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Jay Cocks
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John C. "Jay" Cocks Jr. (born January 12, 1944) is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is a graduate of Kenyon College.[1] He was a critic for Time, Newsweek, and Rolling Stone, among other magazines, before shifting to screenplay writing.[1] 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

[edit]

As a screenwriter, he is notable for his collaborations with director Martin Scorsese, particularly The Age of Innocence[2] and Gangs of New York[3] — a screenplay he started working on in 1976 — as well as Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6] De Palma and Cocks did however contribute in part with helping George Lucas with the narrative crawl that opens the 1977 film Star Wars.[7]

Personal life

[edit]

Cocks married actress Verna Bloom in 1972. Bloom, with Cocks, had a son, Sam, born in 1981. Bloom died in 2019.[8]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Director Notes
1988 The Last Temptation of Christ Martin Scorsese Uncredited[9]
1990 Made in Milan Documentary short
1993 The Age of Innocence
1995 Strange Days Kathryn Bigelow
2002 Gangs of New York Martin Scorsese
2004 De-Lovely Irwin Winkler
2016 Silence Martin Scorsese
2024 A Complete Unknown James Mangold

Unproduced projects

  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1969) – Script for Martin Scorsese[5]
  • "Shooting Script" (1973) – Unproduced Columbo teleplay (under the pseudonym Joseph P. Gillis)[6]
  • Night Life (1978) – Script for Martin Scorsese
  • Untitled satirical comedy (1980) – Script for Brian De Palma[10]
  • The Company of Angels (1994) – Script for Kathryn Bigelow[11]
  • Ambrose Chapel (1998) – Script for Brian De Palma[12]
  • Nazi Gold (1998) – Script for Brian De Palma[13]
  • Brownsville Girl (2010) – Script for Scott Cooper[14]
  • The Last of the Savages (2023) – Adaptation of the novel[15]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Title Result
1993 Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay The Age of Innocence Nominated
2002 Best Original Screenplay Gangs of New York Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay Nominated
2016 National Board of Review Best Adapted Screenplay Silence Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
2024 Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay A Complete Unknown Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Writers Guild of America Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Jay Cocks

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John Jay Cocks Jr. (born January 12, 1944) is an American film critic and , renowned for his decades-long collaboration with director on acclaimed films including (1993) and (2002), the latter based on a story he originally conceived in the 1970s. A graduate of , where he contributed movie reviews to the student newspaper and helped establish the campus film society, Cocks transitioned from to screenwriting after establishing himself as a prominent critic. Cocks joined Time magazine in 1967 as a reporter and arts critic, covering film, music, and fashion until 1993; during this period, he interviewed icons like John Wayne and penned a cover story on the rock band The Band. His criticism often championed innovative filmmakers such as Jean-Luc Godard, Éric Rohmer, and John Cassavetes, whose work Husbands (1970) he praised for its raw emotional depth. This expertise informed his shift to screenwriting, where he initially wrote under pseudonyms to navigate potential conflicts with his Time role. In addition to his Scorsese projects, including contributions to The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and co-writing the screenplay for Silence (2016), Cocks has penned scripts for other notable films, such as the futuristic thriller Strange Days (1995) and the Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely (2004), reflecting his lifelong passion for music and biography. He received Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Age of Innocence and Best Original Screenplay for Gangs of New York, underscoring his skill in adapting literary sources to the screen. More recently, Cocks co-wrote the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown (2024) with director James Mangold. For this work, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2025.

Early life and education

Childhood and family

Jay Cocks was born on January 12, 1944, in . As a native New Yorker, Cocks grew up in during the , immersed in the city's vibrant cultural scene, which profoundly influenced his early development. From a young age, Cocks displayed a keen passion for and writing, beginning to pen movie reviews during his childhood. His father played a pivotal role in nurturing this interest by gifting him a , which Cocks used to compose critiques while donning a in imitation of the journalists he admired. This hands-on exposure to cinema and in New York laid the groundwork for his lifelong career, fostering a deep appreciation for storytelling through . Cocks' family background emphasized parental encouragement in creative pursuits, with limited details available on siblings or extended relatives beyond his father's direct support for his writing endeavors. These formative experiences in New York shaped his trajectory toward professional criticism and screenwriting. Later, he pursued formal education at , where his early interests continued to evolve.

College years

Jay Cocks attended in , graduating in 1966. During his undergraduate years, Cocks immersed himself in campus activities centered on literature and film. He contributed to The Kenyon Collegian by writing a movie review column and covering notable events, including a 1964 profile of Bob Dylan after organizing the musician's campus visit alongside classmate David Banks. Cocks seized control of the programming for the Kenyon Film Society to expand access to quality cinema, screening films like British cinéma vérité and helping to host performances by artists such as Nina Simone. The college's rich literary environment profoundly shaped Cocks' intellectual development. Influenced by professors and peers, including P.F. Kluge (who served as junior proctor on his freshman residence hall), he engaged deeply with classic literature; Kluge's recommendation of Edith Wharton's provided early exposure to works that later informed Cocks' screen adaptations. This atmosphere, combined with self-directed film screenings in Rosse Hall, honed his critical skills in narrative and visual storytelling. Following graduation, Cocks' Collegian writing, particularly the Dylan article, directly facilitated his entry into professional journalism, leading to a position at Time magazine in 1967.

Career in journalism

Entry into film criticism

After graduating from Kenyon College in 1966, where he had written a film review column for the student newspaper and organized the campus's inaugural film festival in 1966, Jay Cocks entered professional journalism by joining Time magazine as a reporter and arts critic. In his initial years at Time, Cocks contributed to cultural coverage, blending general reporting with emerging interests in music and cinema; a notable early example was his January 1970 cover story on , which explored the group's rootsy rock sound and its ties to American folk traditions, foreshadowing his later examinations of pop culture intersections. By 1970–1971, Cocks transitioned to specialized , driven by a lifelong passion for movies that dated to his childhood practice of typing reviews while wearing a to emulate journalists. This shift aligned with the dynamic evolution of 1970s American cinema, marked by the wave of auteur-driven films from directors like and —whom Cocks first met in 1969 to discuss potential adaptations—offering fresh opportunities to critique innovative storytelling amid the industry's creative upheaval. Despite the competitive media landscape and the demands of reviewing up to eight films weekly, Cocks embraced the role, motivated by the era's boundary-pushing works that challenged traditional Hollywood norms.

Time magazine contributions

Jay Cocks joined Time magazine in 1967, initially contributing to various sections before establishing himself as one of its cinema critics by early 1971. He served in the film criticism role until 1977, during which time he became recognized as the magazine's lead film critic in the 1970s, offering incisive reviews that captured the vitality of New Hollywood. After 1977, Cocks transitioned toward screenwriting while continuing to write for Time on music, culture, and occasional film topics until approximately 1989. During his tenure as film critic, Cocks provided notable coverage of key works by New Hollywood directors, blending literary depth with accessible insights into cinematic technique and cultural resonance. His 1973 review of Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets praised the film as one of the standout entries at the , noting its strong representation of American cinema alongside François Truffaut's and emphasizing its impending impact upon wider release. Similarly, in his assessment of Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 thriller , Cocks lauded the director's craftsmanship—building on successes like —for creating a tense psychological study of moral paralysis, enhanced by innovative and Gene Hackman's interiorized performance as surveillance expert Harry Caul. These reviews exemplified Cocks' ability to dissect films' thematic layers, such as guilt and privacy in an era of technological intrusion, helping to elevate public discourse around auteur-driven cinema. Beyond film, Cocks expanded Time's cultural coverage through influential pieces on music, particularly rock, where he analyzed the genre's evolution and societal role with a critic's eye for narrative and innovation. In a 1979 cover story on The Who, he explored the band's 15-year trajectory as pioneers of aggressive yet melodic rock, crediting their boundary-pushing energy—likened to "chamber music in a commando raid"—for influencing generations from to , while reflecting on tragedies like the 1979 Cincinnati concert deaths. Earlier, his 1970 cover feature on delved into their roots-music revival, portraying them as authentic Southern storytellers amid rock's commercialization. Other articles, such as 1980 profiles on ska-reviving British bands like and Madness, highlighted island rhythms' fusion with punk, underscoring Cocks' skill in connecting musical trends to broader cultural shifts. Cocks earned a reputation as an insightful critic who merged rigorous literary analysis with the pulse of , watching up to eight films weekly and revisiting standouts multiple times to refine his perspectives. His work at Time influenced public perception of films and music by foregrounding artistic intent and social context, as seen in his early recognition of talents like and his role in championing the raw authenticity of 1970s cinema and rock. This approach not only informed Time's readership but also bridged with mass appeal, shaping how audiences engaged with emerging cultural phenomena.

Screenwriting career

Early writing credits

Jay Cocks began his screenwriting career in the early 1970s while working as a film critic for Time magazine, producing TV and film scripts under the pseudonym Joseph P. Gillis to navigate conflicts of interest. One notable early effort was his co-authorship with of an unproduced episode for the series , written on spec in 1973. In the mid-1970s, Cocks and optioned Philip K. Dick's novel for adaptation, though the project never advanced to production. Motivated by a long-held ambition to create original screenplays, Cocks left his stable position at Time in 1977 to focus on writing full-time, collaborating with Scorsese on the initial story and script for what would become . After a year of intensive work on the project, which stalled amid production challenges, he returned to Time in 1978, resuming his role in coverage while continuing to develop screenplays on the side. Throughout the , Cocks balanced his dual careers, facing significant hurdles in Hollywood such as repeated rewrites without production guarantees and the difficulty of transitioning from analytical criticism to creative . He contributed uncredited revisions to Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ in the late 1980s, though final screenplay credit went to . These early endeavors, often unproduced or collaborative, honed his craft amid the frustrations of an industry that demanded persistence and selective project choices to avoid burnout.

Collaborations with Martin Scorsese

Jay Cocks' longstanding friendship with Martin Scorsese, which began in 1969 when Cocks was a film critic for Time magazine, profoundly shaped their collaborative screenwriting efforts. The two met through press screenings, bonding over a shared enthusiasm for cinema that Cocks described as brotherly, with Scorsese becoming the first person he encountered with matching passion for the medium. This personal connection, rooted in Cocks' early days reviewing films, informed the authenticity of their scripts, allowing Cocks to draw on his critical insights to enhance historical and thematic depth in Scorsese's projects. Cocks' first major collaboration with Scorsese was the screenplay for (1993), an adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel that earned them an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. The emphasized fidelity to the source material, with Cocks and Scorsese meticulously recreating the rigid social conventions of 1870s New York , focusing on themes of repressed desire and moral constraint. To ensure historical accuracy, Cocks screened the finished film for a panel of Wharton experts, including biographer R. E. B. Lewis, whose feedback affirmed the script's precise evocation of the era's cultural nuances. In (2002), Cocks co-wrote the screenplay with and , developing a vivid portrayal of mid-19th-century New York City's underworld. Drawing loosely from Herbert Asbury's 1928 , the script centered on the Five Points district's ethnic tensions, particularly the influx of Irish immigrants clashing with nativist gangs amid broader themes of survival and American identity formation. Their collaborative development highlighted the chaotic urban landscape as a for national upheaval, with Cocks' contributions grounding the narrative in authentic period details of immigration-driven violence. Cocks reunited with Scorsese for Silence (2016), co-writing the adaptation of Shūsaku Endō's 1966 novel, which delves into the crisis of faith faced by Jesuit missionaries amid brutal persecution in 17th-century Japan. The screenplay explores the psychological toll of religious oppression, portraying the hidden Christian communities and inquisitorial tortures that tested the priests' convictions, with Cocks and Scorsese emphasizing Endō's themes of doubt, apostasy, and divine silence. This project, long in development, reflected their friendship's trust, as Cocks noted Scorsese's faith in him mirroring the film's spiritual inquiries.

Later works

Outside his Scorsese collaborations, Cocks wrote the screenplay for the thriller Strange Days (1995), directed by and co-written with , which explores a dystopian near-future through experiences. He also penned the screenplay for the musical biopic (2004), directed by , chronicling the life and career of composer . In the later stages of his screenwriting career, Jay Cocks collaborated with director on the 2024 biographical drama A Complete Unknown, for which they shared an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film, loosely based on Elijah Wald's 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric!, chronicles Bob Dylan's formative years in the early , depicting his arrival in from at age 19 and his immersion in the folk music scene. It explores Dylan's relationships with key figures such as , , , and , culminating in his controversial electric performance at the 1965 . Cocks' contribution emphasized narrative authenticity drawn from extensive , stating that the involved "no inaccuracies... only choices" to balance historical fidelity with dramatic flow. This approach integrates Dylan's music organically into the storytelling, using songs like "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" to underscore emotional and thematic depth without overt exposition. Cocks' later works reflect an evolution toward historical and biographical narratives, building on his earlier adaptations to prioritize richly researched period pieces that illuminate cultural and personal transformations. This stylistic focus, evident in projects like A Complete Unknown, underscores his preference for exploring pivotal moments in through intimate, character-driven lenses.

Personal life

Marriage to Verna Bloom

Jay Cocks met actress Verna Bloom in 1969 shortly after the release of her breakout film Medium Cool, in which she starred alongside Robert Forster; as a film critic for Time magazine, Cocks was impressed by her performance, which he reviewed, and was introduced to her by a colleague, drawing him into New York City's vibrant film circles where their paths frequently crossed. Their connection deepened through shared passions for cinema, with Bloom's emerging acting career in independent and countercultural films complementing Cocks' critical work on the evolving landscape of American movies. The couple married in 1972, marking the beginning of a partnership that blended their professional lives seamlessly; they honeymooned on the set of Clint Eastwood's (1973), where Bloom portrayed the resilient Sarah Belding, allowing Cocks to observe and support her craft firsthand. Settling in New York, they nurtured each other's ambitions amid the city's dynamic arts scene, with Bloom taking on notable roles such as the amorous Marion Wormer in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) while Cocks advanced from criticism to screenwriting, often collaborating within overlapping networks that included director . Cocks and Bloom remained devoted partners for nearly five decades, providing mutual encouragement through career highs and personal challenges until Bloom's death on January 9, 2019, at age 80, from complications of , as confirmed by Cocks.

Family and children

Jay Cocks and his wife had one son, Sam Cocks (born 1981). Sam Cocks serves as an assistant and in the Special Victims Bureau of the Manhattan . The Cocks family resided in , where Jay Cocks was born and has spent much of his life.

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Jay Cocks received his first nomination in 1994 for Best Adapted for The Age of Innocence, directed by and based on Edith Wharton's novel exploring themes of repressed desire and social constraints in 1870s New York aristocracy. Cocks' adaptation was praised for its faithful yet cinematic translation of the source material's intricate emotional dynamics and period authenticity, earning the nomination but ultimately losing to Steven Zaillian's . In 2003, Cocks earned his second nomination, this time for Best Original Screenplay for , a historical epic depicting gang rivalries and immigrant struggles in mid-19th-century , co-written with and from Cocks' original story concept. His foundational narrative, inspired by his research into New York's underworld history, contributed to the film's vivid portrayal of urban violence and cultural clashes, though the screenplay lost to Ronald Harwood's The Pianist. Cocks' third nomination came in 2025 for Best Adapted Screenplay for A Complete Unknown, the biopic directed by , which delves into the folk singer's early 1960s reinvention and cultural impact, co-written by Cocks and Mangold from Elijah Wald's biography Dylan Goes Electric!. Cocks' contributions emphasized Dylan's psychological depth and musical evolution, securing the nomination but losing to Peter Straughan's Conclave.

Other honors

In addition to his Academy Award nominations, Jay Cocks received a for Best Adapted Screenplay from the for A Complete Unknown (2024), shared with , recognizing their adaptation of Elijah Wald's book Dylan Goes Electric!. He also earned a BAFTA in the same category for the film, highlighting its faithful yet cinematic rendering of Bob Dylan's early career. Cocks garnered critical acclaim from film organizations for his screenplay work with . The awarded him Best Adapted Screenplay for (2016), praising the script's profound exploration of faith and cultural clash drawn from Shūsaku Endō's novel. The nominated him in the same category for , noting its meticulous adaptation of the source material's philosophical depth. Earlier, for (2002), co-written with and , Cocks shared an Award nomination for Best Motion Picture from the , acknowledging the screenplay's historical intrigue and narrative tension.

References

  1. http://bulletin-archive.kenyon.edu/x1133.html
  2. https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/catching-jay-cocks-41593/
  3. https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2003
  4. https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2025
  5. https://www.nndb.com/people/172/000070959/
  6. https://bulletin.kenyon.edu/feature/a-lifetime-with-bob-dylan/
  7. https://time.com/archive/6842459/a-letter-from-the-publisher-aug-12-1974/
  8. https://theband.hiof.no/articles/time_1970.html
  9. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-original-blade-runner-1.4173566
  10. https://time.com/archive/6639080/cinema-a-tenuous-balance/
  11. https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/10-movie-critics-who-became-filmmakers/
  12. https://time.com/archive/6719848/he-lost-it-at-the-movies/
  13. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/surviving-hollywood/article1032427/
  14. https://time.com/archive/6703055/time-magazine-masthead-vol-134-no-4-july-24-1989/
  15. https://time.com/archive/6841891/cinema-festival-days-in-new-york/
  16. https://time.com/archive/6845047/cinema-sounds-of-silence/
  17. https://time.com/archive/6854712/rocks-outer-limits/
  18. https://time.com/archive/6855868/music-the-ska-above-the-beat-below/
  19. https://variety.com/2010/film/awards/marty-s-gangs-of-new-york-1118013817/
  20. https://time.com/5505457/martin-scorsese-verna-bloom/
  21. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/interviews/martin-scorsese-age-innocence
  22. https://lithub.com/30-years-later-the-age-of-innocence-remains-scorseses-most-subtle-deconstruction-of-misogyny/
  23. https://www.filmcomment.com/article/gangs-of-new-york/
  24. https://spoiledscripts.com/movies/gangs-of-new-york/
  25. https://movies.fandom.com/wiki/Gangs_of_New_York
  26. https://www.nippon.com/en/behind/l00185/
  27. https://icsfilm.org/reviews/silence-martin-scorsese/
  28. https://www.fosters.com/story/entertainment/local/2017/01/06/scorseses-silence-wrestles-with-questions-of-faith/22808039007/
  29. https://www.searchlightpictures.com/a-complete-unknown
  30. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2019/02/05/verna-bloom-actress-stood-clint-eastwood-high-plains-drifter/
  31. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/obituaries/verna-bloom-dead.html
  32. https://www.mdislander.com/obituary/verna-bloom
  33. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ny-supreme-court/2103179.html
  34. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/verna-bloom-dead-animal-house-medium-cool-actress-was-80-1175314/
  35. https://awards.wga.org/awards/nominees-winners
  36. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/bafta-awards-nominations-2025-film-conclave-emilia-perez-1236106208/
  37. https://chicagofilmcritics.org/awards-blog/2016/12/14/2016-chicago-film-critics-awards
  38. https://edgarawards.com/category-list-best-motion-picture/
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