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IMDbPro

Ernest Thompson(I)

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ernest Thompson
Written and directed by Academy Award Winner Ernest Thompson and produced by Whitebridge Farm Productions.

Like Ernest's movie TIME AND CHARGES, HEAVENLY ANGLE was offered by Whitebridge Farm Productions as On Location Training but this time Ernest and partners Morgan and Lori wanted their cast and crew to experience a straight-out 18-day shoot, and more than 300 people put their lives on hold to participate.

Doing double duty on the two movies, Ernest has worked with an extraordinary team of young cinematographers and editors and again has collaborated with Joe Deleault, who, with the legendary Natalie MacMaster, composed the infectious score, and put another handful of Ernest's lyrics to music. All of which has turned HEAVENLY ANGLE into what Ernest calls, "a movie whose budget may be minuscule, but whose heart is huge."

The story: a down-on-his-luck Hollywood filmmaker, Linus Van Scooter, thinks he's found a Heavenly Angle: to show up in a little town in New Hampshire and con its mayor and residents into putting money into a movie he has absolutely no intention of making. The scam works beautifully until his lovely and loyal muse has had enough of the game and leaves Linus to fend for himself, with no credit card or license and no choice but to make the movie. And, grudgingly, to accept that the woods are full of remarkably talented and passionate true believers, who, in turn, inspire Linus to embark on a hilarious and heartfelt journey back to the long-forgotten artist he once was.
Play demo reel2:07
Heavenly Angle Trailer
2 Videos
4 Photos
Academy Award winner Ernest Thompson has acted with, written for and/or directed 30 fellow Oscar winners or nominees. He's starred in the independent movies Time and Charges (2013) and Heavenly Angle (2014), both of which he wrote and directed, and costarred with NYPD Blue Emmy winner Gordon Clapp in The Constituent (2024), based on his one-act. Known for his Oscar-winning script for the classic On Golden Pond (1981), adapted from his world-renowned play - translated into 30 languages and performed in more than 40 countries on six continents - Ernest has had 37 of his plays, full-length and one-acts, performed in front of audiences and authored dozens of movies, ten credited to him, six directed by him as well. As an actor, Ernest starred in two TV series, Sierra (1974) and Westside Medical (1977), appeared on Broadway and off and in theatres around the country. He has written more than 200 songs, working with such legends as Carly Simon and Joan Osborne, the novel The Book of Maps (2022), for which he recorded the audiobook, and Out Clause (2025).
BornNovember 6, 1949
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornNovember 6, 1949
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 4 wins & 2 nominations total

    Photos3

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    Known for

    Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda, and Doug McKeon in On Golden Pond (1981)
    On Golden Pond
    7.6
    • Writer
    • 1981
    Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., and Kiefer Sutherland in 1969 (1988)
    1969
    5.8
    • Writer
    • 1988
    Ernest Thompson in Sierra (1974)
    Sierra
    6.8
    TV Series
    • Ranger Matt Harper
    Mel Harris and James McDaniel in Out of Time (2000)
    Out of Time
    4.5
    TV Movie
    • Writer
    • 2000

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Heavenly Angle (2014)
      Heavenly Angle
      7.8
      • Linus Van Scooter
      • 2014
    • Time and Charges (2013)
      Time and Charges
      6.3
      • Jeremiah Ward
      • 2013
    • Friction (2010)
      Friction
      6.7
      • Terry Plant
      • 2010
    • Poster for US video release, 1 sheet movie poster
      Next Stop Wonderland
      6.6
      • Nathan
      • 1998
    • Jennifer Grey, Shirley MacLaine, Kathy Bates, and Liza Minnelli in The West Side Waltz (1995)
      The West Side Waltz
      5.8
      TV Movie
      • Manville Truple
      • 1995
    • Take Me Home Again (1994)
      Take Me Home Again
      5.9
      TV Movie
      • Cal
      • 1994
    • Mariel Hemingway in Star 80 (1983)
      Star 80
      6.8
      • Phil Wass
      • 1983
    • Westside Medical (1977)
      Westside Medical
      6.3
      TV Series
      • Dr. Philip Parker
      • 1977
    • Ernest Thompson in Sierra (1974)
      Sierra
      6.8
      TV Series
      • Ranger Matt Harper
      • 1974
    • Susan Sarandon, Richard Chamberlain, and Blythe Danner in F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'the Last of the Belles' (1974)
      F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'the Last of the Belles'
      5.3
      TV Movie
      • Earl Shoen
      • 1974
    • Great Performances (1971)
      Great Performances
      7.9
      TV Series
      • Walter
      • 1972
    • Joel Crothers in Somerset (1970)
      Somerset
      7.4
      TV Series
      • Tony Cooper #2 (1972-1974)
      • 1970–1976

    Writer



    • Heavenly Angle (2014)
      Heavenly Angle
      7.8
      • writer
      • 2014
    • Time and Charges (2013)
      Time and Charges
      6.3
      • writer
      • 2013
    • La maison du lac (2009)
      La maison du lac
      7.1
      TV Movie
      • play "On Golden Pond"
      • 2009
    • Ghita Nørby and Jørgen Reenberg in Vores sensommer (2006)
      Vores sensommer
      7.1
      TV Movie
      • Writer
      • 2006
    • Television Theater (1953)
      Television Theater
      7.5
      TV Series
      • author
      • 2006
    • Kagayaku mizuumi nite
      TV Movie
      • play "On Golden Pond"
      • 2004
    • On Golden Pond (2001)
      On Golden Pond
      6.7
      TV Movie
      • play
      • written by
      • 2001
    • Mel Harris and James McDaniel in Out of Time (2000)
      Out of Time
      4.5
      TV Movie
      • teleplay
      • 2000
    • Jennifer Grey, Shirley MacLaine, Kathy Bates, and Liza Minnelli in The West Side Waltz (1995)
      The West Side Waltz
      5.8
      TV Movie
      • play
      • written for television by
      • 1995
    • Take Me Home Again (1994)
      Take Me Home Again
      5.9
      TV Movie
      • teleplay
      • 1994
    • Susan Sarandon, Don Johnson, Jeff Daniels, and Elizabeth Perkins in Sweet Hearts Dance (1988)
      Sweet Hearts Dance
      5.7
      • writer
      • 1988
    • Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., and Kiefer Sutherland in 1969 (1988)
      1969
      5.8
      • written by
      • 1988
    • Answers (1985)
      Answers
      TV Movie
      • play
      • 1985
    • Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda, and Doug McKeon in On Golden Pond (1981)
      On Golden Pond
      7.6
      • based on his play
      • screenplay
      • 1981

    Director



    • Heavenly Angle (2014)
      Heavenly Angle
      7.8
      • Director
      • 2014
    • Time and Charges (2013)
      Time and Charges
      6.3
      • Director
      • 2013
    • On Golden Pond (2001)
      On Golden Pond
      6.7
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2001
    • Mel Harris and James McDaniel in Out of Time (2000)
      Out of Time
      4.5
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2000
    • Jennifer Grey, Shirley MacLaine, Kathy Bates, and Liza Minnelli in The West Side Waltz (1995)
      The West Side Waltz
      5.8
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 1995
    • Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., and Kiefer Sutherland in 1969 (1988)
      1969
      5.8
      • Director
      • 1988

    Videos2

    Heavenly Angle Trailer
    Demo Reel 2:07
    Heavenly Angle Trailer
    Time and Charges Trailer
    Demo Reel 1:21
    Time and Charges Trailer
    Time and Charges Trailer
    Demo Reel 1:21
    Time and Charges Trailer

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Born
      • November 6, 1949
      • Bellows Falls, Vermont, USA
    • Other works
      His play, "On Golden Pond", was performed at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, Illinois with Tony Mockus Jr. in the cast.
    • Publicity listings
      • 15 Articles
      • 4 Pictorials
      • 2 Magazine Cover Photos

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Owned a Theater in Kittery, Maine which he sold in 1998.

    FAQ

    Powered by Alexa
    • How old is Ernest Thompson?
      75 years old
    • When was Ernest Thompson born?
      November 6, 1949
    • Where was Ernest Thompson born?
      Bellows Falls, Vermont, USA
    • What is Ernest Thompson known for?
      Sierra, On Golden Pond, 1969, and Out of Time
    • How many awards has Ernest Thompson won?
      4 awards

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