Tom Fontana was born on September 12, 1951 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He is an Emmy Award winning writer and producer, known for Monsieur Spade (2024), Copper (2012), Borgia (2011), Oz (1997), Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and St. Elsewhere (1982). He was twice married to Sagan Lewis, before her death in 2016.
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Biography from IMDb.
- September 12, 1951 (75)
- Buffalo, New York, USA
- Producer and writer, also actor
- 17 on MovieCove · 31 credits in all
What are Tom Fontana's films like?
Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Society.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 10
A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 2 · Dark 3
Grounded 10 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 3 · Intense 3
A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0
Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 4 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 3
A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 4
Resolved 6 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet5
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous3
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 Tom Fontana's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (4).
Subscription and free streaming for Tom Fontana'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
31 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 11 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
The Wrong Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
American Sweatshop(2025)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Zo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Monsieur Spade(2024)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows
Inhuman Resources(2022)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
City on a Hill(2019)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
Paterno(2018)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Killing Fields(2016)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
Copper(2012)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows
Borgia(2011)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
You Don't Know Jack(2010)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
The Philanthropist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
The Bedford Diaries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Anytown, USA(2005)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Jury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Strip Search(2004)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Judas(2004)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Shot in the Heart(2001)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
The Beat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Homicide: The Movie(2000)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Yesterday's Tomorrows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Oz(1997)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
The Prosecutors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Firehouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all showsHome Fires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Tattingers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
The Fourth Wise Man(1985)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Hotel Dix (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Townies (or, My Little Town) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 29 titles, 27 of them dated from 1982 to 2025.
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 Primetime Emmys and 4 other major awards from 37 major nominations, 1984–2019.
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Television Movie
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Television Movie
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Made for Television Movie
- Writers Guild Award, won
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Movie
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television
Show 11 earlier yearsShow fewer
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Writers Guild Award, won · Episodic Drama
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Writers Guild Award, won · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Drama Series
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Writers Guild Award, won · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated ×2 · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 2 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated ×2 · Episodic Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated ×3 · Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
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 Tom Fontana's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up8
- 50th to 74th4
- 25th to 49th4
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
7 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved4
- Crowd Pleaser7
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the dialogue 46/100 and the plot and story 48/100 in their films, across 8 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.
Is Tom Fontana's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Tom Fontana work with?
People who share at least 2 of Tom Fontana's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Barry Levinson shares the most, 6.
Actors
- Dean WintersShared titles: I Am Luke Perry (2025), Strip Search (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Dean Winters
Producers
- Barry LevinsonShared titles: American Sweatshop (2025), Monsieur Spade (2024), Killing Fields (2016), Strip Search (2004), Shot in the Heart (2001), Homicide: The Movie (2000)See all 6 shared titles with Barry Levinson
- Irene BurnsShared titles: Strip Search (2004), Shot in the Heart (2001)See all 2 shared titles with Irene Burns
- Mark A. BakerShared titles: Strip Search (2004), Homicide: The Movie (2000)See all 2 shared titles with Mark A. Baker
- Jim FinnertyShared titles: Shot in the Heart (2001), Homicide: The Movie (2000)See all 2 shared titles with Jim Finnerty