Jay Cronley
Writer · Died February 26, 2017, aged 73 · Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Jay Cronley (November 9, 1943 – February 26, 2017) was an American newspaper columnist for the Tulsa World and the author of many works of humorous fiction, including Fall Guy, Good Vibes, Quick Change, and Funny Farm. Cronley became a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame in 2002. Several of Cronley's novels have been made into feature films. Good Vibes was made into the 1989 comedy Let It Ride, which starred Richard Dreyfuss, David Johansen, Richard Edson, Jennifer Tilly, and Teri Garr. Quick Change was the source of two film adaptations, in 1985, and in 1990. The 1985 version, Hold-Up, was directed by Alexandre Arcady and was set in Montreal. The 1990 version starred Bill Murray, Geena Davis, and Randy Quaid; like the novel, it was set in New York City. George Roy Hill directed the 1988 adaptation of Funny Farm. The 2004 French film Nos amis les flics, directed by Bob Swaim, is based on Cheap Shot. Cronley wrote about horse racing for ESPN. Kirkus Reviews called Walking Papers a "clever and entertaining caper" and "a little thin, but ingenious and occasionally even original." Jay Cronley died from natural causes on February 26, 2017, at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Source: Article "Jay Cronley" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
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Biography from TMDB.
- November 9, 1943
- February 26, 2017 (aged 73)
- Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Writer
- 4 on MovieCove · 5 credits in all
What are Jay Cronley's films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 3
Light 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
Grounded 3 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 0
A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 4
Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 1
Casual 4 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 4 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
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 Jay Cronley's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 4 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Jay Cronley'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
5 credits, 4 with a MovieCove page.
Nos amis les flics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Quick Change(1990)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Let It Ride(1989)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Funny Farm(1988)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Hold-Up(1985)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 5 titles from 1985 to 2004.
How do Jay Cronley's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 4 titles divides audiences: 4 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser4
Reviewers score the dialogue 66/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
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.
Who does Jay Cronley work with?
People who share at least 2 of Jay Cronley's MovieCove titles; Alan Heim shares the most, 2.
- Alan HeimShared titles: Quick Change (1990), Funny Farm (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Alan Heim
