Ed Zwick

3.5 stars, rounded down. Ed Zwick may not be a household name, but you're probably familiar with his work as writer, director and/or producer for many successful TV shows (thirtysomething, My So-Called Life) and movies (Glory, Legends of the Fall, and Blood Diamond). The book recounts his experiences working with such luminaries as Denzel, Brad and Leo, as well as the wisdom he has accrued about his craft and industry. Very little dirt or shade on anyone with the notable exception of Matthew show more Broderick. I docked the book half a star for Zwick's slightly inflated ego and the relatively few pages he devotes to the women who have graced his productions. show less

I listened to a downloadable version, read by the author. I really enjoyed the peek into how a number of movies (and a couple of tv shows) were created. A few of the "postscripts" that followed nearly every chapter were a little too "insdier-y" for me. I wish there was more about the TV shows Zwick worked on. Of Zwick's work, I'm most familiar with "Thirtysomething." I want a deep-dive book into that some day! I also wanted to learn more about his work on "Nashville." What Zwick did say show more about the making of "Thirtysomething was interesting, and I can see how the show was a reflection of his and Herskovitz's experiences. There were times when the book got a little pretentious, especially in the "post-scripts," though Zwick was pretty self-aware about that. show less