Trivia

He was originally going to direct Rain Man (1988) but abruptly bailed when production was due to start due to "creative differences". Steven Spielberg stepped in but left after a few months, followed by Sydney Pollack who eventually left as well, leaving the project without a director until Barry Levinson signed on.

Directed one Oscar winning performance: Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman (1992).

He was widely known as a perfectionist who nonetheless created a good nurturing environment for actors to do their best work and try out new ideas.

Ben Affleck thanked Brest upon accepting the Best Picture Oscar for Argo (2012), saying it was on the set of Gigli (2003) that he learned to direct.

Was the original director of WarGames (1983) but was replaced by John Badham. Several of Brest's scenes still remain in the film.

He was the one who pushed most heavily for Matthew Broderick's casting in WarGames (1983).

Brest named Chaplin's City Lights (1931) as his all-time favorite film in an AFI-sponsored poll.

He has directed two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Hot Dogs for Gauguin (1972) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984). He has also appeared in two films that are in the registry: Hot Dogs for Gauguin and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982).

He has directed one film that has been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Scent of a Woman (1992).