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Alan Taylor

A former history major who switched to film after losing faith in the academic life, Alan Taylor scored critical approval with his first feature, "Palookaville" (1995), about three young men in Jersey City, NJ, mired in great-rich-quick schemes. Made in association with American Playhouse, the film, which won the Kodak Award at the Venice Film Festival, owed its inspiration to short stories by Italian writer Italo Calvini as well as several classic films, notably "Big Deal on Madonna Street" (1958). Taylor demonstrated his helming skills by negotiating the fine line between absurdist deadpan humor and realism, evoking fine performances from his cast. Eschewing showy camerawork and focusing on the story, the director created a film that featured believable characters, working-class men frustrated by their situations and the strong, independent females in their lives.