Edward Burns

Like Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino and Allison Anders, actor-writer-director Edward Burns rose to prominence during the indie film boom of the mid-1990s on the strength of his debut film, "The Brothers McMullen" (1995). A thoughtful, good-natured comedy-drama about three Irish-Catholic siblings, it won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and established Burns as a director on the rise. Unfortunately, some of his subsequent efforts, which included "She's The One" (1996), "Sidewalks of New York" (2001) and "Nice Guy Johnny" (2010) felt like rehashes of "McMullen" in their wordiness and low-wattage conflicts. Burns also enjoyed an occasional side career as an actor, most notably in "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), but his tenacity and dedication to intimate dramas - for better or worse - were his calling cards for his decade-plus career.