| Birth date | May 10, 1950 (age 76) |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1974–2017 |
Joseph Porter Ruben (born May 10, 1950) is an American retired filmmaker. He is best known for directing The Stepfather (1987) and Sleeping with the Enemy (1991).
Movie career
Ruben's earlier films, such as The Stepfather, have become cult classics. In the 1990s, he went to direct high-grossing mainstream films such as Sleeping with the Enemy starring Julia Roberts (which grossed over $150,000,000 on box office), the controversial thriller The Good Son starring Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood, Money Train starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, and Return to Paradise starring Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix. He frequently collaborated with film editor George Bowers.
Ruben has won awards at various film festivals for his films The Stepfather, True Believer, starring Robert Downey Jr. and James Woods, and Dreamscape, starring Dennis Quaid. His 2013 feature, Penthouse North, stars Michael Keaton and Michelle Monaghan. He will return to direct the serial killer thriller Jack after not working for six years. Ruben is also attached to direct the film The Politician's Wife written by Nicholas Meyer.
The Ottoman Lieutenant was released around the period of the film The Promise, a film depicting the Armenian genocide.[1] The perceived similarities between the films resulted in accusations that The Ottoman Lieutenant existed to deny the Armenian genocide.[1][2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Sister-in-Law | |||
| 1976 | The Pom Pom Girls | |||
| 1977 | Joyride | |||
| 1978 | Our Winning Season | |||
| 1980 | Gorp | |||
| 1984 | Dreamscape | |||
| 1987 | The Stepfather | |||
| 1989 | True Believer | |||
| 1991 | Sleeping with the Enemy | |||
| 1993 | The Good Son | |||
| 1995 | Money Train | |||
| 1998 | Return to Paradise | |||
| 2004 | The Forgotten | |||
| 2013 | Penthouse North | |||
| 2017 | The Ottoman Lieutenant |
Television
| Year | Title | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Breaking Away | Episode "The Cutters" |
References
- ^ Buckley, Cara (2017-04-20). "Battle Over Two Films Represents Turkey's Quest to Control a Narrative". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
But Turkey has insisted that many people, both Turkish and Armenian, carried out — and bore the brunt of — wartime horrors, and that no concerted extermination effort existed. [...] 'The Ottoman Lieutenant' [...] reinforces that debunked Turkish narrative, detractors say.
- ^ Ritman, Alex & Mia Galuppo (2017-04-21). "'The Promise' vs. 'The Ottoman Lieutenant': Two Movies Battle Over the Armenian Genocide". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
External links
- Rea, Steven (February 26, 1989). "Ruben's Redemption Finally, Director Joseph Ruben Has Made A Movie He Really Loves. It's Not About Teens. Or Nightmares. It's "True Believer," A Mystery About A Lawyer Who Rediscovers Himself.". The Inquirer. Philly.com. Archived 2014-03-30 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 30, 2014.