A. O. Scott | |
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Born | Anthony Oliver Scott July 10, 1966 |
Other names | Tony Scott |
Alma mater | Harvard University |
Occupations |
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Spouse | Justine Henning (m. 1991) |
Children | 2 |
Parent |
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Relatives | Eli Wallach (great-uncle) Anne Jackson (great-aunt) |
Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic, known for his film and literary criticism. After starting his career at The New York Review of Books , Variety , and Slate , he began writing film reviews for The New York Times in 2000, and became the paper's chief film critic in 2004, a title he shared with Manohla Dargis. In 2023, he moved to The New York Times Book Review .
Scott was born on July 10, 1966, in Northampton, Massachusetts. [1] Both of his parents were professors. His mother, Joan Wallach Scott, is the Harold F. Linder Professor at the School of Social Science in the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. [2] His father, Donald Scott, was a professor of American history at the City University of New York. He is a great nephew of the married acting couple Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson (his maternal grandfather was Eli's brother). [3] Scott identifies as Jewish. [4] He attended public schools in Providence, Rhode Island, including Classical High School before graduating magna cum laude from Harvard in 1988 with a degree in literature.
Scott began his career at The New York Review of Books , where he served as an assistant to Robert B. Silvers. [5] Scott then served as book critic for Newsday , while also serving as a contributor to The New York Review of Books and Slate . In 1993, he wrote television reviews for Variety , using the name Tony Scott. [6]
He joined The New York Times' Arts section in January 2000, following Janet Maslin's retirement from film criticism. (Maslin continues to review genre fiction for the paper.) In 2004, he became chief critic, following Elvis Mitchell's resignation. Scott and the other film critics at the Times host a video podcast on the subject of film, called Critics' Picks. [7] On March 9, 2020, The New York Times announced that Scott would take a one-year break from his role as co-chief film critic and assume the title of critic at large, writing "bigger, cross-topic essays." [8]
Better Living Through Criticism , a book on art criticism by Scott, was published in 2016. [9]
Scott left his role as a film critic in March 2023 and joined The New York Times Book Review . [10] About his departure from film criticism, he said: "I have found that the way that I’ve practiced it has gotten harder to do. And also, the feeling of disconnection between the critic and the audience feels much stronger And the gulf feels much wider." [11]
In 2006 and 2007, Scott served as a guest critic on Ebert & Roeper during Roger Ebert's absence due to thyroid cancer.
Between 2002 and 2014, Scott made 15 appearances on Charlie Rose , where he predicted the Academy Award winners and spoke about recently released films. He often appeared alongside David Denby of The New Yorker and Janet Maslin of The New York Times and guest-hosted the program on a number of occasions.
On August 5, 2009, it was announced that Scott, along with Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips, would take over hosting duties on At the Movies from Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz, who would no longer be involved with the show. [12] Scott and Phillips began their duties when the show started its new season on September 5, 2009. [13] The show was canceled after one season due to low ratings, concluding its run in August 2010. [14]
Scott is a professor of film criticism at Wesleyan University. [15] As of 2023, he is no longer listed as being on the faculty at Wesleyan. [16]
Scott is married to Justine Henning, and they have two children. [1] [17]
He was a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism "for his incisive film reviews that, with aplomb, embrace a wide spectrum of movies and often explore their connection to larger issues in society or the arts". [18]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Tales of the City: Hanif Kureshi's Rough Guide to London | Himself | |
2002–2014 | Charlie Rose | Guest/Guest Host | 15 episodes |
2006–2010 | At the Movies | Guest Host/Co-Host | 66 episodes |
2008 | American Masters | Himself | Episode: "You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story" |
2009 | For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism | Himself | |
2010 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Guest Expert | 5 episodes |
The View | Himself | 1 episode | |
TCM Guest Programmer | Himself | Episode: "U.S. Critics" | |
Up To The Minute | Guest Film Critic | 1 episode | |
2011 | The Early Show | Himself | 1 episode |
2013–2016 | Jeopardy! | Video Clue Presenter | 5 episodes |
2014 | Life Itself | Himself | |
CBS This Morning | Himself | 3 episodes | |
2015 | Remembering David Carr | Himself | |
2016 | PBS NewsHour | Himself | 1 episode |
Generation X | Himself | 2 episodes | |
2017 | Spielberg | Himself | |
2021 | WTF with Marc Maron | Himself | Episode: "A.O. Scott" |
Eli Herschel Wallach was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. Known for his character actor roles, his entertainment career spanned over six decades. He received a BAFTA Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He also was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1988 and received the Academy Honorary Award in 2010.
Roger Joseph Ebert was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Ebert was known for his intimate, Midwestern writing style and critical views informed by values of populism and humanism. Writing in a prose style intended to be entertaining and direct, he made sophisticated cinematic and analytical ideas more accessible to non-specialist audiences. Ebert frequently endorsed foreign and independent films he believed would be appreciated by mainstream viewers, championing filmmakers like Werner Herzog and Errol Morris, as well as Martin Scorsese, whose first published review he wrote. In 1975, Ebert became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times said Ebert "was without question the nation's most prominent and influential film critic," and Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called him "the best-known film critic in America."
Eugene Kal Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. He is best known for co-hosting various movie review television series with colleague Roger Ebert.
Richard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. He co-hosted the television series At the Movies with Roger Ebert from 2000 to 2008, serving as the late Gene Siskel's successor. From 2010 to 2014, he co-hosted The Roe and Roeper Show with Roe Conn on WLS-AM. From October 2015 to October 2017, Roeper served as the host of the FOX 32 morning show Good Day Chicago.
At the Movies is an American movie review television program produced by Disney–ABC Domestic Television in which two film critics share their opinions of newly released films. Its original hosts were Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, the former hosts of Sneak Previews on PBS (1975–1982) and a similarly titled syndicated series (1982–1986). Following Siskel's death in 1999, Ebert worked with various guest critics until choosing Chicago Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper as his regular partner in 2000.
Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, collectively known as Siskel & Ebert, were American film critics known for their partnership on television lasting from 1975 to Siskel's death in 1999.
Vanya on 42nd Street is a 1994 American film directed by Louis Malle, written by Andre Gregory, and starring Wallace Shawn and Julianne Moore. The film is an intimate, interpretive performance of the 1899 play Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov as adapted by David Mamet.
Richard Nelson Corliss was an American film critic and magazine editor for Time. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects.
The Daytrippers is a 1996 independent comedy-drama film written and directed by Greg Mottola in his feature directorial debut. It stars Hope Davis, Stanley Tucci, Anne Meara, Parker Posey and Liev Schreiber.
Benjamin Frederick Mankiewicz is an American television personality, progressive political commentator, and film critic. He is a host on Turner Classic Movies and has been a commentator on The Young Turks and What the Flick?!
Michael Phillips is an American film critic for the Chicago Tribune newspaper.
Benjamin Lyons is an American entertainment reporter and sportscaster. He is the co-host of Bonjour Sports Talk on Amazon Prime Video's sports channel Sports Talk.
Firepower is a 1979 British thriller film directed by Michael Winner and starring Sophia Loren, James Coburn, O. J. Simpson and Eli Wallach. It was the final film in the career of actor Victor Mature. The film was poorly reviewed by critics who objected to its convoluted plot, though the lead performances and filming locations were generally praised.
Ebert Presents: At the Movies is a weekly, nationally syndicated movie review television program produced by film critic Roger Ebert and his wife, Chaz Ebert. The program aired on public television stations in the United States through American Public Television from January 21 to December 30, 2011.
Ignatiy Igorevich Vishnevetsky is a Russian-American film critic, essayist, and columnist. He has worked as a staff film critic for The A.V. Club and written for Mubi.com and the Chicago Reader.
For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism is a 2009 documentary film dramatizing a hundred years of American film criticism through film clips, historic photographs, and on-camera interviews with many of today’s important reviewers, mostly print but also Internet. It was produced by Amy Geller, written and directed by long-time Boston Phoenix film critic Gerald Peary, and narrated by Patricia Clarkson. Critics featured include Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times, A.O. Scott of The New York Times, Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly, Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times, and Elvis Mitchell, host of the public radio show The Treatment.
Denzel Washington is an American actor known for his performance on stage and screen.
The United Nations television film series was a series of American television films planned and developed in the 1960s for the purpose of promoting the United Nations (UN) and educating television viewers about its work. Although six films were originally planned only four were broadcast, all by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network between December 1964 and April 1966.