- Adams attended both the University of Vermont and Harvard Extension School, majoring in history. After college, he worked in politics, including two gubernatorial campaigns, a race for attorney general, and two presidential campaigns. He also garnered valuable film production experience directing television commercials for a Boston advertising agency, winning several awards. He then partnered with producer Michael Mailer, co-writing and directing his first feature film, "A Fool And His Money" which starred Sandra Bullock. He then went on to write and direct his second feature, the critically acclaimed "Primary Motive," for Twentieth Century Fox which starred Judd Nelson, Justine Bateman, Richard Jordan, John Savage and Sally Kirkland, and was produced by Don Carmody. Then he directed, to excellent critical acclaim, the film, "The Mouse," a comedy starring Rip Torn and John Savage. He wrote and directed the film, "The Golden Boys" starring David Carradine, Rip Torn, Bruce Dern and Mariel Hemingway. He also conceived, edited and contributed to the serial novel, "Out Of The Fog" working with a dozen of the nation's best-selling authors. Also an historian, he is working on a biography of American patriot James Otis. In 2010 he wrote and directed the feature, "The Lightkeepers" with Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner, Bruce Dern and Mamie Gummer. In 2017 he co-wrote and directed the feature "An L.A. Minute" starring Gabriel Byrne and Kiersey Clemons and in 2020 he wrote the feature film "Panama" starring Mel Gibson and Cole Hauser. In 2022 he wrote and directed "The Walk" starring Terrence Howard, Justin Chatwin and Malcolm McDowell which won numerous awards including Best Picture and Best Director several film festivals.- IMDb Mini Biography By: B. Rae
- Daniel R. Adams is a feature film director best known for directing and writing the films The Lightkeepers, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner, and The Golden Boys, starring David Carradine, Bruce Dern, Rip Torn, Charles Durning, and Mariel Hemingway.
Adams grew up in the Boston area and worked for several political campaigns before going into movies. After working in politics, including two gubernatorial campaigns, a race for attorney general, and a presidential campaign, he also garnered valuable film production experience directing television commercials for a Boston advertising agency.
He then co-wrote and directed his first feature film in 1989, A Fool And His Money (originally titled, Religion, Inc.), which starred Sandra Bullock (Adams is credited with casting Ms. Bullock in her first leading role), Jonathan Penner, George Plimpton and Jerzy Kosinski (released through Trimark Pictures - now Lions Gate). He then went on to write and direct his second feature, the critically acclaimed Primary Motive, which starred Judd Nelson, Justine Bateman, Richard Jordan, John Savage and Sally Kirkland, for Twentieth Century Fox. His third feature, which he also wrote and directed, was a comedy entitled, The Mouse, starring Rip Torn and John Savage, and released through Strand Releasing. The Mouse also received positive reviews throughout the United States and abroad. His film, The Golden Boys, was released through Roadside Attractions and Lions Gate Films in 2009. Also in 2009, he directed the feature film, The Lightkeepers, from a script he wrote. Lightkeepers, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner, was released through New Films Cinema in the spring of 2010.
Adams is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. His film, "The Lightkeepers" was chosen as the closing night film for the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the opening night film for the Boulder International Film Festival, won the "Golden Angel" award (best picture) and chosen closing night film at the Los Angeles Chinese-American Film Festival, was named the #2 Best Grown Up Love Story of the Year (2010) by AARP Magazine, and won the 2010 "best musical score for a comedy" award by the International Film Music Critics Association. He has also received praise from the actors he has directed. Two-time Academy Award nominated actor Bruce Dern has compared Adams' directing style to Hal Ashby and Alfred Hitchcock, and commented, "He (Adams) is on the threshold of becoming an extremely interesting commodity in this business because he's really old-school - he's an old-school filmmaker." And Academy Award winning actor Richard Dreyfuss has been quoted, "Daniel is a smart man, who truly understands the old values of filmmaking... He is an excellent writer and perhaps enough people will see The Lightkeepers to appreciate that."
As a novelist, he conceived, edited and contributed to the serial novel, Out Of The Fog, working with a dozen of the nation's best-selling authors. Also a historian, he is writing a biography of American patriot James Otis, Jr.
In 2017 he co-wrote and directed the feature "An L.A. Minute" starring Gabriel Byrne and Kiersey Clemons and in 2020 he wrote the feature film "Panama" starring Mel Gibson and Cole Hauser. In 2022 he wrote and directed "The Walk" starring Terrence Howard, Justin Chatwin and Malcolm McDowell which won numerous awards including Best Picture and Best Director at several film festivals.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- Sandra Bullock was a waitress in an New York City Italian restaurant when he cast her in her first lead role in his film, "A Fool And His Money" (aka "Religion, Inc.").
- The musical score to his film, "The Lightkeepers" was named "Best Musical Score for a Comedy Film for 2010" by the International Film Music Critics Association.
- His film "The Lightkeepers" won the "Golden Angel" award for best film at the 2011 Chinese-American Film Festival in Los Angeles.
- His film, "The Lightkeepers" was named #2 "Best Grown-Up Love Story of the Year" (2010) by AARP Magazine.
- His film "The Lightkeepers" was chosen closing night film at the 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival.
- Ninety percent of directing is casting.
- [Adams broke into the business in late 1980s, casting Sandra Bullock in her first leading role, "A Fool and His Money"] It's an ironic title, given what happened to me later.
- If people have it in their hearts to forgive me, I think I can make a go of it. If they don't, I won't. We have the money to make the movie. It's just a question of seeing who is willing to work with me and who isn't.
- You know the old saying among filmmakers: 'Do whatever you can to get it in the can', I took it a step too far. I broke the law, but my only goal was to get the movie in the can.
- If I'm going to have a couple years taken away, I want to put it back on the other end. So I decided to get healthy.
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