Breaking in: How 20 Film Directors Got Their Start [Paperback]

Jarecki's questions tend to focus on early influences, the educational and life experiences of the directors, and afford elegant ways into the personalities and attitudes of his subjects. The material is fresh and personal, and makes for great reading. Kimberly Peirce, who directed "Boys Don't Cry," tells a heartrending story of how she came to want to tell the Brandon Teena story. Barry Sonnenfeld compares directing to being a father, since in his view much of directing is "about consistency and love and hugging." Amy Heckerling generously gives credit to people who helped her along the way - including the friend who taught her to drive (no small thing) once she had moved from NY to LA. Part of what makes this book such satisfying reading is that Jarecki has somehow managed to collect interesting, lively, and quirky details from each and every director he interviewed.

Jarecki is smart and humane, and he doesn't show off. He's done something special here. In these interviews he listens actively and intelligently, with restraint and subtlety. One of the best things about these interviews is that they are quite specifically about work and love (and sometimes, luck) - not stardom. These are interesting autobiographies that afford keen insight into the motives, the practice, and process of directing. As it turns out, passion and good writing are two keys to good directing - and nearly all of these directors credit a good script (sometimes their own) first and foremost.

In addition there is brief biographical material, a photo of each director, filmographies, and a good index. A first-rate book.

Reading about all the obstacles Kimberly Pierce and Vincenzo Natali (director of Cube), among others, faced may be disheartened, and Brett Ratner sounds like a schmuck, but this is still a wonderful, must-read book.

With his adept interviewing style (the majority of the interviews were conducted in person) the author allows the directors to tell their own life "stories" of how they grew up and became interested in film. The responses to the questions Jarecki asks are very personal and nostalgic and the reader can only assume that, for many of the subjects, the interviews bring them back to their beginnings when they were struggling and just trying to find a way to get into the business of making a feature film. The interviewer keeps the focus of the interviews on the directors' first films and with relative ease seems to elicit candid and thought-provoking insights into their early inspirations and motivations.

This book reveals that the twenty directors were all somehow "moved" and compelled to make films and to share their experiences and vision of life with its triumphs and its tragedies; they have each, in their own unique way, used film as the outlet of their creativity.

The interviews not only offer insights into the process of filmmaking from a personal perspective but also serve as a metaphor for life. The fact that one can be "lucky" or talented is only part of the story here. As a writer and aspiring screenwriter I found each interview to be quite insightful and inspirational in this regard. There is not one clear path to success in this business (or in life) but these filmmakers forged their own paths and found that if you are passionate about something and believe in yourself and your abilities you will eventually find your way in this uncharted territory.

James Toback points out (p. 171) "There are a lot of untalented people who are quite successful and a lot of incredibly talented people who never get a break. They just don't know how to use their personalities to advance themselves. Talented people are brushed aside and defeated and discouraged all the time and untalented people with relentless determination and a certain shrewdness advance all the time." At the core of this book is the message that one who chooses filmmaking as a profession must seek a delicate balance between talent, personality, and the ability to recognize a situation as an "opportunity" which could ultimately lead to that elusive "lucky break." It also doesn't hurt to be a talented writer as most of those interviewed are and were able to direct scripts they had written.

Ben Younger tells of the time he was a waiter in a Manhattan restaurant and happened to be asked by a customer about a short film he had written. The customer was also a successful writer who worked for HBO. He suggested that Ben send a copy of his film to his agent, and so the story goes....

The author elicits a compelling argument about the importance of following a dream. As director Tom DiCillo states at the end of his interview: "Making films is an utterly exhilarating feeling and that is why I do it. If it were only the agony then nobody would last. Sometimes I wish it were easier but I don't regret it for a second."

In the forward to the book, Jarecki mentions the title of the first chapter of Sidney Lumet's book MAKING MOVIES which is aptly titled, "The Director: The Greatest Job in the World". For this reason, if none other, BREAKING IN should be on the required reading list for film students in the US and abroad now and for years to come.