Gavin Millar (11 January 1938 – 20 April 2022) was a Scottish film director, critic and television presenter. Millar was born in Clydebank, near Glasgow, the son of Tom Millar and his wife Rita (née Osborne). The family relocated to the Midlands when he was nine and he was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham. He undertook national service in the Royal Air Force and then read English at Christ Church, Oxford from 1958 to 1961. Millar took a postgraduate film course at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Millar was a film critic for The Listener from 1970 to 1984. He also contributed to Sight and Sound and the London Review of Books. He wrote a new section to Karel Reisz's book The Technique of Film Editing for the 1968 edition. On television, he wrote, produced and presented Arena Cinema for the BBC from 1976 to 1980, and wrote and presented numerous other cinema and visual arts documentaries. In 1980, he directed Dennis Potter's Cream in My Coffee for London Weekend Television, which received a BAFTA nomination. His first feature film as director was 1985's Dreamchild. He would later collaborate with Dreamchild's producer Rick McCallum again on the episode Peking, March 1910, part of George Lucas's television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1993. It was later re-edited to be part of Journey of Radiance when the series became The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones on its DVD release. His 1994 television film Pat and Margaret, featuring Victoria Wood, received a further BAFTA nomination, and Housewife, 49 (2006), a later collaboration with Wood, won the 2007 award. Millar died of a brain tumour on 20 April 2022, aged 84. He was survived by his five children and by six grandchildren.
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Biography from TMDB.
- January 11, 1938
- April 20, 2022 (aged 84)
- Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK
- Director, also writer
- 18 on MovieCove · 53 credits in all
What are Gavin Millar's films like?
Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
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 11
A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 2 · Dark 3
Grounded 8 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0
Gentle 5 · Charged 5 · Intense 1
Steady 10 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1
Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0
Casual 6 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 4 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 1
Resolved 8 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet8
- 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 Gavin Millar's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).
- Housewife, 49 (2005) · director · free
- The Last Detective (2003) · director · free
- The Vice (1999) · director · free
- The Dwelling Place (1994) · director · free
- My Friend Walter (1992) · director, writer · free
- Albert Schweitzer (2009) · director, writer · free
- Secrets (1983) · director · free
- The Weather in the Streets (1983) · director · free
- BritBox
Subscription and free streaming for Gavin Millar'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
53 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Albert Schweitzer(2009)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Housewife, 49(2005)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Pickles: The Dog Who Won the World Cup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
The Making of Rocky Road to Dublin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
King of Fridges (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Benefit to Mankind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
New Tricks(2003)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
The Last Detective(2003)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
Foyle's War(2002)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
My Fragile Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Journey of Radiance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Complicity(2000)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
The Vice(1999)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows
Talking Heads 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Sex & Chocolate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
The Crow Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Funny Bones(1995)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all filmsBelle Époque (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Pat and Margaret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
The Dwelling Place(1994)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all showsLook At It This Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
My Friend Walter(1992)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
A Murder of Quality(1991)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Screen One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Most Dangerous Man in the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Tidy Endings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Talking Heads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
Scoop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Made In Ealing: The Story of Ealing Studios (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
The Russian Soldier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Mr & Mrs Edgehill(1985)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Dreamchild(1985)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Unfair Exchanges (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Secrets(1983)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Intensive Care (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
A Pretty British Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Cream in My Coffee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Talking Pictures: Quadrophenia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Arena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Goodbye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Wessex Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Full House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Play for Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Eye Hears, the Ear Sees (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Virginia Woolf: A Night's Darkness, A Day's Sail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Review (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Career shape
A full career of 53 titles from 1969 to 2009.
Biggest box office
Albert Schweitzer (2009)
Highest rated
Housewife, 49 (2005)
Most popular right now
Dreamchild (1985)
Film career
- 1995Screen debut· Funny Bones
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 Gavin Millar's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 12; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th7
- 25th to 49th5
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
8 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser8
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the atmosphere 66/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 8 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 Gavin Millar work with?
People who share at least 2 of Gavin Millar's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Angus Newton shares the most, 7.
Actors
- Ronald PickupShared titles: My Friend Walter (1992), A Murder of Quality (1991), Danny the Champion of the World (1989)See all 3 shared titles with Ronald Pickup
- David ThrelfallShared titles: Housewife, 49 (2005), A Murder of Quality (1991)See all 2 shared titles with David Threlfall
- Helen LindsayShared titles: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (2000), Secrets (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Helen Lindsay
- Madge HindleShared titles: My Friend Walter (1992), Mr & Mrs Edgehill (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Madge Hindle
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Angus NewtonShared titles: Complicity (2000), Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (2000), The Dwelling Place (1994), A Murder of Quality (1991), Danny the Champion of the World (1989), Dreamchild (1985), The Weather in the Streets (1983)See all 7 shared titles with Angus Newton
- Stanley MyersShared titles: My Friend Walter (1992), A Murder of Quality (1991), Danny the Champion of the World (1989), Dreamchild (1985), Mr & Mrs Edgehill (1985)See all 5 shared titles with Stanley Myers
- Colin TownsShared titles: Albert Schweitzer (2009), Complicity (2000), The Dwelling Place (1994)See all 3 shared titles with Colin Towns
- John HooperShared titles: The Dwelling Place (1994), My Friend Walter (1992), The Weather in the Streets (1983)See all 3 shared titles with John Hooper
Producers
- Alan HorroxShared titles: My Friend Walter (1992), Danny the Champion of the World (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Alan Horrox
- Monica SimsShared titles: My Friend Walter (1992), Danny the Champion of the World (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Monica Sims
- Eric AbrahamShared titles: A Murder of Quality (1991), Danny the Champion of the World (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Eric Abraham
- Alan ShallcrossShared titles: Mr & Mrs Edgehill (1985), The Weather in the Streets (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Alan Shallcross