Alan J. Pakula

Alan Jay Pakula (; April 7, 1928 – November 19, 1998) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Associated with the New Hollywood movement, his best-known works include his critically-acclaimed "paranoia trilogy": the neo-noir mystery ''Klute'' (1971), the conspiracy thriller ''The Parallax View'' (1974), and the Watergate scandal drama ''All the President's Men'' (1976). His other notable films included ''Comes a Horseman'' (1978), ''Starting Over'' (1979), ''Sophie's Choice'' (1982), ''Presumed Innocent'' (1990), and ''The Pelican Brief'' (1993).

Pakula received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for ''All the President's Men'' and Best Adapted Screenplay for ''Sophie's Choice''. He was also nominated for Best Picture for producing ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962). Additionally, he was a BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Directors Guild of America Award nominee.

Pakula's films often dealt with psychological and political themes. His ''New York Times'' obituary stated Pakula made "different kinds of movies, all of them intended to entertain, but the thread connecting many of them was a style that emphasized and explored the psychology and motivations of his characters." He was the subject of the 2023 documentary, ''Alan Pakula: Going for Truth''. Provided by Wikipedia