- Zach Laws, Chris Beachum
- Film
Dave Allocca/Starpix/Shutterstock
Though not exactly a darling of the critics, Oscar nominee Chris Columbus has created a number of box office hits throughout his 30 year career. Let’s take a look back at all 15 of his films as a director, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1958, Columbus rose to prominence as a hot young screenwriter after penning such titles as “Gremlins” (1984), “The Goonies” (1985) and “Young Sherlock Holmes” (1985). He made his directorial debut when he was just 29-years-old with the teenage comedy “Adventures in Babysitting” (1987) before raking in the box office dollars with “Home Alone” (1990), “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993) and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (2001), to name but a few.
Though he’s seldom received awards recognition as a writer or director, Columbus has had success in that regard as a producer, earning an Oscar nomination in Best Picture for “The Help” (2011), for which he also competed at the PGA and BAFTA. He won the BAFTA Children’s Award for “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004) and contended for that prize for “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (2002). Both “Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Prisoner of Azkaban” also reaped bids for Best British Film. At the Independent Spirits, he received kudos in the Best First Feature race for helping get “Mediterranea” (2015) and “Patti Cakes” (2017) made.
Tour our photo gallery of all 15 of Columbus’s films, including some of the titles listed above, as well as “Only the Lonely” (1991), “Stepmom” (1998), “Rent” (2005) and more.
15. PIXELS (2015)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Screenplay by Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling, story by Herlihy, based on the short film by Patrick Jean. Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Brian Cox.
Even hardcore Adam Sandler fans have a hard time defending this dreadful comedic adventure that’s as much fun as an out-of-order Pac-Man machine. “Pixels” centers on four childhood friends (Sandler, Kevin James, Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad) who grew up playing 1980s arcade games. In the present day, aliens misinterpret video feeds of these classic games as declarations of war and attack Earth in the form of the characters. It’s up to the four adult pals to get it on like Donkey Kong… literally. Columbus does what he can to liven up an uninspired script, but this is a disappointing waste of a promising premise.
14. HEARTBREAK HOTEL (1988)
Written and directed by Chris Columbus. Starring David Keith, Tuesday Weld, Charlie Schlatter, Angela Goethals.
It’s hard to know what Columbus was going for with “Heartbreak Hotel,” an extremely goofy film that tries to mine tears out of its ridiculous premise. Set in 1972, it centers on a teenager (Charlie Schlatter) living above a roach motel with his mom (Tuesday Weld) and sister (Angela Goethals). When his mother is hurt in a car accident, he decides to kidnap Elvis Presley (David Keith) and take him back home to Ohio to cheer her up. Not funny enough to work as a comedy and not touching enough to make us cry, it is inexplicable enough to make us scratch our heads in wonder at how it all could have gone so horribly wrong.
13. I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER (2009)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Screenplay by Larry Doyle, based on his novel. Starring Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rush, Jack T. Carpenter, Lauren London.
Beth Cooper might be lovable, but the movie surrounding her certainly isn’t. Adapted by Larry Doyle from his own novel, it centers on a teenage nerd (Paul Rust) who professes his adoration for the most beautiful girl in school (Hayden Panettiere) during his valedictorian speech at graduation. When she shows up at his house unannounced, she treats him to the best night of his life, those her meathead boyfriend (Jack T. Carpenter) isn’t too happy about that. Though Rust and Panettiere prove an endlessly charming match, the story is too riddled with cliches to ever be surprising, and their adventures are too outlandish to be believable.
12. BICENTENNIAL MAN (1999)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Screenplay by Nicholas Kazan, based on the novel ‘The Positronic Man’ by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg. Starring Robin Williams, Sam Neill, Embeth Davidtz, Wendy Crewson, Oliver Platt.
Among the most ambitious films Columbus has ever made, “Bicentennial Man” is also one of his biggest disappointments, a promising concept marred by a maudlin approach and a seemingly endless runtime. Robin Williams stars as Andrew, an android who spends four generations with the same family (and you feel it). As he watches them grow old and die, he longs to be human, and spends centuries trying to become mortal like his one true love (Embeth Davidtz, playing both the adult version of the young girl Andrew looks after and her own granddaughter). An Oscar nominee for its impressive makeup design.
11. PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (2010)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Screenplay by Craig Titley, based on the novel by Rick Riordan. Starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pantoliano, Uma Thurman.
Having helped kick off the highly lucrative “Harry Potter” franchise, Columbus tried to do the same with another popular YA series to less successful results. Based on the books by Rick Riordan, “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” stars Logan Lerman as a teenager who discovers he’s descended from the Greek god Poseidon. He teams up with his best pal (Brandon T. Jackson) and a fellow demigod (Alexandra Daddario) to engage in an ongoing battle of the titans. A less-than inspired fantasy epic that spawned a Columbus-less sequel (“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monster”) and a scrapped third entry.
10. HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK (1992)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Written by John Hughes, based on his characters. Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Tim Curry, Brenda Fricker, Catherine O’Hara.
“Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” gathers all the elements from the original film and cranks the sentimentality and sadism up to 11, proving that sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. This time, intrepid tot Kevin McCallister (Macauley Culkin) finds himself stranded in the Big Apple, where he must once again do battle with bumbling crooks Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern (one has to wonder at what point Child Protective Services is called on Kevin’s parents for unlawful neglect). It’s basically the same plot from the first film without any of the surprise. Best remembered for a cameo by future president Donald Trump… and not much else.
9. NINE MONTHS (1995)
Written and directed by Chris Columbus, based on the French film by Patrick Braoude. Starring Hugh Grant, Julianne Moore, Tom Arnold, Joan Cusack, Jeff Goldblum, Robin Williams.
The release of “Nine Months” got a major boost when Hugh Grant was arrested in Los Angeles for soliciting a prostitute, casting the tabloid spotlight on his upcoming film. Unfortunately, that’s probably the most noteworthy part of this by-the-numbers comedy, which tells a story so predictable you can almost guess the ending by the first frame. Grant stars as a commitment-phobic bachelor who freaks out when his longtime girlfriend (Julianne Moore) finds herself suddenly pregnant. Will he grow up and marry her, or will he abandon his child for a life of solitude? No need for a spoiler alert here, because you’ve already guessed it.
8. RENT (2005)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Screenplay by Stephen Chbosky, based on the play by Jonathan Larson. Starring Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Tracie Thoms.
In bringing Jonathan Larson’s landmark musical to the screen, Columbus remains faithful to nearly every word of its Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning text, often to a fault. Though fans of the Broadway stage hit may delight in seeing this filmization (which features six of the show’s original cast members), others may find it oddly lacking without the live experience. Still, the music carries the day in this drama about a group of friends dealing with the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York City. Movie-addition Rosario Dawson is a standout as an HIV-positive stripper and heroin addict in love with an HIV-positive rocker (Adam Pascal).
7. STEPMOM (1998)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Screenplay by Gigi Levangie, Jessie Nelson, Steven Rogers, Karen Leigh Hopkins and Rob Bass, story by Levangie. Starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Liam Aiken.
“Stepmom” features strong performances in a plot that pushes and pulls them through several emotional contrivances. Julia Roberts stars as a young photographer who falls in love with a divorced businessman (Ed Harris) raising two kids (Jena Malone and Liam Aiken). Though she’d like to have a relationship with them, their mother (Golden Globe nominee Susan Sarandon) isn’t too keen on having another woman around her children. But wouldn’t you know it, Sarandon gets diagnosed with terminal lymphoma and must train Roberts to replace her. Despite the story’s obvious manipulations, you might cry thanks to the power of the acting.
6. ONLY THE LONELY (1991)
Written and directed by Chris Columbus. Starring John Candy, Maureen O’Hara, Ally Sheedy, Kevin Dunn, Anthony Quinn, James Belushi.
A sort of “Marty” for the ‘90s, “Only the Lonely” succeeds thanks in large part to John Candy’s endlessly charming performance. He plays Danny Muldoon, a sweet-natured Chicago cop living with his overbearing Irish mother, Rose (a brilliantly cast Maureen O’Hara). When he falls in love with a shy funeral home worker (Ally Sheedy), he must balance his newfound romance with the needs of his mom. There’s not much that happens that isn’t pretty much preordained from the very first scene, but Candy sells it as only he can. Partly inspired by Roy Orbison’s song of the same title, which — as you can guess — plays in its entirety in the first scene.
5. ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (1987)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Written by David Simkins. Starring Elisabeth Shue, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Maia Brewton, Penelope Ann Miller, Bradley Whitford.
Having established himself as a highly successful screenwriter, Columbus kicked off his directorial career with this entertaining teen farce. Elisabeth Shue stars as a Chicago babysitter put in charge of an eight-year-old girl (Maia Brewton), her teenage brother (Keith Coogan) and his best friend (Anthony Rapp). When she must venture out into the city to help a runaway friend (Penelope Ann Miller), she takes the kids along with her, setting off a series of mishaps and adventures that are too wild to be believable, but just exciting enough to be enjoyable. Look out for young Bradley Whitford as Shue’s unfaithful boyfriend.
4. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (2002)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Screenplay by Steve Kloves, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters.
Though “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” suffers from being a little too faithful to its source material, this second installment in the long-running series still manages to create a little onscreen magic. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) return to Hogwarts for another year, and an ancient prophecy is haunting the halls of the wizarding school, leaving its victims paralyzed. It’s up to our fearless trio to find out what’s going on before it’s too late. As with the first film, this is an exhilarating adventure that makes up for its narrative shortcomings with eye-popping production design and special effects.
3. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (2001)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Screenplay by Steve Kloves, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Ian Hart, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith.
Needless to say, expectations were sky high for this big screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s fantasy bestseller, and Columbus more than delivered. With “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” orphaned Harry (Daniel Ratcliffe) discovers he posses magical powers and enrolls in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he meets fellow exceptional kids Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and begins uncovering the truth about his parent’s death. Columbus mounts a spectacular production, creating a sense of magic and wonder thanks to Oscar-nominated art direction and costumes.
2. HOME ALONE (1990)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Written by John Hughes. Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Catherine O’Hara.
Columbus raked in massive box office dollars with this holiday comedy about the world’s most ingenious (or perhaps diabolical) kid. Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, a kid who finds himself… well, “Home Alone” when his large, extended family leave town for Christmas. It’s all fun and games before a pair of devious burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) decide to pay him a visit. So Kevin has to take them down with a series of booby traps so elaborate and painful they’re almost like a medieval torture chamber cooked up by Wylie Coyote. It’s all high concept fun, with a tightly-wound script by John Hughes and an iconic score by John Williams.
1. MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1993)
Directed by Christopher Columbus. Screenplay by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, based on the novel ‘Alias Madame Doubtfire’ by Anne Fine. Starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, Robert Prosky.
“Mrs. Doubtfire” sells its ridiculous premise thanks to a fully committed performance by Robin Williams and some truly impressive, Oscar-winning makeup. Williams plays Daniel Hillard, a bombastic actor going through a bitter divorce from his disapproving wife (Sally Field). When she takes custody of their children away, he decides to stay in their lives by disguising himself as rotund British nanny Mrs. Doubtfire. Needless to say, things don’t work out as expected. Columbus manages to juggle hilarity and pathos thanks largely to Williams, who won the Golden Globe as Best Comedy/Musical Actor; the film also won in Best Musical/Comedy Film.
