Customer Reviews

Alan J. Pakula: His Films and His Life

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"Alan J. Pakula" by Jared Brown is among the best film bios I have ever read, for the way it is written and for inviting me into the world of Pakula on a whole new level.

It's not enough to say the book was thoroughly researched, though it was. Clearly, Brown had access that allowed him to explore Paluka's life at a particularly meaningful level. But it is also a highly engaging journey. A really fun read. I realized, as I read it, how iconographic are many scenes from Pakula's best films. Just mention the titles and these scenes pop out, full blown: the face of Meryl Streep's Sophie on that bed, suffused with the overwhelming pain of her past, Jane Fonda's low, droning voice in the most chilling seduction scene I can recall, Robert Redford making phone call after phone call, plodding toward a story that refuses to reveal itself. And how many scenes from "To Kill a Mockingbird" are burned into the brain? I mentioned this to my husband as I was reading and he remarked he had similar recollections of the same films. They are part of our movie-going psyche and had become the standard by which we subconsciously measure many films we have seen since.

Reading about how these scenes came about created a whole new dimension. A new phenomenon are the behind-the-scenes extra material that comes with many DVD's; this book takes you places such films just can't go,: the mental journey of the creator.
Had anyone asked before who made these films, I couldn't have answered. They just "were". Like the technique, the director had kept himself invisible. How gutsy. So this book was a double joy, not only taking me back to some of the best films Hollywood has produced (we have begun renting each of them to see again; they are astoundingly fresh) but providing a chance to meet a director who was not only supremely talented but such a fine person. Getting into his head and heart has been delightful. And seeing his process was magical. After seeing today's film techniques, the hand-held camera with all the distracting jumping about, how refreshing to discover and appreciate the thought and consideration that went into Pakula's films, the respect for the stories, the characters, the actors and above all, the audience, that he demonstrated. Each of the scenes referred to above are remarkable in their stillness but until I read this bio, I had not appreciated how much thought and insight and sheer talent went into creating that stillness. And the love and passion he brought to the films was obviously returned by those with whom he worked. These films told a story in a way we just don't see today. Maybe this biography will give current directors some pause to reconsider how to tell a story. For myself, I already loved his films. Having read this wonderful biography, now I know why and can enjoy them even more.

Among the best sections of the book are the two extensive chapters on the making of "All the President's Men". Brown must live a charmed life; his book has come out the same time as Deep Throat. So if all you are interested in is politics, these chapters alone are worth getting the book. I had just read Vanity Fair's Bernstein article on Deep Throat. Sequeing into these two chapters could not have been more perfect. Or addictive. I didn't want them to end.

This book is a truly absorbing read on a multitude of levels. I highly recommend it.

This book is NOT a paperback of the hardcover version. It's a "bound galley," meaning that it's a pre-publication version before the author had the opportunity to revise it. I (the author) subsequently revised and improved it significantly and can reliably inform you that the "paperback version" being advertised does not accurately reflect the hardcover version that was ultimately published. Do not buy it in the belief that you will receive an inexpensive of the hardcover.

Brown has done Pakula proud. This is an important book for anyone interested in one of America's greatest filmmakers.

As with all of Jared Brown's biographies, "Alan J. Pakula His Films and His Life" is beautifully written and researched. It's a fascinating book about a fascinating man, rich in details and characters, easy to read. Pakula's life is chronicled, and his movies examined. This alone makes the book memorable, but to have even more fun I suggest you watch the movies as you read about them. Brown goes into the movies' production, the stars and their association with Pakula. Some of the details are particular to a certain movie; to see their fruition in the actual movie is eye-opening. I highly recommend the book.