Member Review
Review by
Richard P, Reviewer
As a longtime film journalist and lover of films, there's no denying that I'm certainly among the target reader for "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life," the debut book by well known storyteller Ira Wells that paints a rewarding picture of a filmmaker who seldom, if ever, got the acclaim he so richly deserved.
Among my favorite filmmakers, I must say that I most admire those whose filmography is diverse. I prefer filmmakers who cross genres and styles and subjects. Jewison, now 94-years-old, is very much such a filmmaker.
Over his years as a filmmaker, Jewison's films have amassed 41 Academy Award nominations and 12 wins. He was nominated for Best Director for "In the Heat of the Night," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Moonstruck," and in 1999 received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
While one of Hollywood's true greats, Jewison long resisted the Hollywood rat race and preferred living in both England and Canada. Long before Hollywood approached Black stories or stories centered around women, Jewison pushed the envelope with films like "A Soldier's Story" and "Agnes of God." "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" also realistically portrays the period when Hollywood's Black and female voices started telling their own stories and how Jewison had to adapt to this changing landscape. An example of this being Jewison's removing himself from filming "Malcolm X" in favor of Spike Lee.
The first half of "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" is easily my favorite, a balanced portrait of Jewison weaving together family tales and personal tales alongside vivid and detailed accounts of Jewison's early filmmaking efforts. In the latter half of the book, Wells focuses far more exclusively on Jewison's filmography and while the stories remain enchanting it feels like a little less of Jewison is being brought to the table.
For example, Jewison's 54-year marriage to Dixie is oft-portrayed early in the film yet only sporadically mentioned in the film's latter half. She's still there, but her presence is less integral to the story. Jewison's infidelities are given incredibly brief mention...acknowledged yet largely swept aside. There are only occasional mentions of his three children.
On the flip side, "Norman Jewison" vividly brings to life the myriad of relationships adding up to Jewison's lengthy filmmaking career that largely ended with 2003's "The Statement."
For lovers of film and filmmaking, "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" is practically a must-read. Stories about films like "Jesus Christ Superstar," "In the Heat of the Night," "Fiddler on the Roof," "A Soldier's Story," "Moonstruck," are captivating in their detail and remarkable reflection of Jewison's strengths as a filmmaker and a human being. Other films, perhaps less critically acclaimed but no less beloved, are also vividly brought to life such as "Agnes of God," the original "The Thomas Crown Affair," ""The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming," "Rollerball," "...And Justice For All," "The Hurricane," and "The Cincinnati Kid" among others.
At nearly 600 pages, "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" is remarkable in its detail and storytelling. Wells has relentlessly researched and documented Jewison's life and even my still being edited ARC is practically a "can't put this down" kind of book. Jewison, who retired after "The Statement," was installed as Chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto and would serve in that role until 2010. In 2010, he married his second wife Lynne.
A remarkably bold, compassionate voice and a filmmaker with fierce artistic integrity, Norman Jewison is captured beautifully by Ira Wells in "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" and the book is due for release by Sutherland House on May 28, 2021.
Among my favorite filmmakers, I must say that I most admire those whose filmography is diverse. I prefer filmmakers who cross genres and styles and subjects. Jewison, now 94-years-old, is very much such a filmmaker.
Over his years as a filmmaker, Jewison's films have amassed 41 Academy Award nominations and 12 wins. He was nominated for Best Director for "In the Heat of the Night," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Moonstruck," and in 1999 received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
While one of Hollywood's true greats, Jewison long resisted the Hollywood rat race and preferred living in both England and Canada. Long before Hollywood approached Black stories or stories centered around women, Jewison pushed the envelope with films like "A Soldier's Story" and "Agnes of God." "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" also realistically portrays the period when Hollywood's Black and female voices started telling their own stories and how Jewison had to adapt to this changing landscape. An example of this being Jewison's removing himself from filming "Malcolm X" in favor of Spike Lee.
The first half of "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" is easily my favorite, a balanced portrait of Jewison weaving together family tales and personal tales alongside vivid and detailed accounts of Jewison's early filmmaking efforts. In the latter half of the book, Wells focuses far more exclusively on Jewison's filmography and while the stories remain enchanting it feels like a little less of Jewison is being brought to the table.
For example, Jewison's 54-year marriage to Dixie is oft-portrayed early in the film yet only sporadically mentioned in the film's latter half. She's still there, but her presence is less integral to the story. Jewison's infidelities are given incredibly brief mention...acknowledged yet largely swept aside. There are only occasional mentions of his three children.
On the flip side, "Norman Jewison" vividly brings to life the myriad of relationships adding up to Jewison's lengthy filmmaking career that largely ended with 2003's "The Statement."
For lovers of film and filmmaking, "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" is practically a must-read. Stories about films like "Jesus Christ Superstar," "In the Heat of the Night," "Fiddler on the Roof," "A Soldier's Story," "Moonstruck," are captivating in their detail and remarkable reflection of Jewison's strengths as a filmmaker and a human being. Other films, perhaps less critically acclaimed but no less beloved, are also vividly brought to life such as "Agnes of God," the original "The Thomas Crown Affair," ""The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming," "Rollerball," "...And Justice For All," "The Hurricane," and "The Cincinnati Kid" among others.
At nearly 600 pages, "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" is remarkable in its detail and storytelling. Wells has relentlessly researched and documented Jewison's life and even my still being edited ARC is practically a "can't put this down" kind of book. Jewison, who retired after "The Statement," was installed as Chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto and would serve in that role until 2010. In 2010, he married his second wife Lynne.
A remarkably bold, compassionate voice and a filmmaker with fierce artistic integrity, Norman Jewison is captured beautifully by Ira Wells in "Norman Jewison: A Director's Life" and the book is due for release by Sutherland House on May 28, 2021.
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