Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick [Paperback]

Betty Jo Tucker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2004

Susan Sarandon's memorable performances have made her an American icon. Passionate and outspoken, she's often controversial. Why did Sarandon choose acting as a career? What is her acting philosophy? How does she select roles? What motivates her to promote social and political causes? Why do some people object to this? How do critics rate her work and her movies? Betty Jo Tucker answers these questions and more in an analysis of Sarandon's achievements from a film critic's perspective. Tucker's book also includes an annotated filmography of Sarandon's movies and selected reviews of her key films.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Betty Jo Tucker, one of the Internet's finest film critics, is a graceful, intelligent judge of cinematic offerings. -- Phil Hall, book editor, New York Resident

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Wearing a slinky, spaghetti-strap black dress, her famous red hair flowing in all directions, Susan Sarandon looked every bit the glamorous movie star while gliding across the stage to accept her Maverick Award at the Taos Talking Pictures Festival 2002. By the time the tribute to this Oscar-winning actress was over, any doubts I harbored about why Sarandon was selected for this award were gone.

Of course, I knew Sarandon's credentials as a great American actress were impeccable . . . and I was aware of the challenging roles she usually selected -- roles that offer a different model of the Hollywood superstar. But up to this point, the term "maverick" wasn't something included in my description of her. However, I realize now it's a perfect title for Susan Sarandon.

"This is so cool!" she said in her acceptance speech. "But when I heard about the Maverick Award, I wasn't sure what that meant, so I looked it up. I found out there really was a Mr. Maverick. He refused to brand his calves. Now, we don't know why he refused. Was he onery? Or lazy? Or maybe he didn't want to hurt his calves. Anyway, the term maverick now means a person who doesn't conform. Well, maybe I am a bit of a maverick."

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Hats Off Books; annotated edition edition (April 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587363003
• ISBN-13: 978-1587363009
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,710,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Betty Jo Tucker, editor/lead film critic for ReelTalk Movie Reviews and host of Movie Addict Headquarters on BlogTalkRadio, is also the author of SUSAN SARANDON: A TRUE MAVERICK, which received Honorable Mention at the New York Book Festival. In addition, she is co-author of IT HAD TO BE US, an award-winning, bestselling romantic memoir she and her husband wrote under the pseudonyms of Harry & Elizabeth Lawrence. She also writes film commentary for the Colorado Senior Beacon and teaches an online course on writing about movies for the Long Story Short School of Writing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compulsivly Readable, April 27, 2004

By 

Jamieson Villeneuve "Author at Large" (Ottawa Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick (Paperback)

Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick is one of the best star profiles to come along in a long time. It is a wonderfully light and entertaining look at one of films greatest stars.

Compulsivly readable, it is not really a biography but more of a Sarandon file, filled with information about her life and career. We get to see Sarandon from the point of view of her work collegues, her friends, her family. We get to know the whole Susan, not just parts of her.

What I loved most about this book was it's wonderful writing and it's set up. Betty Jo talks to us, rather than at us, like most biographies. Instead of being boring, reptetitive and boring, Betty Jo presents us with a beautiful look at Sarandon the movie star, the friend, the activist and the mother.

If that's not good enough, Betty Jo has also compiled what is most likely the first annotated filmography of all of Susan Sarandon's films as well as selected film reviews of her work by various other film critics, a look at Susan's career, and opinions of Susan from people who have worked with her or known her.

Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick is no cardboard cut out biography. Instead, it is a treat to read, full of wonderful information about one of, if not the most beautiful woman working in film today. An amazing read and one that I will read again and again.

I may be a little biased...my film review of The Witches of Eastwick is in the back! But I'm not biased really. Aside from my review, Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick is just one hell of a great read.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Biography, April 23, 2006

By 

Editor, Author, Publicist (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick (Paperback)

In this fascinating biography,Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick Betty Jo Tucker avoids those dreary details that fill the pages of so many movie star bios and gets right to the nitty-gritty. Tucker includes interesting details of Sarandon's amazing career, aspects of her love life, past and present, and includes a extensive list of sources for digging deeper into the magic of Susan Sarandon. This book covers each of Sarandon's movies, allowing the reader to revisit those great characters from Annie Savoy from Bull Durham to Louise of Thelma and Louise. We learn about Susan's passions, what her peers really think about her and just enough of her personal life to satisfy. Tucker takes the reader behind the scenes to those private causes that touch Sarandon's heart and motivate this otherwise private movie star to speak out. If you love biographies but flip past those tedious chapters recalling the subject's childhood in endless detail, this is a must read. If you love movies, you will enjoy it even more.