Skip to content
Join
Directing · Writing · age 86

James L. Brooks

Best rated: As Good as It Gets (7.7)

Films
7
Avg rating
6.41
Peak run
1983’04
Oscar wins
1 of 1
CompareBacon number
Every film, by IMDb rating

The career

James L. Brooks, directing career by IMDb rating5-film averagePeak eraLongest 7+ run
Peak 1983 to 2004, 6.865678198519901995200020052010201520202025As Good as It Gets 7.7Ella McCay 5.2Career avg 6.41

Dot size shows IMDb votes. Films with fewer than 1,000 votes sit on the baseline.

James L. Brooks's career barcodecoolhot
19837 films2025
Current formLast 5: 6.04 vs career 6.41 (−0.37)
  1. LI'll Do Anything1994 · 5.5−0.9
  2. WAs Good as It Gets1997 · 7.7+1.3
  3. WSpanglish2004 · 6.40.0
  4. LHow Do You Know2010 · 5.4−1.0
  5. LElla McCay2025 · 5.2−1.2
As a director, films with 1,000+ votes

James by the numbers

Average
6.41
7 rated films
Vote weighted
6.51
bigger films count more
Median
6.4
half are better
Consistency
±1.06
rating spread
Career
43y
1983 to 2025
Total votes
612K
across every film
Best
7.7
As Good as It Gets
Worst
5.2
Ella McCay
Newest first

Filmography

Directing filmography
2025Ella McCay posterElla McCay5.27,331
2010How Do You Know posterHow Do You Know5.458,173
2004Spanglish posterSpanglish6.493,480
1997As Good as It Gets posterAs Good as It Gets7.7341K
1994I'll Do Anything5.53,039
1987Broadcast News posterBroadcast News7.337,294
1983Terms of Endearment posterTerms of Endearment7.471,536
Better together?

James L. Brooks's regulars

The number on the right is the lift: their average together minus the average of their two careers.

Takes

On James L. Brooks

8 nominations, 3 wins

Awards record

  • Best Picture · Academy Awards 1998
    James L. Brooks, Bridget Johnson and Kristi Zea, Producers
    Nominated
  • Best Original Screenplay · Academy Awards 1998
    Screenplay by Mark Andrus, James L. Brooks; Story by Mark Andrus
    Nominated
  • Best Picture · Academy Awards 1997
    James L. Brooks, Laurence Mark, Richard Sakai and Cameron Crowe, Producers
    Nominated
  • Best Original Screenplay · Academy Awards 1988
    James L. Brooks
    Nominated
  • Best Picture · Academy Awards 1988
    James L. Brooks, Producer
    Nominated
  • Best Director · Academy Awards 1984
    James L. Brooks
    Won
  • Best Adapted Screenplay · Academy Awards 1984
    James L. Brooks
    Won
  • Best Picture · Academy Awards 1984
    James L. Brooks, Producer
    Won

Information courtesy of IMDb (https://www.imdb.com). Used with permission. Ratings and votes as of the latest nightly refresh.

James L. Brooks career stats | Cinemuse