Minnie Driver

Minnie Driver has been a curly girl icon for me since I first saw her in my favourite film, Grosse Pointe Blank, in the 90s. Now, after reading her beautifully captured memoir and realising there is more to the actress than just her hair, which is still fabulous, curl envy has developed into a massive girl crush!

Instead of an ordinary autobiography, full of dates and anecdotes, Minnie's 'memoir in essays' is exactly that, a collection of intimate vignettes which encapsulate her childhood, show more career, stardom, motherhood and family life. Most made me laugh, while the last chapter about her mother made me cry. The only quibble I have is that the story of her life in Hollywood focussed more on her relationship with Matt Damon than John Cusack (he's mentioned once, when she recalls that he told her to 'just be herself', a character that the actress has always struggled with).

My favourite quotes are of course about the battle of having wild hair, especially in the days before the tools to control curls really existed (Minnie had lurid green gel, I had Frizz Ease, which didn't): My hair was just part of my identity that had shown up too soon for the rest of me to accommodate. I had banished it for a while, but it would be waiting for me in the future, when perhaps I’d have the tools, both literally and emotionally, to embrace it. I also loved her ongoing personality crisis - “But isn’t a person supposed to be kinda more . . . whole? Don’t you think I might start making bad decisions if it’s just one little disconnected piece making the decision?” - and the blunt advice she received in return from her father and sister Kate: "You make it all up in your head, Min. All the fears I’ve ever heard you be fearful of are things you made up in your head." I caught myself nodding my head in acknowledgement while reading, sharing Minnie's honest self-assessment and her family's struggle to break her out of the cycle.

And the final tribute - after reading the Kindle edition, I have now ordered a (signed) hardback copy because I need this book in my life and will definitely read Minnie's story again and again. show less

Best for:
Fans of well-written and insightful autobiographies of public figures.

In a nutshell:
Actress and author Driver shares the details of a few stories that provide the reader with real insight into her life.

Worth quoting:
I listened so didn’t take down any particular phrases, but there were definitely multiple times I had a strong positive reaction to something she shared.

Why I chose it:
On one level, I’m a bit of a fan in that I think she is fantastic in Grosse Pointe Blank. On show more another, I have vague memories of claims that Matt Damon broke up with her on Oprah, and I was sort of hoping maybe she’s touch on that? (Spoiler: she does, in the classiest way possible.)

Review:
What an absolutely lovely autobiography. Given I’ve listened to some this year that left me a bit wanting in terms of both the quality of the writing and the choice of stories shared, I was a slightly hesitant, and thought perhaps this was no longer my genre of choice. Driver’s writing put all concerns to rest, as she provides a well-written, well-edited, and well-read (seriously, get the audio version she reads herself) collection of essays that provide insight into a privileged life. And even with that privilege, I didn’t get the sense ever that she was out of touch, or unaware of how lucky she has been in some aspects of her life. She seems to have a strong sense of self, and that comes across in this book.

The book isn’t just about her time as an actress - in fact it starts with a story about her being a bit of a brat as a child. I’d say nearly half the book is about her childhood, and the stories are fascinating. She doesn’t go from episode to episode - she seems to have carefully selected things that for her represent an important time and story in her life. There are just a handful of chapters, and each chapter is pretty narrowly focused, so don’t expect to get her literal life story.

She obviously does discuss her career, but I’d say it’s maybe 1/3 of the book max? The final chapter is heart-wrenching and beautiful, covering the short illness and death of her mother.

As with any memoir, I have no idea what was left out, how truthful the stories are, etc. But I get a sense that Driver has shared a lot of herself, and while it’s obviously not all of herself, it doesn’t feel censored or self-edited in an untrue way. I don’t ‘know’ Driver in any real way, but the book makes me feel now that I do, just a little bit, and I appreciate her contribution to this genre.

Recommend to a Friend / Keep / Donate it / Toss it:
Recommend to a Friend show less

I was drawn to this memoir following an enthusiastic discussion of it on the BBC. Minnie Driver is a fine comedic actress. She is also a fine writer, especially of her early years. What a despotic, precocious child she must have been! As well as endlessly charming. I was less interested in her, or her writing becomes less interesting, when she becomes an adult and recounts some of the tribulations of her relationships with men. But then her writing returns in the final essay which follows show more the sad and very rapid decline her mother suffered. I understand that actually happened part way through the writing of the book, so facing it head-on like this is even more impressive.

Gently recommended whether you know who Minnie Driver is or not. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. She should have, or could have been, an excellent author in addition to her other accomplishments (or maybe she still will be - one can hope). Her successes come through but not in a traditional Hollywood name-dropping way. She engages the reader in a wonderful conversation about her life's ups and downs. Parts are absolutely hysterical, and all of it is honest and engaging. Highly recommended, especially as a memoir.