Skip to content
MovieCove
Sandra Adair

Sandra Adair

Editor and producer, also director and actor · Carlsbad, New Mexico, U.S.

Oscar nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Sandra Adair (born 1952) is an American film editor. Since 1993, with the film Dazed and Confused, she has worked with director Richard Linklater on over twenty feature films. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sandra Adair, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

From
Carlsbad, New Mexico, U.S.
Works as
Editor and producer, also director and actor
Titles
44 on MovieCove · 53 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

What are Sandra Adair's films like?

Across their 38 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy17 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Animation3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
33%
Bonds
22%
Society
13%
Survival
11%
Morality
9%
Ideas
7%
Power
5%
Romantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose11 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship5 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 37 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 21 · Serious 9 · Dark 7

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 27 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 15 · Charged 17 · Intense 5

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 23 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 5

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 17 · Funny 7

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 26 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 19 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 13 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
14
Melancholic
15
Warm
14
Tense
11
Hopeful
13
Other
36

How their films linger

Thought-provoking17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet17
  • Ambiguous9
  • Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Sandra Adair's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 35 of their 44 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sandra Adair's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

53 credits, 44 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Due West(2025)

    Co-Producer · Editor

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • 40 Dates and 40 Nights(2026)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Blue Moon(2025)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The 8th Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Editor

  • Hit Man(2023)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Rare Objects(2023)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Alone Together(2022)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood(2022)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Without Getting Killed or Caught(2021)

    Editor · Story Editor

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Blue Miracle(2021)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Another Day at the Office (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Editor

  • Where'd You Go, Bernadette(2019)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Amanda & Jack Go Glamping(2017)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Last Flag Flying(2017)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Secret Life of Lance Letscher(2017)

    Director · Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • At the Fork(2016)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Everybody Wants Some!!(2016)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Tumbledown(2015)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • A Single Frame(2015)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Boyhood(2014)

    Co-Producer · Editor

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Before Midnight(2013)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Shepard & Dark(2012)

    Associate Producer · Editor

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Bernie(2011)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Up to Speed(2012)

    Show as Curry House

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

  • Everything Must Go(2010)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Sushi: The Global Catch(2011)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Me and Orson Welles(2008)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Associate Producer · Editor

  • Elvis and Anabelle(2007)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Fast Food Nation(2006)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • A Scanner Darkly(2006)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Bad News Bears(2005)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Before Sunset(2004)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • School of Rock(2003)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Rolling Kansas(2003)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Live from Shiva's Dance Floor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Editor

  • Tape(2001)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Waking Life(2001)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Newton Boys(1998)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • SubUrbia(1996)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation(1994)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Before Sunrise(1995)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Dazed and Confused(1993)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Laurel & Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys(1992)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Telephone(1988)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Maricela (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Editor

  • What Happened to Kerouac? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Assistant Editor

  • Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again(1982)

    Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Mirrors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Associate Editor

  • Mansion of the Doomed(1976)

    Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Swinging Cheerleaders(1974)

    Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Armadillo Man: The Trips of Jim Franklin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

  • Merrily We Roll Along (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Editor

Career shape

A full career of 49 titles, 47 of them dated from 1974 to 2026.

Biggest box office

School of Rock (2003)

$131M worldwide

Highest rated

Before Sunrise (1995)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

School of Rock (2003)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 49: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 49: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing6 of 49: 1 only producing, 5 with another roleEditing41 of 49: 36 only editing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thOther crew6 of 49: 6 only other crew, 0 with another role

49 titles, 6 with more than one role.

By decade

1970s3 · crew1980s4 · crew1990s6 · crew2000s12 · crew2010s13 · crew2020s9 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

3 major nominations and no wins, 2015.

  1. 2015
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Film Editing
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Editing
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Editing

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Sandra Adair's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 43; across their 37 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Reach · how many have seen their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Midcredits score across 44 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 44 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser20
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · director, producer, editor

The Secret Life of Lance Letscher (2017)

96th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Before Sunrise (1995)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles; fans 57, detractors 27. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Sandra Adair's work okay for kids?

Across up to 24 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films and violence & gore and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore18 titles3–56 · median 31 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity24 titles12–62 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity22 titles33–81 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs18 titles29–79 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense20 titles6–60 · median 16 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Sandra Adair work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sandra Adair's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Richard Linklater shares the most, 22.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles