Raised in Los Angeles

Worked as a film editor after graduating from college

First credit as an editor, "Breaker, Breaker"

Sold first screenplay, "Bad Manners" to Ray Stark's Rastar Productions; never produced

First produced screenplay, "The Falcon and the Snowman", adapted from the Robert Lindsey book detailing the true tale of espionage

Received first Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay for "Awakenings", drawn from the writings of Oliver Sacks

Feature directorial debut, "Searching for Bobby Fischer"; also scripted from the book by Fred Waitzkin

Wrote screenplay for the Steven Spielberg-directed Holocaust drama "Schindler's List", based on the book by Thomas Keneally; won numerous awards and citations including an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

Was one of three credited writers on the script of "Clear and Present Danger", adapted from the Tom Clancy novel

Provided the story for the big screen adaptation of "Mission: Impossible"

Reportedly did uncredited script work for "Amistad" (1997) and "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), both directed by Spielberg

Wrote and directed the based-on-fact drama "A Civil Action", adapted from the Jonathan Harr best-seller

Penned a draft of the script for "Hannibal", the sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs"; shared final on screen credit with David Mamet

Co-wrote the screenplay for Scorsese's "Gangs of New York"

Helmed "All the King's Men," an adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's classic 1946 political novel, starring Sean Penn and Jude Law

Penned the adaptation of "American Gangster" a film directed by Ridley Scott and based on "The Return of Superfly", a New York magazine story by Mark Jacobson about the rise and fall of the 1970s heroin kingpin Frank Lucas