MenuFLIXANO
Start Your Free Trial
Search
James L. Brooks

James L. Brooks

James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the CBS News broadcasts. He moved to Los Angeles in 1965 to work on David L. Wolper's documentaries. After being laid off he met producer Allan Burns who secured him a job as a writer on the series My Mother the Car.

Brooks wrote for several shows before being hired as a story editor on My Friend Tony and later creating the series Room 222. Grant Tinker hired Brooks and Burns at MTM Productions to create The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970. The show, one of the first to feature an independent working woman as its lead character, was critically acclaimed and won Brooks several Primetime Emmy Awards. Brooks and Burns then created two successful spin-offs from Mary Tyler Moore in the shape of Rhoda (a comedy) and Lou Grant (a drama). Brooks left MTM Productions in 1978 to co-create the sitcom Taxi which, despite winning multiple Emmys, suffered from low ratings and was canceled twice.

Sign up to watch Free James L. Brooks Movies

Movies Made By James L. Brooks (41)

Ella McCay (2025)

An idealistic young politician juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state's longtime incumbent governor. ...

Watch Now

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2024)

Sideshow Bob teams up with the most infamous villains of Disney+ to share the true meaning of the Halloween season. Filled with music, mayhem, and madness, this short from "The Simpsons" is simply to die for. ...

Watch Now

May the 12th Be with You (2024)

It's Mother's Day and Marge Simpson joins the moms of Disney+ on a special holiday outing that turns into an epic galactic adventure filled with heroes, villains, and Stewie from Family Guy. ...

Watch Now

Maggie Simpson in "Rogue Not Quite One" (2023)

On their way to daycare, Homer loses track of Maggie who hops in Grogu's hovering pram for a hyperspace-hopping adventure across the galaxy. Facing a squadron of Imperial TIE fighters, Maggie brings the battle to Springfield in this epic short celebrating ...

Watch Now

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023)

When her family moves from New York City to New Jersey, an 11-year-old girl navigates new friends, feelings, and the beginning of adolescence. ...

Watch Now

Welcome to the Club (2022)

Heart set on becoming a princess, Lisa Simpson is surprised to learn being bad might be more fun. ...

Watch Now

When Billie Met Lisa (2022)

Lisa Simpson is discovered by chart-topping artists Billie Eilish and FINNEAS while searching for a quiet place to practice her saxophone. Billie invites Lisa to her studio for a special jam session she'll never forget. ...

Watch Now

The Simpsons in Plusaversary (2021)

The Simpsons host a Disney+ Day party and everyone is on the list… except Homer. With friends from across the service and music fit for a Disney Princess, Plusaversary is Springfield's event of the year. ...

Watch Now

The Good, the Bart, and the Loki (2021)

Loki is banished from Asgard once again and must face his toughest opponents yet: the Simpsons and Springfield's mightiest heroes. The God of Mischief teams up with Bart Simpson in the ultimate crossover event paying tribute to the Marvel Cinematic Univers ...

Watch Now

Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap" (2021)

In a daycare far, far away… but still in Springfield, Maggie is on an epic quest for her stolen pacifier. Her adventure brings her face-to-face with young Padawans, Sith Lords, familiar droids, Rebel scum, and an ultimate battle against the dark side, in ...

Watch Now

Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny" (2020)

When Maggie Simpson is rescued by a cute young baby from playground peril, it's girl meets boy, girl loses boy, guess what happens next? ...

Watch Now

Icebox (2018)

Forced to flee his home in Honduras, Óscar seeks asylum in the United States, only to find himself trapped in the immigration system. ...

Watch Now

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

Two high school girls are best friends until one dates the other's older brother, who is totally his sister's nemesis. ...

Watch Now

Planet of the Couches (2016)

To celebrate the series' 600th episode, The Simpsons and Google have come together to create a special Virtual Reality experience. Produced with Google Spotlight Stories, The Simpsons couch gag, "Planet of the Couches," is available on both Android and iOS ...

Watch Now

Ride (2014)

Overbearing mom, Jackie, travels cross-country to be with her son, Angelo, after he drops out of college to become a surfer. She meets a surf instructor who convinces her to try to accept her son's wishes and allow him to follow his dreams. ...

Watch Now

Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare" (2012)

Maggie must navigate an eventful first day in daycare. At the Ayn Rand School for Tots, Maggie is diagnosed with average intelligence. Barred from the gifted children, she longs to escape from her glue-guzzling classmates. But when a lonely caterpillar bef ...

Watch Now

50/50 (2011)

Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease. ...

Watch Now

How Do You Know (2010)

After being cut from the USA softball team and feeling a bit past her prime, Lisa finds herself evaluating her life and in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis competes with her current, baseball-playing beau. ...

Watch Now

A Terrifying Message from Al Gore (2007)

Al Gore attempts to promote his film, An Inconvenient Truth (2006). ...

Watch Now

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

After Homer accidentally pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpsons are declared fugitives. ...

Watch Now

Spanglish (2004)

Mexican immigrant and single mother Flor Moreno finds housekeeping work with Deborah and John Clasky, a well-off couple with two children of their own. When Flor admits she can't handle the schedule because of her daughter, Cristina, Deborah decides they s ...

Watch Now

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (2003)

Includes the following episodes from the Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V, Treehouse of Horror VI, Treehouse of Horror VII, and Treehouse of Horror XII. ...

Watch Now

Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

In 1965, a young woman with dreams of becoming a writer has a son at the age of 15 and struggles to make things work with the drug-addicted father. ...

Watch Now

The Simpsons: Too Hot For TV (1999)

A collection of episodes that was released on 1 October 1999 on VHS and on 8 September 2003 at DVD as part of the series The Simpsons Classics. ...

Watch Now

As Good as It Gets (1997)

A misanthropic author, a single mother and waitress, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery. ...

Watch Now

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Jerry Maguire used to be a typical sports agent: willing to do just about anything he could to get the biggest possible contracts for his clients, plus a nice commission for himself. Then, one day, he suddenly has second thoughts about what he's really doi ...

Watch Now

Bottle Rocket (1996)

Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins his friend Dignan, who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a harebrained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow in ...

Watch Now

I'll Do Anything (1994)

Matt Hobbs is a talented but unsuccessful actor. When estranged (and strange) ex-wife Beth dumps their daughter Jeannie on Matt, father and daughter have a lot of adjusting to do. His budding relationship with attractive production assistant Cathy Breslow ...

Watch Now

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Mike Waters is a hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to ...

Watch Now

Do the Bartman (1990)

Bart Simpson decides to steal the show during a school dance recital and performs his song "Do The Bartman. ...

Watch Now

The War of the Roses (1989)

Barbara and Oliver Rose live happily as a married couple. When Barbara starts to wonder what life would be like without Oliver and likes what she sees, the two begin a campaign to force each other to leave their house, with their divorce lawyer D'Amato cau ...

Watch Now

Say Anything... (1989)

Average student and eternal optimist Lloyd Dobler seeks to capture the heart of Diane Court, a beautiful but unattainable valedictorian classmate. He surprises just about everyone - including himself - when she returns the sentiment. However, Diane's divor ...

Watch Now

Big (1988)

When a young boy makes a wish at a carnival machine to be big—he wakes up the following morning to find that it has been granted and his body has grown older overnight. But he is still the same 13-year-old boy inside. Now he must learn how to cope with t ...

Watch Now

Broadcast News (1987)

A high-strung news producer finds herself in a love triangle between a talented but self-doubting reporter and a charming news anchor who embodies the growing trivialization of news that she is determined to fight against. ...

Watch Now

Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)

Terry works for a bank, and uses computers to communicate with clients all over the world. One day, she gets a strange coded message from an unknown source. After decoding the message, Terry becomes embroiled in an espionage ring. People are killed, and Te ...

Watch Now

Terms of Endearment (1983)

Aurora, a finicky woman, is in search of true love while her daughter faces marital issues. Together, they help each other deal with problems and find reasons to live a joyful life. ...

Watch Now

Carlton Your Doorman (1980)

Rhoda's camera-shy doorman gets his own special in which we see his daily habits, including flirting with joggers and making the rounds of local watering holes. ...

Watch Now

Starting Over (1979)

After divorcing his ambitious singer wife, a middle-aged man begins a new relationship with a teacher. ...

Watch Now

Cindy (1978)

A revisionist twist on Cinderella with an all-black cast and set in Harlem during WWII. Cindy is a country bumpkin who moves from South Carolina to live with her father and his new family. When her stepmother and two stepsisters refuse to take her to the S ...

Watch Now

Thursday's Game (1974)

Harry Evers and Marvin Ellison have been playing poker Thursday nights with their friends for years. When a disagreement breaks up the game, they decide to continue meeting and doing different things together, instead of staying home with their wives. When ...

Watch Now

Movies Starring James L. Brooks (18)

Thank You Very Much (2025)

Andy Kaufman's provocative comedy often outraged audiences, challenging them to confront their own presumptions. Through never-before-seen footage and intimate recollections, filmmaker Alex Braverman explores Kaufman's brief but impactful life and career. ...

Watch Now

Disney Legends Awards Ceremony (2024)

Since 1987, the Disney Legends Awards program has honored individuals for the significant impact they've had on the Disney legacy. See the 2024 honorees become Disney Legends. ...

Watch Now

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023)

Rob Reiner profiles Albert Brooks, comedic legend, acclaimed filmmaker, talented character actor and a lifelong friend, who Reiner first met in their high school drama club. ...

Watch Now

Being Mary Tyler Moore (2023)

With unprecedented access to the Mary Tyler Moore Estate, friends, family, and colleagues, Being Mary Tyler Moore constructs an intimate mosaic of Mary's sixty-year career in show business. ...

Watch Now

Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel (2022)

An in-depth look of the 40 year journey, from post-war Germany to Hollywood royalty, of Hans Zimmer, the man who's become the dominant force in the world of movie soundtracks. His film credits include The Lion King, Rain Man, Pirates of The Caribbean, Glad ...

Watch Now

Alan Pakula: Going for Truth (2019)

"Alan Pakula: Going for Truth" encompasses the personal and professional life of Alan J. Pakula, a lauded filmmaker and extremely private man, who was unflinching in his commitment to bringing some of the most memorable movies of the last half of the 20th ...

Watch Now

Harry Benson: Shoot First (2016)

What we know today about many famous musicians, politicians, and actresses is due to the famous work of photographer Harry Benson. He captured vibrant and intimate photos of the most famous band in history;The Beatles. His extensive portfolio grew to inclu ...

Watch Now

Mike Nichols: An American Master (2016)

With charm and wit, Nichols discusses his life and 50-year career as a performer and director. ...

Watch Now

Misery Loves Comedy (2015)

Do you have to be miserable to be funny? More than sixty comedians—including stand-ups, writers, actors, and directors from the US, Canada, and abroad—take on this question, sharing anecdotes and insights with lively enthusiasm. ...

Watch Now

Hans Zimmer: The Sound of Hollywood (2011)

Documentary about Hans Zimmer. ...

Watch Now

James L. Brooks: A Singular Voice (2011)

A retrospective documentary on Brooks's career in television and film, featuring actresses Marilu Henner and Julie Kavner, among other collaborators. ...

Watch Now

The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special - In 3D! On Ice! (2010)

The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice! is a documentary special that examined the "cultural phenomenon" of the American animated television series The Simpsons. ...

Watch Now

The Making of 'Bottle Rocket' (2008)

Interviews with individuals involved in the making of Wes Anderson's 1996 film "Bottle Rocket. ...

Watch Now

Dreams on Spec (2007)

"Dreams on Spec" takes an intimate look at how far people will go - and how much they will sacrifice - for the chance to pursue their dreams. This feature-length documentary delves into the lives of three aspiring Hollywood screenwriters as they pour their ...

Watch Now

Lost in America (1985)

David and Linda Howard are successful yuppies from LA. When he gets a job disappointment, David convinces Linda that they should quit their jobs, liquidate their assets, and emulate the movie Easy Rider, spending the rest of their lives traveling around Am ...

Watch Now

Modern Romance (1981)

A film editor breaks up with his girlfriend, unsure if he is in love. ...

Watch Now

Real Life (1979)

A pushy, narcissistic filmmaker persuades a Phoenix family to let him and his crew film their everyday lives, in the manner of the ground-breaking PBS series "An American Family". ...

Watch Now

Audience Research (1976)

Albert Brooks goes to a research institute to find out why people don't like him and how he can change that. ...

Watch Now