Neal Jimenez

Jimenez co-scripted (with Marshall Brickman and Lindy Laub) "For The Boys" (1991), a slight but overlong musical drama with a skimpy historical overview. This diverting, if forgettable, Bette Midler vehicle followed brassy entertainer Dixie Leonard as she entertained the troops from WWII to Vietnam to today. Jimenez made his directorial debut (co-helming with Michael Steinberg) with "The Waterdance" (1992), the story of a paralyzed writer played by Eric Stoltz. Set in a physical rehab center, the film dealt movingly and unflinchingly with differences in class and temperament between the patients, as well as between Stoltz and his able-bodied girlfriend. Scripted by Jimenez, "The Waterdance" was based on his personal experiences after a 1984 accident which left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Jimenez was also one of five writers credited with "Sleep With Me" (1994), a slight comedy about a man (Eric Stoltz) who confesses his love for the wife (Meg Tilly) of a friend (Craig Sheffer). He also worked on the adaptation of Dean R. Koontz' novel "Hideaway" (1995), a muddled suspense thriller about a man (Jeff Goldblum) whose near-death experience links him with a serial killer which in turn threatens his family. Koontz was so displeased with the final film that he asked to have his name removed from the credits.