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Amy Heckerling

Highest Rated: 85% Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies (2020)

Lowest Rated: 11% A Night at the Roxbury (1998)

Birthday: May 7, 1954

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

American filmmaker Amy Heckerling was a trailblazer who paved the way for women in Hollywood. Born in the Bronx, she studied at New York University's famed Tisch School of the Arts and then went through the American Film Institute program in Los Angeles. She began working as an editor in television, but a car accident nearly derailed her career before it truly started. Once she recovered, she was given the opportunity to helm a teen comedy based on Rolling Stone reporter Cameron Crowe's account of posing as a high schooler in LA's San Fernando Valley. The resulting "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982) turned into a cultural touchstone and helped launch the careers of a generation of actors, including Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Forest Whitaker, and Judge Reinhold. Instead of sticking to the teen theme, Heckerling moved into broader comedies. She made "Johnny Dangerously" (1984), a spoof of gangster movies starring Michael Keaton, and "National Lampoon's European Vacation" (1985) with Chevy Chase. For her next project, she added screenwriter to her credits with the John Travolta-Kirstie Alley hit comedy "Look Who's Talking" (1989). The movie, featuring a baby character voiced by Bruce Willis, spawned a pair of sequels, "Look Who's Talking, Too" (1990) and "Look Who's Talking Now" (1993). A short-lived sitcom based on the concept, "Baby Talk" (ABC, 1991-92), also followed. She returned to teen comedy with her next film and again notched one of the defining films of the genre with "Clueless" (1995). Starring Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd, among a host of talented young actors, the story was a modern reworking of Jane Austen's "Emma." As with the "Look Who's Talking" franchise, it also led to a sitcom, "Clueless" (ABC/UPN, 1996-99), that Heckerling assisted with. After directing Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan in the "SNL" (NBC, 1975-) comedy "A Night at the Roxbury" (1998), the filmmaker hit a rough patch. Her next two films, "Molly" (1999) and "Loser" (2000), were box office failures, causing her to step away for a period of time. An episode of the hit television show "The Office" (NBC, 2005-13) in 2005 marked her directorial return behind the camera. She wrote and directed "I Could Never Be Your Woman" (2007), starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd, before taking another self-imposed hiatus. Upon her return, she worked primarily in television, directing episodes of "Gossip Girl" (The CW, 2007-12) and "Red Oaks" (Amazon, 2014-17). Heckerling added the horror-comedy "Vamps" (2012), starring Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter, and the CGI-animated film "Wish Dragon" (2019), featuring Jackie Chan.

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Highest rated movies

85% 73% Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies Watchlist 81% 76% Clueless Watchlist 78% 80% Fast Times at Ridgemont High Watchlist
67% 44% I Could Never Be Your Woman
Watchlist
58% 35% Vamps
Watchlist
56% 47% Look Who's Talking
Watchlist
44% 63% Johnny Dangerously
Watchlist
40% 49% Into the Night
Watchlist
37% 49% National Lampoon's European Vacation
Watchlist
24% 35% Loser
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
85% 73% Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies Unknown (Character) - 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet If These Knishes Could Talk Unknown (Character) - 2013
58% 35% Vamps Director,
Screenwriter
- 2012
67% 44% I Could Never Be Your Woman Director,
Writer
- 2007
24% 35% Loser Director,
Writer,
Producer
$15.5M 2000
14% 52% Molly Executive Producer $17.4K 1999
11% 69% A Night at the Roxbury Director,
Producer
$30.3M 1998
81% 76% Clueless Director,
Writer
$56.2M 1995
13% 32% Look Who's Talking Too Director,
Screenwriter
$44.2M 1990
56% 47% Look Who's Talking Director,
Writer
$137.0M 1989
40% 49% Into the Night Ships Waitress (Character) - 1985
37% 49% National Lampoon's European Vacation Director - 1985
44% 63% Johnny Dangerously Director - 1984
78% 80% Fast Times at Ridgemont High Director - 1982

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Royalties Director 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet 20/20 Guest 2018
93% 92% Red Oaks Director 2015
91% 90% Suburgatory Director 2014
84% 85% The Carrie Diaries Director 2013-2014
84% 79% Gossip Girl Director 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet Clueless Director,
Executive Producer,
Writer
1996-1999