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Norman Wexler

Norman Wexler

Writer · Died August 23, 1999, aged 73 · New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA

Norman Wexler (August 16, 1926 – August 23, 1999) was an American screenwriter whose work included the films Saturday Night Fever, Serpico and Joe.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 16, 1926
Died
August 23, 1999 (aged 73)
From
New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
7 on MovieCove
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

What are Norman Wexler's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Genres

Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Action 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
Morality
32%
Power
20%
Survival
19%
Self
17%
Society
10%
Bonds
3%
Justice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 5

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 1 · Intense 6

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 2 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

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

Easy watch 2 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Dread
3
Melancholic
2
Cold
2
Romantic
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Devastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2

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 Norman Wexler's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Norman Wexler'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

7 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page.

  • Raw Deal(1986)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Staying Alive(1983)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Saturday Night Fever(1977)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Drum(1976)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Mandingo(1975)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Serpico(1973)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Joe(1970)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 7 titles from 1970 to 1986.

Biggest box office

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

$237M worldwide

Highest rated

Serpico (1973)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing7 of 7: 7 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score62nd

By decade

1970s5 · crew1980s2 · 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.

How do Norman Wexler's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 7 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · writer

Drum (1976)

60th percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Serpico (1973)

Midcredits 97th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 50/100 and the plot and story 43/100 in their films, across 7 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 Norman Wexler's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles40–85 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles30–75 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles51–86 · median 81 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles40–77 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles53–73 · median 64 · intenseheavier 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 Norman Wexler work with?

People who share at least 2 of Norman Wexler's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dino De Laurentiis shares the most, 4.

Writers

Actors

Producers