Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Gary Goetzman

Highest Rated: 100% Stop Making Sense (1984)

Lowest Rated: 10% My Life in Ruins (2009)

Birthday: Nov 6, 1952

Birthday:

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA

A former child actor who grew up to become the executive producer the multi-Oscar-winning "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991), Gary Goetzman has been working with director Jonathan Demme in various capacities since serving as production manager on Demme's 1974 debut "Caged Heat/Renegade Girls." Simultaneously, he has carried on a career as a composer and producer (as well as music editor and sound recordist) for such artists as Smokey Robinson, Chaka Khan and Thelma Houston. The Los Angeles native never made it to the top rung of child actors, but he can be seen as Dick Van Dyke's son in "Divorce American Style" (1967) and alongside Tim Matheson and Morgan Brittany (then billed as Suzanne Cupito) as Henry Fonda's children in the family comedy "Yours, Mine and Ours" (1968). He has continued to act in bit roles, usually in Demme's films like "Citizens Band/Handle With Care" (1977), "Melvin and Howard" (1980) and "Married to the Mob" (1988). In both "Something Wild" (1986) and "Philadelphia" (1993), Goetzman portrayed the same character, the lounge singer Guido Paonessa. He also produced Demme's "Stop Making Sense" (1984), the excellent Talking Heads concert film which earned a citation from the National Society of Film Critics. Separate from his work with Demme, Goetzman has been active as actor (Joel Schumacher's "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" 1981), music supervisor (Dennis Hopper's "Colors" 1988; Barbet Schroeder's "Reversal of Fortune" 1990) and producer of projects of varying quality and success ("Modern Girls" 1986; "Miami Blues" 1990). He was also producer of "Amos & Andrew" (1993), the Nicolas Cage-Samuel and with Jesse Beaton served as executive producer on Carl Franklin's underappreciated "Devil in a Blue Dress" (1995). Not only did he help produce Tom Hanks' directorial debut, "That Thing You Do!" (1996), but he also contributed several original songs to the soundtrack. In fact, work in the music world has occupied much of Goetzman's professional career. He wrote the theme song for the 1978 syndicated TV series "Hot City Disco" and has worked with such artists as Natalie Cole, The Staple Singers, and The Manhattans. Goetzman directed the music video for Jane Child's single "Don't Want to Fall in Love," which reached Number 1 on MTV and contributed song to the soundtracks of "Fright Night" (1985), "Married to the Mob" and "Miami Blues." He and Demme reteamed for the Robyn Hitchcock concert film "Storefront Hitchcock" and "Beloved" (both 1998).

Show Less Show More

Highest rated movies

100% 97% Stop Making Sense Watchlist
100% 57% Divorce American Style
Watchlist
100% 89% The Bloody Hundredth Watchlist
95% 95% The Silence of the Lambs
Watchlist
93% 78% That Thing You Do!
Watchlist
92% 71% Devil in a Blue Dress
Watchlist
90% 66% Starter for 10
Watchlist
90% 78% Neil Young: Heart of Gold
Watchlist
88% 89% News of the World Watchlist
88% 84% Mama's Boy
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
100% 89% The Bloody Hundredth Executive Producer - 2024
31% 71% My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Producer $28.1M 2023
70% 97% A Man Called Otto Producer $64.1M 2022
88% 84% Mama's Boy Executive Producer - 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet 'Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen Executive Producer - 2022
88% 89% News of the World Producer $12.7M 2020
No Score Yet 50% My Gift: A Christmas Special from Carrie Underwood Executive Producer - 2020
78% 76% Greyhound Producer - 2020
80% 66% Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Producer $120.6M 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Notes From the Field Executive Producer - 2018
15% 21% The Circle Producer $20.5M 2017
70% 54% A Hologram for the King Producer $4.2M 2016
28% 52% My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Producer $59.6M 2016
24% 32% Ithaca Executive Producer - 2015
65% 43% Ricki and the Flash Producer $26.8M 2015
51% 48% Parkland Producer $652.4K 2013
67% 76% Game Change Executive Producer - 2012
36% 41% Larry Crowne Producer $35.6M 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet He Has Seen War Executive Producer - 2011
73% 57% Where the Wild Things Are Producer $77.2M 2009
10% 44% My Life in Ruins Executive Producer $8.7M 2009
71% 49% The Great Buck Howard Producer $748.4K 2008
53% 46% City of Ember Producer $7.9M 2008
55% 66% Mamma Mia! Producer $143.7M 2008
82% 73% Charlie Wilson's War Producer $66.6M 2007
24% 52% Evan Almighty Executive Producer $100.3M 2007
90% 78% Neil Young: Heart of Gold Executive Producer $1.8M 2006
90% 66% Starter for 10 Producer $210.1K 2006
61% 42% The Ant Bully Producer $28.1M 2006
88% 76% Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon Producer $34.1M 2005
56% 64% The Polar Express Producer $125.9M 2004
76% 73% My Big Fat Greek Wedding Producer $241.4M 2002
88% 78% Storefront Hitchcock Executive Producer $5.8K 1998
72% 70% Beloved Producer $22.8M 1998
93% 78% That Thing You Do! Producer $25.9M 1996
92% 71% Devil in a Blue Dress Producer $15.9M 1995
17% 31% Amos & Andrew Producer $9.5M 1993
81% 89% Philadelphia Executive Producer $76.0M 1993
95% 95% The Silence of the Lambs Executive Producer $130.7M 1991
85% 62% Miami Blues Producer $8.8M 1990
40% 63% Modern Girls Producer $264.3K 1986
100% 97% Stop Making Sense Producer $4.0M 1984
100% 57% Divorce American Style Jonathan Harmon (Character) - 1967

TV

Credit
85% 72% Masters of the Air Executive Producer 2024
No Score Yet 67% The 2000s Executive Producer 2018
No Score Yet 100% The Nineties Executive Producer 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Eighties Executive Producer 2016
94% 96% Olive Kitteridge Executive Producer 2014
80% 82% Big Love Executive Producer 2006-2007 2009-2011
89% 90% The Pacific Executive Producer 2010
82% 85% John Adams Executive Producer 2008