- Paperback: 440 pages
- Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (22 Nov 2011)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0813134633
- ISBN-13: 978-0813134635
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.6 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 380,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel (Screen Classics)
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Product Description
Product Description
Hal Ashby (1929-1988) was always an outsider, and as a director he brought an outsider's perspective to Hollywood cinema. After moving to California from a Mormon household in Utah, he created eccentric films that reflected the uncertain social climate of the 1970s. Whether it is his enduring cult classic Harold and Maude (1971) or the iconic Being There (1979), Ashby's artistry is unmistakable. His skill for blending intense drama with off-kilter comedy attracted A-list actors and elicited powerful performances from Jack Nicholson in The Last Detail (1973), Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in Shampoo (1975), and Jon Voight and Jane Fonda in Coming Home (1979). Yet the man behind these films is still something of a mystery. In Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel, author Nick Dawson for the first time tells the story of a man whose thoughtful and challenging body of work continues to influence modern filmmakers and whose life was as dramatic and unconventional as his films. Ashby began his career as an editor, and it did not take long for his talents to be recognized. He won an Academy Award in 1967 for editing In the Heat of the Night and leveraged his success as an editor to pursue his true passion: directing. Crafting seminal films that steered clear of mainstream conventions yet attracted both popular and critical praise, Ashby became one of the quintessential directors of the 1970s New Hollywood movement. No matter how much success Ashby achieved, he was never able to escape the ghosts of his troubled childhood. The divorce of his parents, his father's suicide, and his own marriage and divorce-all before the age of nineteen-led to a lifelong struggle with drugs for which he became infamous in Hollywood. And yet, contrary to mythology, it was not Ashby's drug abuse that destroyed his career but a fundamental mismatch between the director and the stifling climate of 1980s studio filmmaking. Although his name may not be recognized by many of today's filmgoers, Hal Ashby is certainly familiar to filmmakers. Despite his untimely death in 1988, his legacy of innovation and individuality continues to influence a generation of independent directors, including Wes Anderson, Sean Penn, and the Coen brothers, who place substance and style above the pursuit of box-office success. In this groundbreaking and exhaustively researched biography, Nick Dawson draws on firsthand interviews and personal papers from Ashby's estate to offer an intimate look at the tumultuous life of an artist unwilling to conform or compromise.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book more than any other I have read this year. As a huge fan of Ashby's films (in particular Harold and Maude, and The Last Detail), I was desperate to learn more about the hugely talented director whose films are now, sadly, largely forgotten.
Nick Dawson's book does not disappoint at all - in fact, I wished it was twice the length. Not only is it an involving biography, there is also excellent insight into all of Ashby's films, right from their pre-production up to their releases.
I was first pointed in the direction of Hal Ashby by Peter Biskind's excellent book about 70s film - Easy Riders, Raging Bulls - but as that book covered numerous directors (and was not restrained to just the 1970s), there was only so much information on Ashby himself. A lot of the information in Dawson's book - including certain quotes and events - are present in Biskind's (properly acknowledged of course), but Dawson's book is thoroughly researched and lovingly written, in great depth, and there is no question that it is more than worth its weight in gold. As I write, the book is still quite expensive, but I would assume that's because of the low demand and therefore a small print run, which is shame. Don't be put off though - buy it and enjoy.
Nick Dawson's book does not disappoint at all - in fact, I wished it was twice the length. Not only is it an involving biography, there is also excellent insight into all of Ashby's films, right from their pre-production up to their releases.
I was first pointed in the direction of Hal Ashby by Peter Biskind's excellent book about 70s film - Easy Riders, Raging Bulls - but as that book covered numerous directors (and was not restrained to just the 1970s), there was only so much information on Ashby himself. A lot of the information in Dawson's book - including certain quotes and events - are present in Biskind's (properly acknowledged of course), but Dawson's book is thoroughly researched and lovingly written, in great depth, and there is no question that it is more than worth its weight in gold. As I write, the book is still quite expensive, but I would assume that's because of the low demand and therefore a small print run, which is shame. Don't be put off though - buy it and enjoy.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Being Truly Independent
5 May 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've written capsules on Lean, Losey, and Hawks, all fine directors, yet; we finally have a biography that surpasses my interest on those mentioned. This was a quiet release, much like Hal himself I suppose. Quiet, unassuming, peaceful? How can anyone not love the beauty of Harold and Maude? The synthesis of talent in The Last Detail? Being wholly independent has no real relevance now in film. It doesn't exist. It doesn't exist in the 'indie' world of film, nor in Sundance. Like everything else that was once pure, the notion of being independent is now corrupt. Hal Ashby was the last detail in the world of truly independent artists. Finally, we have a biography on the man. It's a straightforward, chronological account of the editor / director with evident research, detail, and care for Hal. There's been little since, personally, I continued to refer back to an old issue of Premiere magazine, Oct 2006, that featured a decent profile of Ashby. Another profile showed up on the Internet, which revealed the many current directors paying tribute to their 'favorite' Hal Ashby films. That was it. Thank you Mr. Dawson for your steadfast pursuit on writing this fine account. No other director was made a strand of films in this certain Hal vein: The Landlord, Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, Bound for Glory, Coming Home, and Being There. The tone and spirit were consistent in all his films, a spirit that rested in a love for life and a pursuit for all things pure, which define an independent spirit. Battling producers toward the end, Hal remained true to this spirit, as a great artist should. This is a great book. This is the end.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Hal Ashby WAS the shore patrol, mother f&*$@r!
5 Jun 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ashby was once a solidly A-list director, helming pictures that were not only startling and fresh in their time but which still hold up extremely well (which is why his work speaks to so many contemporary directors--most obviously Wes Anderson, whose style owes an enormous debt to Ashby, particularly his work in 'Harold and Maude'). In the '70s, he delivered five classic films in a row; this remarkable winning streak can go toe to toe with the work in that decade by Coppola, Altman, and Scorsese. And yet, while those directors have been celebrated to the gills (rightfully so), Ashby has fallen into something that looks an awful lot like obscurity. A tragic--but not totally surprising--fate for this workhorse, this hippie workaholic who routinely took on extra responsibility, was almost freakishly generous, and rarely got his due.
Author Dawson spent a decade researching and writing this biography, and the results do shed much light on Ashby's life. But aside from filling in the factual gaps, the book seeks to recognize Ashby's artistry, clarifying what his specific strengths were and refuting the absurd idea that this deep and protean artist was merely a hired gun. Invariably it was those films confiscated and re-cut by the suits that tanked; most of the films on which Ashby was allowed to complete his vision were commercial and critical hits. Dawson also debunks Ashby's rep as a drug casualty: while Hal did love his weed, and famously slept only a few hours per night, the book makes it clear that he remained professional to the end.
Sometimes I wish that Dawson were more penetrating--in regard to the films as well as the psychology of the subject himself--but in terms of raw material, this book is an invaluable first step in re-evaluating a great but strangely forgotten artist.
Author Dawson spent a decade researching and writing this biography, and the results do shed much light on Ashby's life. But aside from filling in the factual gaps, the book seeks to recognize Ashby's artistry, clarifying what his specific strengths were and refuting the absurd idea that this deep and protean artist was merely a hired gun. Invariably it was those films confiscated and re-cut by the suits that tanked; most of the films on which Ashby was allowed to complete his vision were commercial and critical hits. Dawson also debunks Ashby's rep as a drug casualty: while Hal did love his weed, and famously slept only a few hours per night, the book makes it clear that he remained professional to the end.
Sometimes I wish that Dawson were more penetrating--in regard to the films as well as the psychology of the subject himself--but in terms of raw material, this book is an invaluable first step in re-evaluating a great but strangely forgotten artist.
Finally...a Hal Ashby biography
27 Mar 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Finally...a full length biography of one of Hollywood's most enigmatic film directors - Hal Ashby - has been written by Nick Dawson. This book was thoroughly researched and gives the reader tremendous insight into the background of the director of, amongst other films, "Harold and Maude", "Shampoo" and "Being There". Dawson puts to rest a few of the myths about Ashby's life and background, including the circumstances of the unusual death of the director's father, while helping the reader understand the forces that shaped the personality of this intriguing filmmaker. From his early days in Ogden, Utah to his highly successful career as an editor and director, to his untimely early death, Dawson leaves no stone unturned in this landmark biography. Highly recommended for anyone interested in films of the 1960's and 70's.
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