Michael Tolkin
Encyclopedia
Michael L. Tolkin is an American
filmmaker and novelist. He has written numerous screenplays, including The Player
(1992), which he adapted from his 1988 book by the same name, and for which he received the 1993 Edgar Award
for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. A follow-up book, The Return of the Player, was published in 2006.
.
Michael Tolkin is a graduate of Middlebury College
.
Tolkin lives in Los Angeles
with his wife Wendy Mogel (parenting expert and author of bestseller The Blessing of a Skinned Knee) and their two daughters, Susanna and Emma.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
filmmaker and novelist. He has written numerous screenplays, including The Player
The Player
The Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name....
(1992), which he adapted from his 1988 book by the same name, and for which he received the 1993 Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. A follow-up book, The Return of the Player, was published in 2006.
Personal life and education
Tolkin was born in New York City, New York, the son of Edith (née Leibovitch), a studio executive and film industry lawyer, and the late comedy writer Mel TolkinMel Tolkin
Mel Tolkin, né Shmuel Tolchinsky , was a television comedy writer best known as head writer of the seminal, live TV sketch comedy series Your Show of Shows during the Golden Age of Television. There he presided over a storied staff that at times included Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, and...
.
Michael Tolkin is a graduate of Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
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Tolkin lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with his wife Wendy Mogel (parenting expert and author of bestseller The Blessing of a Skinned Knee) and their two daughters, Susanna and Emma.
Filmography
- Gleaming the CubeGleaming the CubeGleaming the Cube is an American movie released in 1989. It featured Christian Slater as Brian Kelly, a 16-year-old skateboarder investigating the death of his adopted Vietnamese brother.The Skating Technical Advisor for the film was original Z-Boy, Stacy Peralta...
(1989 - screenplay) - The RaptureThe Rapture (film)The Rapture is a 1991 psychological/religious drama film starring Mimi Rogers, David Duchovny, Darwyn Carson, Patrick Bauchau, Marvin Elkins, Will Patton, and Stephanie Menuez; directed by Michael Tolkin; rated R; 100 minutes long; and produced by New Line Cinema.-Cast:*Mimi Rogers... Sharon*David...
(1991 - screenplay/director) - The PlayerThe PlayerThe Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name....
(1992 - screenplay, from his novel) - Deep CoverDeep CoverDeep Cover is a 1992 crime thriller film starring Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum and directed by veteran actor Bill Duke. It is also notable for its theme song of the same name, composed by Dr...
(1992 - co-screenplay) - The New AgeThe New Age (film)The New Age is a 1994 film written and directed by Michael Tolkin and starring Peter Weller and Judy Davis.- Plot :Peter and Katherine Witner are Southern California super-yuppies with great jobs but no center to their lives. When they both lose their jobs and begin marital infidelities, their...
(1994 - screenplay/director) - The Burning SeasonThe Burning Season (1994 film)The Burning Season is a 1994 television movie directed by John Frankenheimer. The film chronicled Chico Mendes's fight to protect the rainforest.-Plot:...
(1994 - co-teleplay) - Deep ImpactDeep Impact (film)Deep Impact is a 1998 science-fiction disaster-drama film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks in the United States on May 8, 1998. The film was directed by Mimi Leder and stars Robert Duvall, Elijah Wood, Téa Leoni, and Morgan Freeman...
(1998 - co-screenplay) - The HauntingThe Haunting (1999 film)The Haunting is a 1999 remake of the 1963 horror film of the same name. Both films are based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, published in 1959. The Haunting was directed by Jan de Bont and stars Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson and Lili Taylor...
(1999 - co-screenplay, uncredited) - Changing LanesChanging LanesChanging Lanes is a 2002 drama-thriller film directed by Roger Michell and starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. It was released on April 12, 2002 in North America by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:...
(2002 - co-screenplay) - Dawn of the DeadDawn of the Dead (2004 film)Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 horror film directed by Zack Snyder in his directorial debut. It is a remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name and stars Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Jake Weber. The film depict a handful of human survivors living in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin shopping mall...
(2004 - co-screenplay, uncredited) - NineNine (film)Nine is a 2009 musical-romantic film directed and produced by Rob Marshall. The screenplay, written by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella, is based on Arthur Kopit's book for the 1982 musical of the same name, which was itself suggested by Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
(2009 - co-screenplay)
Selected books
- The Player (1988)
- Among the Dead (2002)
- Under Radar (2003)
- The Return of the Player (2006)