List of the best Jeff Daniels movies: The Squid and the Whale(2005), Something Wild(1986), Fly Away Home(1996), Escanaba in da Moonlight(2000), Arachnophobia(1990), Chasing Sleep(2000), I Witness(2003), Love Hurts(1990), Guest Artist(2019), Checking Out(1989), Super Sucker(2003), Sweet Nothing in My Ear(2008) ... ...
Drama
USA
2005
80 Minutes
Jeff Daniels Laura Linney Jesse Eisenberg Owen Kline William Baldwin Halley Feiffer Anna Paquin Adam Rose
professor writer teen boy young boy ex-wife ex-husband emotional quirky raw brooklyn, n.y. house university museum divorce writers parenthood teen angst siblings aspirations growing up
Follows two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.
Comedy, Mystery & Thriller
USA
1986
113 Minutes
Charles Driggs
Jeff Daniels Melanie Griffith Ray Liotta Margaret Colin Tracey Walter Dana Preu Jack Gilpin Kristin Olsen John Sayles John Waters Charles Napier
free spirit broker ex-convict mother amusing suspenseful charming madcap new york city pennsylvania car high school road trip reunion chase opposites attract abduction temptation pursuit love
A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-convict husband shows up.
Kids & Family, Drama
USA
1996
107 Minutes
Thomas Alden
Jeff Daniels Anna Paquin Dana Delany Terry Kinney Holter Graham Jeremy Ratchford Michael J. Reynolds David Hemblen
inventor daughter goose brother girlfriend heartwarming inspiring emotional canada new zealand parenthood family loss animals friendship growing up rescue love 1990s
A father and daughter decide to attempt to lead a flock of orphaned Canada Geese south by air.
Comedy
USA
2000
100 Minutes
Director
Jeff Daniels Harve Presnell Wayne David Parker Joey Albright Sandra Birch James Porterfield
A macho man in a family on the eve of deer-hunting season must deal with the eldest son's curse of never having bagged a buck.
Comedy, Mystery & Thriller
USA
1990
109 Minutes
Dr. Ross Jennings
Jeff Daniels Harley Jane Kozak John Goodman Julian Sands Stuart Pankin Brian McNamara Mark L. Taylor Henry Jones Peter Jason James Handy Roy Brocksmith
doctor wife son exterminator scientist photographer creepy quirky amusing california house basement fear father/son relationship moving spiders death transformation mystery escape
A species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to the U.S. in a coffin and starts to breed and kill.
Mystery & Thriller
Canada|USA|France
2000
104 Minutes
Ed Saxon
Jeff Daniels Emily Bergl Gil Bellows Zach Grenier Julian McMahon Ben Shenkman Molly Price
college professor wife detective tense shocking bleak disturbing frenetic home disappearance horror insomnia mystery 2000s
A college professor wakes up to find his wife has not returned home, then struggles to understand her disappearance.
Mystery & Thriller
USA|Germany
2003
98 Minutes
James Rhodes
Jeff Daniels James Spader Portia Di Rossi Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez Wade Williams Mark Carlton Jordi Caballero Adriano González
activist detective government official laborer lawyer friend disheartening intense border town tijuana, mexico tunnel united states murder worker's rights government cover-up violence greed missing persons underdog discovery
After 27 bodies are discovered in a collapsed tunnel in Tijuana, a man tries to unravel the mystery before becoming the next victim.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1990
110 Minutes
Paul Weaver
Jeff Daniels Judith Ivey Cynthia Sikes Cloris Leachman Amy Wright John Mahoney Mary Griffin Thomas Allen
ex-husband ex-wife sister daughter son bridesmaid amusing emotional playful witty pennsylvania wedding family dysfunction divorce estrangement parenthood womanizing wedding wretched excess love
The story of Paul Weaver and his strained relationships with women and his family.
Drama
USA
2019
74 Minutes
Jeff Daniels Thomas Macias Richard McWilliams Erika Slezak McKara Bechler Dan Johnson Lynch Travis Ruth Crawford
The story of a young man coming face to face with his hero (Jeff Daniels) and exploring the tangled relationship between the dreams of youth and the wisdom of age.
Comedy
UK
1989
95 Minutes
Ray Macklin
Jeff Daniels Melanie Mayron Michael Tucker Kathleen York Allan Havey Ann Magnuson Jo Harvey Allen Felton Perry Ian Wolfe John Durbin
A successful family man, who works for an airline, becomes consumed by fear of death after his colleague and best friend dies in front of him from heart attack while telling the setup for the joke: "Why don't Italians like barbecues?"
Comedy
USA
2003
91 Minutes
Director
Jeff Daniels Matt Letscher Harve Presnell Dawn Wells John Seibert Guy Sanville Kate Peckham Michelle Mountain Will David Young
Two door to door vacuum cleaner salesmen hilariously compete against each other.
Drama
2008
96 Minutes
Jeff Daniels Marlee Matlin Ed Waterstreet Phyllis Frelich Sonya Walger David Oyelowo Noah Valencia Rosemary Forsyth Bradford English Lily Knight Jack Laufer
A man (Jeff Daniels) wants to restore his son's (Noah Valencia) hearing with surgery, but his deaf wife (Marlee Matlin) opposes the plan.
Comedy, Drama
2009
110 Minutes
Richard
Jeff Daniels Michele Mulroney Emma Stone Ryan Reynolds Lisa Kudrow Hunter Parrish Kieran Culkin Arabella Field Chris Parnell
superhero novelist imaginary friend amusing long island, n.y. time youth unusual friendship growing up
A frustrated novelist (Jeff Daniels) begins to depend less on his imaginary friend (Ryan Reynolds) when he forms a unique bond with a Long Island teenager (Emma Stone).
Romance
2009
96 Minutes
Arlen Faber
Jeff Daniels Lauren Graham Lou Taylor Pucci Olivia Thirlby Kat Dennings Nora Dunn Tony Hale Annie Corly Max Antisell
author recluse single mother son addict chiropractor endearing amusing engaging house bookstore office street apartment writing spirituality life lessons fear friendship relationships
The grouchy, reclusive author (Jeff Daniels) of an enormously popular book on spirituality falls in love with his sunny chiropractor (Lauren Graham).
Drama
2000
106 Minutes
Dr. Gerard Plecki
Jeff Daniels Jena Malone Paul Sorvino Dov Tiefenbach Luke Edwards Anna Raj Dan Warry-Smith Blake Heron Dominick Podbielski Nina Polan Robert Joy
teacher coach student rich kid rival engaging shocking striking chicago high school house high school education competition schoolwork cheating temptation fall 1990s
Chicago high-school teacher Gerard Plecki (Jeff Daniels) prompts his students to lie and cheat in academic competition.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1985
82 Minutes
Mia Farrow Jeff Daniels Danny Aiello Dianne Wiest Van Johnson Zoe Caldwell John Wood Milo O'Shea Deborah Rush Irving Metzman John Rothman
waitress husband producer actor archaeologist countess quirky amusing touching new jersey theater apartment street hollywood, calif. airplane loneliness marriage magic great depression poverty
In New Jersey in 1935, a movie character walks off the screen and into the real world.
Comedy
USA
1998
123 Minutes
Tobey Maguire Jeff Daniels Joan Allen William H. Macy J.T. Walsh Reese Witherspoon Don Knotts Paul Walker Marlee Shelton Jane Kaczmarek
teenager sister father mother repairman bully lighthearted creative dreamy small town household repair shop television teen angst small-town life empowerment family sexual repression growing up transformation
Two 1990s teenage siblings find themselves in a 1950s sitcom, where their influence begins to profoundly change that complacent world.
Comedy
USA
1994
106 Minutes
Harry Dunne
Jim Carrey Bobby Farrelly Jeff Daniels Lauren Holly Teri Garr Karen Duffy Mike Starr Charles Rocket Victoria Rowell Cam Neely Felton Perry
idiot housewife chauffeur killer blind boy best friend hilarious amusing playful rhode island colorado hotel ski resort diner house friendship kidnapping accidental death road trip chase
After a woman leaves a briefcase at the airport terminal, a dumb limo driver and his dumber friend set out on a hilarious cross-country road trip to Aspen to return it.
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
USA
2007
99 Minutes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Jeff Daniels Carla Gugino Matthew Goode Isla Fisher Alex Borstein Morgan Kelly Bruce McGill
janitor con artist bank robber blind person deputy girlfriend gritty suspenseful tense bank small town restaurant heist memory deception exploitation quest temptation 2000s
Chris is a once promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank, where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.
Drama
USA
1985
112 Minutes
Sissy Spacek Jeff Daniels Don Hood Keith Szarabajka Morgan Freeman Fred Dalton Thompson
A political appointee risks her job and her life to expose corruption.
Kids & Family, Drama
USA
2005
105 Minutes
AnnaSophia Robb Jeff Daniels Cicely Tyson Eva Marie Saint Dave Matthews Courtney Jines Elle Fanning Nick Price Luke Benward Lara Grice Julia LaShae
young girl dog father townsperson librarian friend emotional mushy florida small town trailer park supermarket library store loneliness friendship father/daughter relationship abandonment adoption alcoholism
A mischievous dog befriends a lonely young girl in a new town and helps her make new friends.
Comedy, Kids & Family, Adventure
USA|UK
1996
103 Minutes
Glenn Close Jeff Daniels Joely Richardson Joan Plowright Hugh Laurie Mark Williams John Shrapnel Tim McInnerny
designer writer dog boss friend amusing hilarious heartwarming united states dogs good vs. evil family courage animal cruelty rivalry escape adventure 1990s
An evil high-fashion designer plots to steal Dalmatian puppies in order to make an extravagant fur coat, but instead creates an extravagant mess.
Comedy
USA
2014
109 Minutes
Harry
Jim Carrey Bobby Farrelly Jeff Daniels Kathleen Turner Laurie Holden Rachel Melvin Steve Tom Rob Riggle Don Lake Tembi Locke Patricia French
idiot friend daughter elderly person nurse counselor cheeky amusing creative campy madcap nursing home hospital house street car highway friendship search stupidity
20 years since their first adventure, Lloyd and Harry go on a road trip to find Harry's newly discovered daughter, who was given up for adoption.
Kids & Family, Comedy
UK|Germany|USA
2006
98 Minutes
Travis Gornicke
Robin Williams Jeff Daniels Cheryl Hines Kristin Chenoweth Joanna "JoJo" Levesque Josh Hutcherson Will Arnett Hunter Parrish Brendan Fletcher Rob LaBelle Brian Markinson
executive mother daughter son boss friend lighthearted hysterical heartwarming amusing charming park rv open road road colorado woods dysfunctional family family vacation relationships
Bob Munro and his dysfunctional family rent an RV for a road trip to the Colorado Rockies, where they ultimately have to contend with a bizarre community of campers.
Romance, Gay & Lesbian
USA
1991
107 Minutes
Demi Moore Jeff Daniels George Dzundza Mary Steenburgen Frances McDormand Margaret Colin Max Perlich Miriam Margolyes Helen Hanft Christopher Durang
clairvoyant butcher singer psychiatrist actress charming quirky spirited amusing north carolina island new york city romantic dilemma marriage fate precognition discovery love 1980s
A clairvoyant impulsively marries a butcher, moves to New York City and has a positive impact on the people she meets, changing their futures...which in turn changes hers.
Romance
2004
108 Minutes
Patricia Heaton Jeff Daniels Hallie Kate Eisenberg Lynda Boyd Alan Cumming Richard Benjamin Sharon Wilkins Zak Santiago Marco Soriano Woody Jeffreys Panos Grames
Abandoned by her boyfriend, a former Broadway dancer (Patricia Heaton) and her daughter (Hallie Kate Eisenberg) temporarily share an apartment with an actor (Jeff Daniels).
Drama
1988
93 Minutes
Lt. Steve Maryk
Eric Bogosian Jeff Daniels Brad Davis Peter Gallagher Michael Murphy Kevin J. O'Connor Daniel Jenkins Danny Darst
captain lieutenant lawyer judge sailor engaging intricate suspenseful emotional san francisco banquet hall hotel courtroom ship court-martial power struggle mutiny insanity weather military life
One lieutenant (Eric Bogosian) defends another (Jeff Daniels) in 1945 for relieving Captain Queeg (Brad Davis) of his command during a typhoon.
Drama
USA|Germany|Belgium
2004
112 Minutes
Ben Travis
Sigourney Weaver Emile Hirsch Jeff Daniels Michelle Williams Kip Pardue Deirdre O'Connell Ryan Donowho Suzanne Santo Jay Paulson Luke Robertson Lee Wilkof
teen boy girlfriend mother father athlete neighbor offbeat melodramatic amusing united states hospital house grocery store swimming pool trailer family dysfunction depression infidelity suicide guilt
The Travis family façade is destroyed by an event incomprehensible to them -- an event which will open locked doors and finally reveal the secrets that have haunted them for decades.
Comedy, Drama
USA|UK
2009
97 Minutes
Jerry
John Krasinski Maya Rudolph Jeff Daniels Carmen Ejogo Jim Gaffigan Maggie Gyllenhaal Josh Hamilton Allison Janney Melanie Lynskey Chris Messina Catherine O'Hara
girlfriend boyfriend friend sister boss parent amusing endearing phoenix tucson, ariz. wisconsin montreal miami moving pregnancy traveling love death quest transformation
A couple who is expecting their first child travel around the U.S. in order to find a perfect place to start their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends who just might help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time.
Crime, Drama
USA
1996
107 Minutes
Alvin Strayer
Danny Aiello Glenne Headly Jeff Daniels James Spader Greg Cruttwell Teri Hatcher Peter Horton Marsha Mason Paul Mazursky Eric Stoltz Charlize Theron
assassin partner wife assistant rookie cop art dealer engaging crafty san fernando valley house bedroom murder plot conspiracy double-cross hostage situation undercover operations shoot-out discovery adventure 1990s
48 hours of intersecting lives and crimes in Los Angeles.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1988
101 Minutes
Sam Manners
Don Johnson Susan Sarandon Jeff Daniels Elizabeth Perkins Kate Reid Justin Henry Holly Marie Combs Heather Coleman
schoolteacher husband wife friend sad creative spirited touching vermont small town high school lake countryside marriage friendship estrangement boredom hope new love love
Wiley and Sandra have been happily married for years, but are now breaking up. Sam, Wiley's childhood friend, is starting to fall in love with a new teacher at the high school. As they try ... See full summary »
Drama
2004
144 Minutes
Blue Man
Jon Voight Ellen Burstyn Jeff Daniels Michael Imperioli Callum Keith Rennie Rebecca Jenkins Dagmara Dominczyk Steven Grayhm
handyman wife circus performer waitress father commanding officer mushy emotional profound heaven amusement park family home meaning of life self-discovery loss family dysfunction philosophy afterlife adventure discovery
An elderly maintenance worker (Jon Voight) dies and awakens in heaven, where strangers and loved ones take him on a journey back through his life.
Sci-Fi, Adventure, Drama
UK|USA|Hungary|Jordan
2015
142 Minutes
Teddy Sanders
Matt Damon Jessica Chastain Kristen Wiig Jeff Daniels Michael Peña Kate Mara Sean Bean Sebastian Stan Aksel Hennie Donald Glover Mackenzie Davis
astronaut survivor president scientist wife crew member brooding emotional intense tense dark nasa facility camp mars spacecraft space station control room space travel stranded mars
An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
Drama, Comedy
USA
1983
132 Minutes
Flap Horton
Shirley MacLaine Debra Winger Jack Nicholson Jeff Daniels Danny DeVito John Lithgow Betty King Lisa Hart Carroll Huckleberry Fox Troy Bishop
mother daughter professor astronaut touching emotional sad small town midwest family home family romance cancer mother/daughter relationship love growing up 1980s
Follows hard-to-please Aurora looking for love, and her daughter's family problems.
Drama, History, Biography
USA|France|UK|Japan
2005
93 Minutes
Sig Mickelson
David Strathairn Patricia Clarkson George Clooney Jeff Daniels Robert Downey Jr. Frank Langella Ray Wise Robert John Burke Reed Edward Diamond Tate Donovan Grant Heslov
reporter politician employee television producer cool engaging patriotic washington, d.c. communism mccarthyism journalism adventure underdog quest 1950s
Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Biography, Drama
UK|USA
2015
121 Minutes
John Sculley
Michael Fassbender Kate Winslet Seth Rogen Jeff Daniels Michael Stuhlbarg Katherine Waterston John Ortiz Sarah Snook Adam Shapiro Makenzie Moss Ripley Sobo
visionary computer programmer partner ex-girlfriend daughter genius brash brooding confident california office house auditorium stage car computers business ambition reunion success
Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution, to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story unfolds backstage at three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac.
Drama
USA
1986
108 Minutes
Richard
Meryl Streep Jack Nicholson Maureen Stapleton Jeff Daniels Stockard Channing Richard Masur Catherine O'Hara Steven Hill Milos Forman Mamie Gummer Karen Akers
food critic columnist daughter journalist cheeky emotional sad new york city washington, d.c. marriage pregnancy infidelity home repairs sex commitment fall love transformation sacrifice 1980s
She's a magazine writer who gives up her career for love and family. He's a playboy newspaper columnist who can't quite give up his old tricks. And if that combination doesn't give a relationship Heartburn, nothing will.
Mystery & Thriller, Action
USA
1994
115 Minutes
Det. Harold 'Harry' Temple
Keanu Reeves Dennis Hopper Sandra Bullock Joe Morton Jeff Daniels Alan Ruck Glenn Plummer Richard Lineback Beth Grant Hawthorne James Carlos Carrasco
police officer terrorist bus driver passenger love interest thrilling positive confident los angeles airport highway bus elevator cars terrorism bomb heroism rescue pursuit quest
A young police officer must prevent a bomb exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph.
Gay & Lesbian, Drama
USA
2006
118 Minutes
Alvin Dewey
Toby Jones Sandra Bullock Daniel Craig Peter Bogdanovich Jeff Daniels Hope Davis Gwyneth Paltrow Isabella Rossellini Juliet Stevenson Sigourney Weaver John Benjamin Hickey
writer murderer townsperson friend cop wife tense emotional holcomb, kan. small town prison new york city investigation murder family book quest mystery 1960s
While researching his novel "In Cold Blood", Truman Capote develops a close relationship with convicted murderers Dick Hickock and Perry Smith.
Biography, Drama
USA
2010
84 Minutes
David Kirk
James Franco Jeffrey Friedman David Strathairn Jon Hamm Bob Balaban Jeff Daniels Mary-Louise Parker Treat Williams Alessandro Nivola Todd Rotondi Jon Prescott
beatnik poet friend judge publisher jack kerouac creative spirited engaging san francisco berkeley, calif. courtroom allen ginsberg poetry obscenity counterculture trial creative process wretched excess rise
As Allen Ginsberg talks about his life and art, his most famous poem is illustrated in animation while the obscenity trial of the work is dramatized.
Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
2016
121 Minutes
David
Shailene Woodley Theo James Naomi Watts Octavia Spencer Jeff Daniels Zoë Kravitz Ansel Elgort Miles Teller Keiynan Lonsdale Daniel Dae Kim Maggie Q
teen girl enemy family member friend rebel freedom fighter brooding dark intense dystopia chicago camp destroyed city street apartment dystopia survival friendship family fighting
As a ruthless battle threatens humanity, Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) journey beyond the wall that encloses Chicago to find a peaceful solution for their embroiled city.
Mystery & Thriller, Biography, Drama, History
USA
2018
94 Minutes
William J. Donovan
Paul Rudd Mark Strong Guy Pearce Paul Giamatti Sienna Miller Jeff Daniels Tom Wilkinson Giancarlo Giannini Hiroyuki Sanada Shea Whigham
A former major league baseball player, Moe Berg, goes undercover in World War II Europe for the Office of Strategic Services.
Drama
USA|UK|France|Canada|Germany
2002
114 Minutes
Louis
Meryl Streep Julianne Moore Nicole Kidman Ed Harris Toni Collette Claire Danes Jeff Daniels Stephen Dillane John C. Reilly Miranda Richardson Eileen Atkins
author housewife editor former lover emotional gripping moving household london los angeles new york city hotel suicide death party mental illness homosexuality discovery 1940s
The story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.
Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller, Action
USA|China
2012
119 Minutes
Abe
Bruce Willis Joseph Gordon-Levitt Emily Blunt Paul Dano Noah Segan Piper Perabo Jeff Daniels Xu Qing Tracie Thoms Frank Brennan Garret Dillahunt
hit man boss mafioso victim love interest dark gritty suspenseful city time travel contract killing survival organized crime pursuit discovery escape 2070s
In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
USA|UK|France
2009
127 Minutes
George Fergus
Russell Crowe Ben Affleck Rachel McAdams Helen Mirren Robin Wright Jason Bateman Jeff Daniels Michael Berresse Harry Lennix Josh Mostel Michael Weston
reporter congressman informant rookie insider engaging intricate suspenseful washington, d.c. newsroom investigation corruption murder journalism mentorship discovery pursuit mystery 2000s
When a congressional aide is killed, a Washington, D.C. journalist starts investigating the case involving the Representative, his old college friend.
Comedy
USA
1987
88 Minutes
Biff Baxter
Mia Farrow Seth Green Dianne Wiest Julie Kavner Michael Tucker Josh Mostel Wallace Shawn Tito Puente Danny Aiello Jeff Daniels Tony Roberts
teenager aunt singer businessman radio host superhero cheery campy spirited brooklyn, n.y. rockaway beach, n.y. childhood family radio nostalgia growing up adventure 1940s
A nostalgic look at radio's golden age focusing on one ordinary family and the various performers in the medium.
Mystery & Thriller, Action
USA
2008
113 Minutes
Don Cheadle Guy Pearce Saïd Taghmaoui Neal McDonough Alyy Khan Archie Panjabi Raad Rawi Hassam Ghancy Mozhan Marnò Adeel Akhtar Jeff Daniels
fbi agent terrorist traitor coworker dark gritty washington, d.c. los angeles subway embassy france treason explosion chase terrorism revenge rivalry pursuit 1970s
When straight arrow FBI agent Roy Clayton heads up the investigation into a dangerous international conspiracy, all clues seem to lead back to former U.S. Special Operations officer, Samir Horn.
Drama
USA
1981
155 Minutes
James Cagney Howard E. Rollins Jr. Elizabeth McGovern Brad Dourif Moses Gunn Kenneth McMillan Pat O'Brien Donald O'Connor James Olson Mandy Patinkin Mary Steenburgen
maid jazz musician father mother showgirl fireman charming fascinating crafty new york city white plains, n.y. new rochelle, n.y. murder race relations love historical events adventure revenge love 1900s
A young black pianist becomes embroiled in the lives of an upper-class white family set among the racial tensions, infidelity, violence, and other nostalgic events in early 1900s New York City.