In 1976, Barry Levinson began his film career, co-scripting, with Mel Brooks, and appearing in both "Silent Movie" and 1977's "High Anxiety." It was in 1982 that Levinson turned to directing, making his auspicious debut with "Diner," a semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age tale set in the late 1950s that demonstrated Levinson's understated, non-intrusive directing style. Levinson went on to direct 1984's "The Natural," starring Robert Redford as baseball pro Roy Hobbs. The film received mixed reviews, prompting Levinson to embark on his next directing endeavor with producer Steven Speilberg�1985's "Young Sherlock Holmes." Two years later, Levinson gained critical praise with two film, "Tin Men," a rich character study and "Good Morning, Vietnam," which was a commercial and critical success. However, it was not until 1988's "Rain Man" that Levinson displayed his talents for ensemble character studies. "Rain Man" proved a finely handled study of the relationship between an autistic "idiot savant" and his opportunistic car-salesman brother. The film was a huge success at the box-office and was awarded four Oscars, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman and Best Screenplay. After this career high, Levinson returned to Baltimore to make 1990's "Avalon," an epic saga tracing the history of his own family. He followed this film with 1991's "Bugsy," which drew critical praise. In an effort to get his career back on track, Levinson made the 1994 star-driven "Disclosure," based on the bestselling thriller by Michael Crichton. In the film, Levinson skillfully orchestrated a suspenseful examination of a new twist on the potential for sexual harassment in the work place. In 1997, Levinson again came out on top with the political satire "Wag the Dog." After directing 1998's star-studded drama "Sphere," Levinson continues to reach for even greater directing challenges in feature films.