Moving Pictures: An Autobiography [Hardcover]

Ali Macgraw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1991

The star of Love Story describes her New England childhood, modeling career, her marriage to film exec Robert Evans, her film successes and failures, and her passionate affair with and subsequent marriage to moody screen star Steve McQueen. Reprint. NYT. PW. K.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this candid, courageous autobiography, MacGraw discusses her artistic, emotionally cold parents, her schooling at Wellesley College and her stint as Diana Vreeland's "girl" at Harper's Bazaar . The focus, however, is on her struggle with addiction--alcoholism and "male dependency"--that grew as her acting career and personal life sputtered. A sudden star in her first major role, in Goodbye, Columbus in 1969, and the following year with the even more popular Love Story , she felt immediately that she was "in way over my head," mainly because of her fear of the camera ("I was scarcely trained at all as an actress"). Alcohol compounded problems and she continued to run after unavailable or hard-drinking or cold men. (Third husband Steve McQueen forbade MacGraw from working, yet convinced her to sign a prenuptual agreement that left her penniless after their divorce). In 1986, the actress spent a month at the Betty Ford clinic. Although she receives few film or TV job offers today, MacGraw is sober and "growing up at last." Photos not seen by PW. Literary Guild alternate; first serial to Cosmopolitan.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Twenty years ago, MacGraw was on top of the Hollywood heap, thanks to her starring roles in Goodbye, Columbus and Love Story . Ten years ago she was a star of a more dubious nature, thanks to the tabloids, following her tumultuous marriages to mogul Robert Evans and superstar Steve McQueen. Having not worked in film or TV in three years, McGraw now tells the whole sad story of her life. In what could be appropriately filed under "self-help," she writes extensively about coming to grips with her addictions to alcohol and men. This is certainly not a series of pretty pictures, but the clever use of the word "moving" in the title does work from time to time. Appropriate where celebrity bios circulate well.
-Thomas Wiener, formerly with "American Film," Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 16 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (April 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553072706
• ISBN-13: 978-0553072709
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars [e-mail], April 20, 2000

By 

F. F Klein "Heytaxi" (Lancaster, Pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moving Pictures: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

In rating this work, one has to remember they are rating the book, not Ali McGraw's personal life which was filled with the effects of questionable choices. The book, however was extremely interesting, very intriguing and kept me interested even as a part-time reader. Parts of it made me feel as if Ali McGraw had missed her true calling as a writer. As a reader I was able to feel the emotions this person experienced in her detailed relationships, although was left wondering how it was possible for one person to be in love so many times. The writing flowed well and I found myself eager to pick up the book before bedtime and again in the morning before work. Other than the McQeen years, the chapters I found most interesting were the diary kept at the Betty Ford Center, the "Just Tell Me What You Want" chapter, beautifully written in the third person and permeating genuine romantic suffering and the untitled chapter at the end with descriptions of winter in Maine. i.e.: "Over and over again I stop to stare at the patterns of the ice, melting and freezing and melting again, right before my my eyes. In one spot a huge old rotting birch has fallen across the stream and where the log touches the water with its little birch whiskers, large Christmas bells of ice have formed, anchoring the tree to the stream below. In another place the water rushes in great circular motions, freezing in ovals as it touches the snowy bank. In some places the ice is black and transparent, so that you can see the inky leaves on the stream's bottom. And in others it is opaque gray, disguising its thiness. Only the telltale musical sound of the brook gives away the news that it is building up its strength for spring". This book was written in 1991 when Ali McGraw was 50 years old. Perhaps I enjoyed it because I am in the same age range and remember her so well in "Love Story". I was, however, not familiar with her life, loves and career after that film. This book filled in all the gaps and described the peaks and valleys of a woman who could have given us so much more on the screen or in the theatre, but gave herself to others instead. If you liked Ali McGraw, this is a "must read".

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quo Vadis - Ali MacGraw, August 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Moving Pictures: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

Ali MacGraw, describes her life's unfolding, a lovely soul who became a spoilt Hollywood siren, who then crashed in alcoholic self-indulgence, then setting out to discover self-truth and integrity. The book has a lot of new age sentiment to it, reconciling Ali's difficult past with an appreciation for the relative tranquility and groundedness of the present. It is a good read, honest and compelling.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE 70'S ICON SPEAKS.., August 24, 2000

By 

joseph filippazzo (staten island, new york United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moving Pictures: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

The woman who moved us all to tears in love story, and to me, was the essence, the quintessential woman of the 1970's, has put together a seriously honest, and sometimes wonderfully blunt, memoir of her life, and all i can say now, after 10 years since this book was published, "Where is the sequel, Ali?"i have never in my life finished a book during my daily commute in only 3 days, which is about 7 hours!very fascinating reading, especially the Steve Mcqueen chapter. This woman does something no other actress can even come across as, a loving mother, a devoted wife, and finally, human. Her beauty and this book, like her, is now timeless..heavily reccomended reading!!