Introduction
Joseph Porter Ruben (born May 10, 1950) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.
Movie career
His earlier films, such as The Stepfather, have become cult classics. In the 1990s, he went to direct high-grossing mainstream films such as Sleeping with the Enemy starring Julia Roberts (which grossed over $150,000,000 at the box office), the controversial thriller The Good Son starring Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood, Money Train starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, and Return to Paradise starring Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix. He frequently collaborates with film editor George Bowers.
He has won awards at various film festivals for his films The Stepfather, True Believer starring Robert Downey Jr. and James Woods, and Dreamscape starring Dennis Quaid. His most recent feature, Penthouse North, stars Michael Keaton and Michelle Monaghan, and was released in 2013. He will return to direct the serial killer thriller Jack after not working for six years. Ruben is also attached to direct the film The Politician's Wife written by Nicholas Meyer.
Filmography as a director
| Year | Film | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Sister-in-Law |
 N |
N |
N |
|
| 1976 | The Pom Pom Girls |
N |
N |
N |
|
| 1977 | Joyride |
N |
N |
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| 1978 | Our Winning Season |
N |
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| 1980 | Breaking Away |
N |
TV Show | ||
| Gorp |
N |
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| 1984 | Dreamscape |
N |
N |
||
| 1987 | The Stepfather |
N |
|||
| 1989 | True Believer |
N |
|||
| 1991 | Sleeping with the Enemy |
N |
|||
| 1993 | The Good Son |
N |
N |
||
| 1995 | Money Train |
N |
|||
| 1998 | Return to Paradise |
N |
|||
| 2004 | The Forgotten |
N |
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| 2014 | Penthouse North |
N |
N |
||
| 2016 | The Ottoman Lieutenant |
N |