Jay Cocks

John C. "Jay" Cocks Jr. (born January 12, 1944) is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is a graduate of Kenyon College.[http://www.kenyon.edu/x1135.xml Some Notable Alumni] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614221926/http://www.kenyon.edu/x1135.xml |date=2013-06-14 }}, kenyon.edu; accessed August 28, 2015. He was a critic for Time, Newsweek, and Rolling Stone, among other magazines, before shifting to screenplay writing. For his work, Cocks has received three Academy Award nominations: two for Best Adapted Screenplay, The Age of Innocence (1993) and A Complete Unknown (2024); and one for Best Original Screenplay, Gangs of New York (2002).

Career

As a screenwriter, he is notable for his collaborations with director Martin Scorsese, particularly The Age of Innocence{{cite web|author=Vincent Canby|title=Review/Film: The Age of Innocence; Grand Passions and Good Manners|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/17/movies/review-film-the-age-of-innocence-grand-passions-and-good-manners.html|work=The New York Times|date=1993-09-17|access-date=2012-05-18}} and Gangs of New York{{cite web|author=A.O. Scott|title=Gangs of New York - FILM REVIEW; To Feel A City Seethe|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9e06e4d8103df933a15751c1a9649c8b63|publisher=Movies.nytimes.com|date=2002-12-20|access-date=2012-05-18}} — a screenplay he started working on in 1976 — as well as Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days.{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/282184/Jay-Cocks/filmography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008030730/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/282184/Jay-Cocks/filmography|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-10-08|title=Jay Cocks' filmography|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|date=2013|access-date=2012-05-18}} He did an uncredited rewrite of James Cameron's screenplay for Titanic and was, with Scorsese, the co-screenwriter of Silence. Cocks and Scorsese approached author Philip K. Dick in 1969 for an adaptation of his 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Though the duo never optioned the book, it was later developed into the movie Blade Runner by screenwriter Hampton Fancher and director Ridley Scott.{{cite magazine|last1=Schulman|first1=Michael|title=The Battle for Blade Runner|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/09/the-battle-for-blade-runner-harrison-ford-ridley-scott|access-date=15 September 2017|magazine=Vanity Fair|publisher=Vanity Fair|date=14 September 2017}}

Under the pseudonym "Joseph P. Gillis", Cocks and filmmaker Brian De Palma wrote a spec script for the crime drama television series Columbo in 1973. Their teleplay, titled "Shooting Script", was never filmed.{{cite web|url=https://columbophile.com/2017/08/20/the-columbo-episodes-that-never-were/|title=Brian De Palma's lost Columbo, and the Lieutenant's unfilmed final case|website=The Columbophile Blog|date=August 20, 2017|access-date=September 3, 2023}} De Palma and Cocks did however contribute to the writing of the narrative crawl that opens the 1977 film Star Wars.{{cite web|url=https://www.forcematerial.com/home/2016/12/12/the-origin-of-the-crawl|title=The Origin of the Crawl|website=Force Material|date=December 12, 2016|access-date=October 9, 2023}}

Personal life

Cocks married actress Verna Bloom in 1972. Bloom, with Cocks, had a son, Sam, born in 1981. Bloom died in 2019.{{cite news|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|title=Verna Bloom, 80, Amorous Dean's Wife in 'Animal House,' Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/obituaries/verna-bloom-dead.html|work=The New York Times|date=January 11, 2019}}

Filmography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Director ! scope="col" \| Notes
scope="row" \| 1988 \| The Last Temptation of Christ \| rowspan=3\|Martin Scorsese \| Uncredited{{cite web\|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/oct/31/martinscorsese\|title=Ageing bulls return\|work=The Guardian\|date=October 31, 1999\|access-date=September 11, 2023}}
scope="row" \| 1990 \| Made in Milan \| Documentary short
scope="row" \| 1993 \| The Age of Innocence \|
scope="row" \| 1995 \| Strange Days \| Kathryn Bigelow \|
scope="row" \| 2002 \| Gangs of New York \| Martin Scorsese \|
scope="row" \| 2004 \| De-Lovely \| Irwin Winkler \|
scope="row" \| 2016 \| Silence \| Martin Scorsese \|
scope="row" \| 2024 \| A Complete Unknown \| James Mangold \|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Director

! scope="col" | Notes

scope="row" | 1988

| The Last Temptation of Christ

| rowspan=3|Martin Scorsese

| Uncredited{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/oct/31/martinscorsese|title=Ageing bulls return|work=The Guardian|date=October 31, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2023}}

scope="row" | 1990

| Made in Milan

| Documentary short

scope="row" | 1993

| The Age of Innocence

scope="row" | 1995

| Strange Days

| Kathryn Bigelow

scope="row" | 2002

| Gangs of New York

| Martin Scorsese

scope="row" | 2004

| De-Lovely

| Irwin Winkler

scope="row" | 2016

| Silence

| Martin Scorsese

scope="row" | 2024

| A Complete Unknown

| James Mangold

Unproduced projects

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1969) – Script for Martin Scorsese
"Shooting Script" (1973) – Unproduced Columbo teleplay (under the pseudonym Joseph P. Gillis)
Night Life (1978) – Script for Martin Scorsese
Untitled satirical comedy (1980) – Script for Brian De Palma{{cite news|last=Dudar|first=Helen|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/07/27/the-master-of-mayhem/454b3255-98b4-4970-8931-b43c38cd687a/|title=The Master Of Mayhem|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 27, 1980|access-date=October 26, 2023}}
The Company of Angels (1994) – Script for Kathryn Bigelow{{cite news|last=Brennan|first=Judy|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-01-ca-52477-story.html|title=What a Concept: Joel Silver Meets Joan of Arc|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=May 1, 1994|access-date=September 3, 2023}}
Ambrose Chapel (1998) – Script for Brian De Palma{{cite magazine|last=Madigan|first=Nick|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/mgm-depalma-in-suspense-1117470575/|title=MGM, DePalma in suspense|magazine=Variety|date=May 7, 1998|access-date=September 3, 2023}}
Nazi Gold (1998) – Script for Brian De Palma{{cite magazine|last=Madigan|first=Nick|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/de-palma-mgm-mine-gold-1117470632/|title=De Palma, MGM mine 'Gold'|magazine=Variety|date=May 11, 1998|access-date=September 3, 2023}}
Brownsville Girl (2010) – Script for Scott Cooper{{cite web|last=Jagernauth|first=Kevin|url=https://theplaylist.net/brad-pitt-scott-cooper-linked-to-20100827/|title=Brad Pitt & Scott Cooper Linked To 'Brownsville Girl' Based On The Song By Bob Dylan, Adapted By Jay Cocks|website=ThePlaylist.net|date=August 27, 2010|access-date=September 3, 2023}}
The Last of the Savages (2023) – Adaptation of the novel{{cite web|last=Yossman|first=K. J.|url=https://variety.com/2023/biz/global/apx-group-xiiithirteen-first-option-deal-1235519098/|title='The Last of the Savages' Adaptation Greenlit as APX Group Inks First-Option Deal With XIIIthirteen Co (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|date=February 10, 2023|access-date=September 3, 2023}}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Award ! scope="col" \| Category ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Result
scope="row" \| 1993 \|rowspan=2\|Academy Awards \| Best Adapted Screenplay \| The Age of Innocence \| {{nom}}
scope="row" rowspan=3\|2002 \| Best Original Screenplay \|rowspan=3\|Gangs of New York \| {{nom}}
BAFTA Awards \| Best Original Screenplay \| {{nom}}
Writers Guild of America \| Best Original Screenplay \| {{nom}}
scope="row" rowspan=2\| 2016 \| National Board of Review \| Best Adapted Screenplay \|rowspan=2\| Silence \| {{won}}
Chicago Film Critics Association \| Best Adapted Screenplay \| {{nom}}
scope="row" rowspan=3\|2024 \| Academy Awards \| Best Adapted Screenplay \|rowspan=3\|A Complete Unknown \| {{nom}}
BAFTA Awards \| Best Adapted Screenplay \| {{nom}}
Writers Guild of America \| Best Adapted Screenplay \| {{nom}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Award

! scope="col" | Category

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Result

scope="row" | 1993

|rowspan=2|Academy Awards

| Best Adapted Screenplay

| The Age of Innocence

| {{nom}}

scope="row" rowspan=3|2002