Keith Gordon (born February 3, 1961) is an American actor and film director. He was born in New York City, the son of Mark, an actor and stage director, and Barbara Gordon. He grew up in an atheist Jewish family. Gordon was inspired to become an actor at the age of twelve, after seeing James Earl Jones in a Broadway production of Of Mice and Men. As an actor, Gordon's first feature film role was that of class clown Doug in Jaws 2 (the 1978 sequel to the blockbuster hit Jaws). In 1979 Gordon appeared in Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical All That Jazz as the teenage version of the film's protagonist Joe Gideon (played by Gordon's Jaws 2 co-star Roy Scheider). Gordon then appeared in two films by Brian De Palma: as a film student in Home Movies (1979) and in the 1980 erotic thriller Dressed to Kill as the son of Angie Dickinson's character. Gordon played Arnie Cunningham, the main character (who buys the titular car Christine), in the 1983 horror film Christine, directed by John Carpenter from the novel by Stephen King. In the 1985 cult film The Legend of Billie Jean Gordon played Lloyd Muldaur, the son of a District Attorney who aspires to be Attorney General. He was in the 1986 Mark Romanek film Static, and he wrote the screenplay. In the 1986 comedy movie Back to School, Gordon played Jason Melon, the son of Rodney Dangerfield's character.[4] In most of these films, he played a nerd. He was named number 1 in Cinematicals' Top 7 Most Convincing Nerds. His most recent onscreen film appearance was in 2001, in the movie Delivering Milo. Gordon left acting for directing, making his debut in 1988 with the movie The Chocolate War, about a student who rebels against the rigid hierarchies in his Catholic school. His other films include the 1992 anti-war film A Midnight Clear, about a group of American soldiers in the Ardennes just before and during the Battle of the Bulge, as well as Mother Night (adapted from the novel by Kurt Vonnegut), Waking the Dead, and the film The Singing Detective. He also directed some of the mini-series Wild Palms and appeared in the 2006 Iraq War documentary Whose War?. His directing credits for television include Homicide: Life on the Street, Gideon's Crossing, Dexter, The Bridge, House and the second and third seasons of Fargo.
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 3, 1961 (65)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Director, actor, producer and writer
- 37 on MovieCove · 49 credits in all
What are Keith Gordon's films like?
Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
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 1 · Wry 3 · Earnest 12
A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 1 · Dark 7
A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 3
Gentle 4 · Charged 6 · Intense 6
Steady 4 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 3
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 7 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 3
A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 5
Resolved 10 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 4 of 8 analyzed roles.
Show the 8 rolesHide the roles
- Heroas Denis Byrd in Home Movies (1979)
- Allyas Peter Miller in Dressed to Kill (1980)
- Heroas Jeff Miller in Kent State (1981)
- Shadowas Arnie in Christine (1983)
- Tricksteras Lloyd in The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)
- Allyas Jason Melon in Back to School (1986)
- Heroas Max Mendelsson in Combat High (1986)
- Heroas William Hogg in Hoggs' Heaven (1994)
Moods and endings
- Happy5
- Bittersweet4
- Tragic4
- Ambiguous4
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 Keith Gordon's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 37 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).
- The Killing (2011) · director · free
- Legion (2017) · director · free
- A Midnight Clear (1992) · director, writer · free
- Dressed to Kill (1980) · actor · free
- Kent State (1981) · actor · free
- Miami Vice (1984) · actor · free
- Christine (1983) · actor · free
- The Bridge (2013) · actor, director · free
- The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) · actor · free
- The Chocolate War (1988) · director, writer · free
- Back to School (1986) · actor · free
- BritBox
- Acorn TV, show their 2 titles on Acorn TV
- Howdy, show their 2 titles on Howdy
- Dove Channel, show their title on Dove Channel
- Lionsgate+, show their title on Lionsgate+
- ScreenPix, show their title on ScreenPix
- Shout! TV, show their title on Shout! TV
- Sony Pictures Core, show their title on Sony Pictures Core
Subscription and free streaming for Keith Gordon'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
49 credits, 37 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Legion(2017)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
Waffles and Bullet Holes: A Return to Sioux Falls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
The Returned(2015)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
Better Call Saul(2015)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
The Strain(2014)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
The Leftovers(2014)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Fargo(2014)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
Masters of Sex(2013)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
The Bridge(2013)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
Rectify(2013)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all showsA Winter's War: Keith Gordon on 'A Midnight Clear' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Homeland(2011)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
The Killing(2011)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
Rubicon(2010)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Nurse Jackie(2009)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Dexter(2006)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
House(2004)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
The Singing Detective(2003)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Shadow Realm(2002)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Night Visions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Waking the Dead(2000)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Delivering Milo(2001)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Waking the Dead(2000)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Mother Night(1996)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
I Love Trouble(1994)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Hoggs' Heaven(1994)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Fallen Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Wild Palms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
A Midnight Clear(1992)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Brooklyn Bridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
The Chocolate War(1988)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
It's Richard I Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Combat High(1986)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Back to School(1986)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Static (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Miami Vice(1984)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Christine(1983)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Silent Rebellion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Kent State(1981)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Dressed to Kill(1980)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Home Movies(1979)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
All That Jazz(1979)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Jaws 2(1978)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Medical Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Career shape
A full career of 49 titles from 1969 to 2017.
Biggest box office
Back to School (1986)
Highest rated
A Midnight Clear (1992)
Most popular right now
Dressed to Kill (1980)
Film career
Top draw in 1 MovieCove title.
Billing
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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Keith Gordon's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up21
- 50th to 74th7
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
17 of their 37 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved10
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser17
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the atmosphere 67/100 and the pacing 50/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
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 Keith Gordon's work okay for kids?
Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.
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 Keith Gordon work with?
People who share at least 2 of Keith Gordon's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tom Richmond shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Brian De PalmaShared titles: Dressed to Kill (1980), Home Movies (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Brian De Palma
Actors
- Robert Downey Jr.Shared titles: The Singing Detective (2003), Back to School (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Downey Jr.
- Arye GrossShared titles: Mother Night (1996), A Midnight Clear (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Arye Gross
- Wallace LanghamShared titles: The Chocolate War (1988), Combat High (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Wallace Langham
- Nancy AllenShared titles: Dressed to Kill (1980), Home Movies (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Nancy Allen
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Tom RichmondShared titles: The Singing Detective (2003), Waking the Dead (2000), Mother Night (1996), A Midnight Clear (1992), The Chocolate War (1988)See all 5 shared titles with Tom Richmond
- Jeff WishengradShared titles: The Singing Detective (2003), Waking the Dead (2000), The Chocolate War (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Jeff Wishengrad
- Craig SafanShared titles: Delivering Milo (2001), The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Craig Safan
- Pino DonaggioShared titles: Dressed to Kill (1980), Home Movies (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Pino Donaggio
Producers
- Linda ReismanShared titles: Waking the Dead (2000), Mother Night (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Linda Reisman
