Thomas Rickman obit

Tom Rickman, Screenwriter on ‘Hooper’ and ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter,’ Dies at 78

Tom Rickman, screenwriter of such films as the Burt Reynolds-starrer 'Hooper' and the Oscar-winning 'Coal Miner's Daughter,' died Monday of cancer. He was 78. 

He was not on the list.

Tom Rickman, screenwriter of such films as the Burt Reynolds-starrer Hooper and the Oscar-winning Coal Miner’s Daughter, died Monday of cancer. He was 78.

Friend and fellow screenwriter Nicholas Meyer confirmed the news Wednesday in a Facebook post, writing, “It is with an exceedingly heavy heart that I report the death of my dear friend and colleague, Tom Rickman, who died Monday after a long and courageous battle with cancer. When I first came to Hollywood (somewhat after the Civil War), Tom was the hottest writer in town. And I hated him. Hated him until I met him. Then I loved him from that day to this.”

Rickman was born in the small mining town of Sharpe, Kentucky, in 1940, where he lived without television or indoor plumbing. He attended graduate school at the University of Illinois and adapted a Flannery O’Connor story for the short film Good Blood, which caught the interest of the AFI Conservatory. He left Illinois to attend AFI, which led to his first screenwriting film credit, in turn leading to the start of his career on such films as the Raquel Welch-starrer Kansas City Bomber (1972), The Laughing Policeman (1973) and The White Dawn (1974).

Rickman earned an Academy Award nomination for his writing on Coal Miner’s Daughter in 1981. The film earned star Sissy Spacek a best actress Oscar.

Following Coal Miner’s Daughter, Rickman was given the opportunity to make his directorial debut with 1984’s The River Rat, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Martha Plimpton and Brian Dennehy. He also penned the script for the film that he described as a cross between The Night of the Hunter and Huckleberry Finn.

Rickman also wrote for TV movies, including 1995’s Truman, which earned an him an Emmy nomination, and 2003’s The Reagans, for which he also received an Emmy nom. He also wrote 1999’s Tuesdays With Morrie telefilm, which earned star Jack Lemmon a Golden Globe nomination.

Rickman also had three directing credits, including an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1986 and the TV movie A Mother’s Fight for Justice in 2001, which he also wrote.

Writer

A Smile as Big as the Moon (2012)

A Smile as Big as the Moon

7.6

TV Movie

teleplay

2012

 

Front of the Class (2008)

Front of the Class

8.1

TV Movie

written by (as Tom Rickman)

2008

 

James Brolin and Judy Davis in The Reagans (2003)

The Reagans

5.9

TV Movie

written by (as Tom Rickman)

2003

 

A Mother's Fight for Justice (2001)

A Mother's Fight for Justice

6.1

TV Movie

written by (as Tom Rickman)

2001

 

Bless the Child (2000)

Bless the Child

5.1

screenplay (as Tom Rickman)

2000

 

Tuesdays with Morrie (1999)

Tuesdays with Morrie

7.4

TV Movie

teleplay (as Tom Rickman)

1999

 

Truman (1995)

Truman

7.1

TV Movie

teleplay (as Tom Rickman)

1995

 

Shannon's Deal (1990)

Shannon's Deal

8.3

TV Series

written by

1990–1991

3 episodes

 

Dennis Quaid and Jessica Lange in Everybody's All-American (1988)

Everybody's All-American

6.2

screenplay (as Tom Rickman)

1988

 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

7.7

TV Series

Writer (as Tom Rickman)

1986

1 episode

 

Tommy Lee Jones and Martha Plimpton in The River Rat (1984)

The River Rat

6.3

Writer

1984

 

Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)

Coal Miner's Daughter

7.5

screenplay (as Tom Rickman)

1980

 

Burt Reynolds in Hooper (1978)

Hooper

6.4

screenplay

1978

 

Bethune (1977)

Bethune

6.6

TV Movie

teleplay

1977

 

Delta County, U.S.A. (1977)

Delta County, U.S.A.

5.6

TV Movie

Writer

1977

 

Home Cookin'

TV Movie

Writer (as Tom Rickman)

1975

 

W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975)

W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings

5.9

written by

1975

 

The White Dawn (1974)

The White Dawn

7.1

screenplay by

1974

 

The Laughing Policeman (1973)

The Laughing Policeman

6.3

screenplay

1973

 

The Hands of Cormac Joyce

8.0

TV Movie

writer

1972

 

Raquel Welch in Kansas City Bomber (1972)

Kansas City Bomber

5.4

screenplay

1972

 

Director

A Mother's Fight for Justice (2001)

A Mother's Fight for Justice

6.1

TV Movie

Director (as Tom Rickman)

2001

 

Shannon's Deal (1990)

Shannon's Deal

8.3

TV Series

Director

1991

2 episodes

 

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

7.7

TV Series

Director (as Tom Rickman)

1986

1 episode

 

Tommy Lee Jones and Martha Plimpton in The River Rat (1984)

The River Rat

6.3

Director (as Tom Rickman)

1984

 

Actor

Dennis Quaid and Jessica Lange in Everybody's All-American (1988)

Everybody's All-American

6.2

Terra-Turf Man (as Tom Rickman)

1988

 

Intermission

Husband

1973