Robert Lee "Bob" Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future films as well as the live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), though in the 1990s he diversified into more dramatic fare, including 1994's Forrest Gump, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director.
His films are characterized by an interest in state-of-the-art special effects, including the early use of match moving in Back to the Future Part II (1989) and the pioneering performance capture techniques seen in The Polar Express (2004). Though Zemeckis has often been pigeonholed as a director only interested in effects, his work has been defended by several critics, including David Thomson, who wrote that "No other contemporary director has used special effects to more dramatic and narrative purpose." Thomson, David. “Robert Zemeckis,” The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. 2002 ed. ISBN 0-3757-0940-1 p. 958-959.
A "whizkid" with special effects, Robert is from the Spielberg camp of film-making (Steven Spielberg (I) produced many of his films). Usually working with writing partner Bob Gale, Robert's earlier films show he has a talent for zany comedy (Romancing the Stone (1984), 1941 (1979)) and special effect vehicles (Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and Back to the Future (1985)). Although these films are made purely for entertainment, with rarely much character development or a thoughtful plot, they are good fun. His later films, though, have become more serious and thoughtful, with the hugely successful Tom Hanks vehicle Forrest Gump (1994) and the Jodie Foster film Contact (1997), both critically acclaimed movies. Again, these films incorporate stunning effects. Robert has proved he can work a serious story around great effects, a feat many directors cannot achieve.
