematography63 of 64: 63 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score54th

By decade

1980s25 · crew1990s11 · crew2000s10 · crew2010s13 · 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

Nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2012, Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series.

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 John Lindley's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 40; across their 38 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Approval · how many liked their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Reach · how many have seen their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Midcredits score across 50 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th10

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 50 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed16

Most divisive · cinematographer

An Invasion of Privacy (1983)

92nd percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (2020)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 59/100 in their films, across 27 reviewed titles; fans 67, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 John Lindley's work okay for kids?

Across up to 23 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore19 titles7–84 · median 47 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity23 titles13–63 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity20 titles25–72 · median 47 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs18 titles23–62 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense19 titles5–85 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all 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 John Lindley work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Lindley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joseph Ruben shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles