Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?: The Truth About Female Power in Hollywood [Paperback]

Rachel Abramowitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 14, 2002

Ten years ago, Rachel Abramowitz began interviewing the most powerful women in the movie-making business in an effort to discover how they had infiltrated this male-dominated world. From superstar actors to independent directors, women in all arenas opened up to her, and the result is extraordinary—together, these stories comprise the most comprehensive history to date of women in Hollywood. Here, in their own candid and provocative words, are Jodie Foster, Penny Marshall, Dawn Steel, Sherry Lansing, Barbra Streisand, Nora Ephron, Meryl Streep, Jane Campion, and many others—in short, one of the most talented casts ever assembled. Poignant, inspiring, scandalous, and hilarious, this is at once a landmark look at the evolution of women’s place in filmmaking and a glimpse inside one of the most powerful industries in American culture.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Despite her provocative title, Premiere senior writer Abramowitz's look at some of Hollywood's female players (including Paramount chief Sherry Lansing, writer/director Nora Ephron and actor/director Jodie Foster) turns out to be a rather scattershot account that only glances its target. The material is not much more developed than it was in Abramowitz's magazine articles. And as is typical in such an overview, the emphases given to the various women may seem debatable to some readers. For example, Abramowitz only briefly mentions Julia Phillips, the producer of The Sting, perhaps because Phillips already expressed herself so well in her classic slash-and-burn Hollywood memoir, You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again. Although Abramowitz's book rarely captures the passion of Phillips's, it does provide some pathos in describing the rise and demise of Dawn Steel, the tough-talking studio executive who succumbed to a brain tumor. In what is perhaps a sign of the times, the profiled women seem reluctant to complain too loudly about any gender discrimination they have faced or to advocate too strongly any particular ties of sisterhood. Perhaps it's because, as Ephron notes, "If you're not helped by men, you don't get anywhere in this business, because they run it, women don't." Still, Abramowitz's analyses of these women's business experiences will appeal to media junkies as well as those looking to carve out their own careers in Hollywood. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This is a superbly written and insightful look at the lives of some of Hollywood's most powerful women--directors, writers, agents, actors, and other major players. Sherry Lansing, Sue Mengers, Polly Platt, Penny Marshall, Dawn Steel, Nora Ephron, and others all made their careers with talent, creativity, perseverance, and hard work in an industry known to be difficult at best and rife with obstacles at worst--particularly for women and particularly when these women built their careers. Their stories are more than just a chronicle of strong women who triumphed against the prevailing odds and shattered sexist practices within the industry; they are intensely absorbing narratives, rich in details of childhood memories, heartbreaks, inspirations, past experiences, and family and friends (men included) that all shape their lives, both personal and professional. Each woman is real--not just a famous name--and Abramowitz, a senior writer at Premiere, weaves their separate stories together with consummate skill and emotional resonance. This important work will provide a substantial and lasting addition to the serious literature on both Hollywood culture and women's studies.
-Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (May 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375758690
• ISBN-13: 978-0375758690
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #849,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY...HOLLYWOOD FROM WOMEN'S VIEWPOINTS, July 12, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?: Women's Experience of Power in Hollywood (Hardcover)

It is wonderfully refreshing (and about damn time) to learn in depth about women's experiences in Hollywood business. The author writes as candidly as she can, considering the women she included are still alive (Dawn Steel aside) and desirous of keeping their Hollywood careers going (i.e. there is a political cautiousness throughout, as men still do rule the Hollywood roost and offending them would not help any of these successful women's careers. Though the content is informative and enlightening, the choppiness of the books' overall structure is quite annoying, as is the way the author consistantly refers to people suddenly out of nowhere without explaining who they are and how they fit into the picture. Also irritating, is the chapter formation - they jump from woman to woman without any apparent rhyme or reason, cutting of the story of one to start the story of another and not returning to continue the story of the first until many chapters (and women) later - the result being that by the time you get to the pick up of a left off story, you've got to go back and refresh your memory on who she was and where her story left off! Though not the smoothest read ever, this book is definately a must read by anyone desirous of understanding just how male-driven, male-oriented, male-everything Hollywood is (as if that isn't already apparent in every film) and just how tight the keyhole is for women to squeeze through!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Hollywood Book I've Read In Years!, May 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?: Women's Experience of Power in Hollywood (Hardcover)

This book is an absolute delight. The actors interviewed are revealed as real flesh and blood people with unique insights to the film industry. The author is without a doubt a skilled and keenly perceptive journalist. This is one book that should be read by every aspiring actress and every studio executive.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding!, June 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?: Women's Experience of Power in Hollywood (Hardcover)

What a wonderful read! My only regret is that I began to browse it over the weekend and then literally gobbled it down. I wish I had waited for a lazy summer day so I could have relished it slowly. I opened this book, which was a gift, skeptically as the subject matter is not my usual cup of tea. Then I couldn't put it down! Abramowitz must have conducted her interviews with exceptionally sensitivity to be able to give her stories such detailed drama and emotion. This is not gossip and this is not just for women. This is a must for anyone who wants to be a player in a very cutthroat world.