Movies by Bob Balaban
As part of the cast:
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Thin Ice (2011)
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup …
Directed by: Jill Sprecher
Midwest insurance salesman Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) hatches a get-rich-quick scheme that depends on him gaining possession of a rare and precious violin, but his planned score results…
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Howl (2010)
Cast: James Franco, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm …
Directed by: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
James Franco steps into the shoes of famed Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in this star-studded biopic centered around Ginsberg's poem "Howl" and the widely publicized obscenity trial that…
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Recount (2008)
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern, Denis Leary …
Directed by: Jay Roach
This Emmy-winning made-for-TV movie chronicles the extraordinary behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded in the weeks following the highly controversial 2000 election -- a presidential race…
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The Windmill Movie (2008)
Cast: Wallace Shawn, Bob Balaban, Susan Meiselas …
Directed by: Alexander Olch
This genre-defying film chronicles the privileged Hamptons upbringing of late documentary filmmaker Richard P. Rogers, using footage Rogers himself shot with the intention of one day crafting…
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Dedication (2007)
Cast: Billy Crudup, Mandy Moore, Tom Wilkinson …
Directed by: Justin Theroux
Actor Justin Theroux makes his directorial debut with this romantic comedy about a misogynistic and largely disagreeable children's author (Billy Crudup) who's forced to work with a…
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Trust the Man (2006)
Cast: Billy Crudup, Eva Mendes, Julianne Moore …
Directed by: Bart Freundlich
This intimate look at modern relationships follows the romantic lives of two siblings who are struggling with love: Rebecca is picking up the pieces of her crumbling marriage, while her…
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For Your Consideration (2006)
Cast: Catherine O'Hara, Stephen Rannazzisi, Ed Begley Jr. …
Directed by: Christopher Guest
A director (Christopher Guest) who's never had a hit film pins his hopes on the independent drama Home for Purim, a movie about a Jewish family living in the 1940s South that's…
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Lady in the Water (2006)
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeffrey Wright …
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
When apartment building manager Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) discovers a water nymph (Bryce Dallas Howard) residing in the complex's swimming pool, he rearranges his life to help her…
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Capote (2005)
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clifton Collins Jr., Catherine Keener …
Directed by: Bennett Miller
The toast of New York City society after penning Breakfast at Tiffany's, flamboyant writer Truman Capote finds himself in a dance with the devil while researching the Clutter family…
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Hopeless Pictures (2005)
Cast: Michael McKean, Lisa Kudrow, Bob Balaban …
Independent movie producer Mel Wax struggles daily to keep his life and studio going in this clever animated parody of the film business, full of crazed characters voiced by comedy veterans…
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Marie and Bruce (2004)
Cast: Julianne Moore, Matthew Broderick, Tom Riis Farrell …
Directed by: Tom Cairns
Marie and Bruce (Julianne Moore and Matthew Broderick) are a couple on the verge of a breakdown ... and break-up. Told with a theatrical flair, the movie chronicles the stultifying ennui,…
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A Mighty Wind (2003)
Cast: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara …
Directed by: Christopher Guest
Satirist in extremis Christopher Guest aims his mockumentary lens at 1960s folk musicians -- specifically, the earnest Folksmen (portrayed by erstwhile Spinal Tappers Guest, Michael McKean…
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No Money Down (2003)
Cast: Bob Balaban, Teri Garr, Roy Scheider …
Directed by: Sam Sokolow, Rob Lobl
After getting fired from his job and evicted from his apartment, Eric Traber (Josh Lucas) is whisked away by his friend Ziggy (Jeffery Beuhl) for the comfort of the Hamptons. Once there,…
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Plan B (2002)
Cast: Diane Keaton, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Sorvino …
Directed by: Greg Yaitanes
After her loser hubby gets bumped off and leaves her with a mountain of gambling debts, meek Fran Maloni (Diane Keaton) finds herself working for a mob kingpin (Paul Sorvino) -- as an…
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The Mexican (2001)
Cast: Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, James Gandolfini …
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Bumbling career thief Jerry Welbach (Brad Pitt) travels south of the border to retrieve a priceless pistol nicknamed "The Mexican" for his mob boss. Trouble is, his nagging girlfriend,…
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Ghost World (2001)
Cast: Thora Birch, Steve Buscemi, Scarlett Johansson …
Directed by: Terry Zwigoff
Mopey high schooler Enid and her equally disaffected friend Rebecca play a prank on a lonely middle-aged man. But when Enid strikes a connection with their victim, her growing fascination…
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The Majestic (2001)
Cast: Jim Carrey, Martin Landau, Laurie Holden …
Directed by: Frank Darabont
Screenwriter Peter Appleton (Jim Carrey) is on the verge of being blacklisted when a car wreck gives him amnesia. Wandering into a small California town, he's mistaken for "Luke," a…
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Gosford Park (2001)
Cast: Maggie Smith, Clive Owen, Kristin Scott Thomas …
Directed by: Robert Altman
Director Robert Altman's witty murder mystery won an Oscar for its screenplay, which really takes off when Sir William (Michael Gambon) is found dead soon after his guests arrive for a…
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Best in Show (2000)
Cast: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara …
Directed by: Christopher Guest
Master mockumentarian Christopher Guest (Waiting for Guffman) is at it again with this snarky send-up of canine culture that traverses the galloping neuroses surrounding one highly…
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The Monster Hunter (2000)
Cast: David Carradine, Michael Bowen, Darren E. Burrows …
Directed by: Mark Lambert Bristol
Who knows why darkness reigns within the hearts of two men who've embarked on a murderous spree (Bob Balaban and Darren Burrows)? Whatever the reason, whether they're moved to kill…
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Jakob the Liar (1999)
Cast: Robin Williams, Hannah Taylor-Gordon, Eva Igo …
Directed by: Peter Kassovitz
While detained at Nazi headquarters, Jewish shopkeeper Jakob (Robin Williams) overhears a broadcast about Soviet troop advances. Back in the Warsaw ghetto, Jakob shares the news with his…
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Three to Tango (1999)
Cast: Matthew Perry, Neve Campbell, Dylan McDermott …
Directed by: Damon Santostefano
When up-and-coming architect Oscar Novak (Matthew Perry) sets out to befriend wealthy business tycoon Charles Newman (Dylan McDermott) in the hopes of landing a high-profile, lucrative…
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Clockwatchers (1997)
Cast: Lisa Kudrow, Toni Collette, Parker Posey …
Directed by: Jill Sprecher
Four women -- Iris (Toni Collette), Paula (Lisa Kudrow), Margaret (Parker Posey) and Jane (Alanna Ubach) -- work as temps at Global Credit, a stoic, faceless megacorporation where their…
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Deconstructing Harry (1997)
Cast: Woody Allen, Elisabeth Shue, Richard Benjamin …
Directed by: Woody Allen
In this mordant 1997 comedy, self-absorbed novelist Harry Block (Woody Allen) sees his literary chickens come home to roost after he pens a roman à clef that offends, enrages and…
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Pie in the Sky (1996)
Cast: Josh Charles, Anne Heche, John Goodman …
Directed by: Bryan Gordon
Charlie (Josh Charles) is obsessed with becoming a Los Angeles traffic reporter and ardently pursues his dream, even to the point of risking his relationship with his girlfriend. But an…
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The Late Shift (1996)
Cast: Kathy Bates, John Michael Higgins, Daniel Roebuck …
Directed by: Betty Thomas
Kathy Bates won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Jay Leno's hard-nosed manager, Helen Kushnick, in this dramatization of the war between David Letterman (John Michael Higgins) and…
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Greedy (1994)
Cast: Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas, Nancy Travis …
Directed by: Jonathan Lynn
Meet the McTeagues -- a hilariously funny, highly dysfunctional clan who all want a piece of their wealthy uncle's will. The only trouble is that he's not dead yet! Things quickly…
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For Love or Money (1993)
Cast: Michael J. Fox, Gabrielle Anwar, Anthony Higgins …
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Concierge Doug (Michael J. Fox) works at an upscale hotel and is adept at getting guests whatever they want. His dream of building his own luxury hotel finally seems to be coming true when he…
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Alice (1990)
Cast: Joe Mantegna, Mia Farrow, William Hurt …
Directed by: Woody Allen
Alice Tate (Mia Farrow) finds herself falling out of love with her stockbroker husband (William Hurt) and in love with a sax player named Joe (Joe Mantegna) in this modern take on &NFi;Alice…
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Dead Bang (1989)
Cast: Don Johnson, Penelope Ann Miller, William Forsythe …
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Jerry Beck (Don Johnson), a burned-out cop with an alcohol problem, transfers from Miami vice to Los Angeles homicide. While he's investigating the death of a fellow police officer, Beck…
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End of the Line (1987)
Cast: Wilford Brimley, Kevin Bacon, Mary Steenburgen …
Directed by: Jay Russell
Two railroad workers from Clifford, Ark., become heroes when they hijack a locomotive to protest the closing of the local railroad company. The two set out on a rollicking cross-country…
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2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)
Cast: Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, Helen Mirren …
Directed by: Peter Hyams
In this stunning sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey, ex-NASA chief Heywood Floyd (Roy Scheider) helms a U.S.-Soviet mission of scientists (including John Lithgow and Helen Mirren) trying to…
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Absence of Malice (1981)
Cast: Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban …
Directed by: Sydney Pollack
Sally Field stars as a novice reporter at a Miami newspaper, who becomes a pawn in the investigation of a liquor distributor suspected of being involved in a mob murder. Scandal and tragedy…
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Prince of the City (1981)
Cast: Treat Williams, Jerry Orbach, Richard Foronjy …
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Based on a true story, this gritty police drama from director Sidney Lumet stars Treat Williams as Daniel Ciello, a New York cop who agrees to help the feds expose corruption within the…
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Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
Cast: Bob Balaban, John Cassavetes, Richard Dreyfuss …
Directed by: John Badham
Sculptor Ken Harrison (Richard Dreyfuss) is paralyzed in a car accident and left unable to do anything but speak. Now, he just wants to die, but no one will allow it, including his doctor…
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Altered States (1980)
Cast: William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban …
Directed by: Ken Russell
Harvard scientist Eddie Jessup's (William Hurt) mind-altering experiments on himself, involving a hallucinatory drug and an isolation chamber, get out of control when his handiwork…
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition (1977)
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon …
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
When Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) encounters a UFO, he's left with a sunburned face, a skeptical family and a shaken psyche. In an attempt to make sense of what he saw, Roy starts…
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition (1977)
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr …
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
The 1977, 1980 and 1998 versions of Steven Spielberg's seminal sci-fi hit are collected in this exhaustive 30th anniversary edition, which also includes a 20-minute interview with the…
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Bank Shot (1974)
Cast: George C. Scott, Joanna Cassidy, Sorrell Booke …
Directed by: Gower Champion
A bank is being temporarily housed in a mobile home while a new building is constructed. Seems like an easy target to break into for a band of crooks, right? But they've come up with an…
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Catch-22 (1970)
Cast: Alan Arkin, Martin Sheen, Richard Benjamin …
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Capt. Yossarian (Alan Arkin) tries to escape the travesties of World War II by convincing his Air Force commanders that he's crazy. Hilarity ensues -- but so does reality as he watches…
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Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles …
Directed by: John Schlesinger
To earn cash as a freelance sex stud and work toward his dream of becoming a kept man, hayseed hustler Joe Buck heads to New York City, where an improbable friendship blossoms when he meets…
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Me, Natalie (1969)
Cast: Patty Duke, James Farentino, Martin Balsam …
Directed by: Fred Coe
This warm and witty drama follows the adventures of Natalie Miller (Patty Duke), a plain Jane who strikes out on her own in the big city and learns some tough lessons about love. After…
As a director:
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Georgia O'Keeffe (2009)
Cast: Joan Allen, Ed Begley Jr., Henry Simmons …
Directed by: Bob Balaban
Joan Allen stars as 20th-century painter Georgia O'Keeffe in this Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated biopic that follows the artist's tempestuous relationship with her lover and…
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Bernard and Doris (2007)
Cast: Susan Sarandon, Ralph Fiennes, Peter Asher …
Directed by: Bob Balaban
Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes star in this Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated tale inspired by the life of billionaire heiress Doris Duke, which speculates on the relationship between Duke…
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The Exonerated (2005)
Cast: Susan Sarandon, Brian Dennehy, Danny Glover …
Directed by: Bob Balaban
Bob Balaban directs an impressive cast in Court TV's powerful drama about six people released after being wrongly convicted and sent to death row. Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, Brian…
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IFC TV Uncut: New Season Sneak Preview (2005)
Cast: Dan Milano, Michael McKean, Jennifer Coolidge …
Directed by: Sean Baker, Dan Milano, Phil Price …
Get a sneak peek at three new original series from IFC: "Hopeless Pictures," an animated comedy from Bob Balaban that follows a self-absorbed indie mogul's struggles to keep his…
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Subway Stories (1997)
Cast: Zachary Taylor, Bill Irwin, Jerry Stiller …
Directed by: Lucas Platt, Craig McKay, Ted Demme …
An all-star cast and host of renowned directors grace this collection of 10 intriguing vignettes based on real-life tales of New York's subway riders. A disabled beggar (Denis Leary) and…
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My Boyfriend's Back (1993)
Cast: Andrew Lowery, Traci Lind, Edward Herrmann …
Directed by: Bob Balaban
Missy (Traci Lind) is the most beautiful girl in school, and Johnny (Andrew Lowery) has been in love with her for years. One night, Johnny's killed trying to win her over, but he soon…
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Eerie, Indiana (1991)
Cast: Omri Katz, Jason Mardsen, Justin Shenkarow …
Directed by: Bob Balaban, Greg Beeman
Watching the short-lived television series "Eerie, Indiana" -- a town populated by strange phenomena and even stranger inhabitants -- makes you wonder why the innovative show was canceled. In…
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Parents (1989)
Cast: Randy Quaid, Sandy Dennis, Mary Beth Hurt …
Directed by: Bob Balaban
In this horror-comedy set in the stuffy 1950s, Michael has everything his 10-year-old heart could desire, including a great dinner every night. Soon he questions where all the leftovers come…