Comments (0)

RECENT CREDITS
Champions (FILM)  Mar. 13, 2005
The Boys and Girl From County Clare (FILM)  Mar. 11, 2005
Shiner (FILM)  Sep. 22, 2000
City of Industry (FILM)  Mar. 14, 1997
A Month By the Lake (FILM)  Sep. 22, 1995

BIOGRAPHY
A competent technician whose work has ranged from military action features ("The Dogs of War" 1980) to finely observed character studies ("Turtle Diary" 1985). Irvin began his career as an assistant director with....
A competent technician whose work has ranged from military action features ("The Dogs of War" 1980) to finely observed character studies ("Turtle Diary" 1985). Irvin began his career as an assistant director with British Transport Films. After shooting shorts and documentaries for a number of years and working extensively for English TV, Irvin broke through to American audience with the serialized adaptation of John le Carre's George Smiley novel, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (1980). Thereafter, Irvin directed his first feature, "Dogs of War" a hot-headed (and some thought, racist) depiction of a military coup in Africa. He went on to handle a stream of mediocre "American" genre films: the sports picture "Champions" (1983), the Schwarzenegger vehicle "Raw Deal" (1986) and the sociologically-minded if somewhat reactionary Vietnam war film "Hamburger Hill" (1987), concluding with the negligible Patrick Swayze vehicle, "Next of Kin" (1989).

A brief respite was found in the delicately drawn but ultimately juiceless "Turtle Diary", which featured Ben Kingsley and Glenda Jackson as two lonelyhearts who convene to set giant turtles free. And in 1994, Irvin helmed "Widow's Peak", another production with "Turtle Diary"'s gentle tenor. Set in a an Irish town in the 1920s, it featured a somewhat confused story of three widows, played by Mia Farrow, Natasha Richardson and Joan Plowright, a formulation reminiscent of "Enchanted April" (1991). In between these two excursions into non-action pictures, Irvin directed a version of "Robin Hood" (1991) starring Uma Thurman and Patrick Bergin, which aired in the US on TV but was released theatrically elsewhere. Thurman was also featured opposite Vanessa Redgrave and Edward Fox in the charming "A Month by the Lake" (1995). The director went on to alternate between films (like the unsuccessful 1997 thriller "City of Industry") and prestige TV projects ranging from the biopic "Crazy Horse" (TNT, 1996) to the HBO war drama "When Trumpets Fade" (1998)




Comments


*Indicates Mandatory

Advertisement

Recently Worked With...

John Hurt
Champions
Released: Mar. 13, 2005

The Boys and Girl From County Clare
Released: Mar. 11, 2005

Michael Caine
Shiner
Released: Sep. 22, 2000

Harvey Keitel
City of Industry
Released: Mar. 14, 1997

Vanessa Redgrave
A Month By the Lake
Released: Sep. 22, 1995


Fan Sites

John Irvin Fansites

No fan sites available. Create the first!
Are you the #1 John Irvin Fan? Sign Up To Create A Website Here.

Top 5 Celebrities

Jenna Jameson at the L.A. Premiere of 'Zombie Strippers' held at The Landmark Theatre.  Los Angeles, CA - 04-15-08
April 09, 1974
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Michael Jackson
August 29, 1958
Gary, Indiana, USA

Angelina Jolie at the Orange British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) 2009 - Arrivals.  London, England - 02/08/09
June 04, 1975
Los Angeles, California, USA

Megan Fox up close at 'Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen' UK premiere
May 16, 1986
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA