Winona Ryder

by David Wild (Introduction/Contributor), Barbara O'Dair (Preface), Leslie Van Buskirk

Winona Ryder can move fluidly from playing a strait-laced wife in Nineteenth-Century high society to a college grad in Gen-X hell without missing a beat—only to trot back to Nineteenth-Century New England as a first-wave feminist.

Then she can follow that up with her most provocative, and sexual, role yet: oddly enough, that of a Seventeenth-Century teenage vixen. For all of her cool pedigree and attraction to the edge, Ryder's a composite of characteristics from the archival American cinema: a dollop of Chaplin's baggy imp, a dash of big-eyed Lillian Gish, all girlish frocks and tremulous fragility.

Don't mistake her, however, for timid: While her earnest enunciation pleads for you to listen and understand, the firm set of her jaw signals that you must.

Here at last is a book that captures Winona Ryder's spectacular performances and public poise in gorgeous detail. Featuring a biography, extensive interviews, reviews of her movies and spectacular photographs by Annie Leibovitz, Herb Ritts, Brigitte Lacombe and others, this is a stunning tribute that makes it clear why Winona is one of the most admired and important actors in Hollywood today.

Genres: Biography

144 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 1997

Reviews

[Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of interviews, articles, and reviews covering the first ten years of Ryder's career, along with many photos and illustrations. Ancillary interviews with Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Dave Pirner provide a bit of outside context, but at this stage Ryder remains thoughtful, smart, simultaneously wide-eyed and level-headed but still delightfully odd.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

nother biography book with some good photos in it but also with some bits of artwork that are very strange and aren't that very good.

[OxoNewbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for any Winona Ryder fan. Great photos.

5 stars.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to be ALL about this woman. Not so much anymore...

[Gareth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another artefact of my Winona Ryder obsession.