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Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood
This heartfelt career memoir from the director of Blood Diamond, The Last Samuari, Legends of the Fall, About Last Night, and Glory, creator of the show thirtysomething, and executive producer of My So-Called Life, gives a dishy, behind-the-scenes look at working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
“I’ll be dropping a few names,” Ed Zwick confesses in the introduction to his book. “Over the years I have worked with self-proclaimed masters-of-the-universe, unheralded geniuses, hacks, sociopaths, savants, and saints.”
He has encountered these Hollywood types over four decades of directing, producing, and writing projects that have collectively received eighteen Academy Award nominations (seven wins) and sixty-seven Emmy nominations (twenty-two wins). Though there are many factors behind such success, including luck and the contributions of his creative partner Marshall Herskovitz, he’s known to have a special talent for bringing out the best in the people he’s worked with, especially the actors. In those intense collaborations, he’s sought to discover the small pieces of connective tissue, vulnerability, and fellowship that can help an actor realize their character in full.
Talents whom he spotted early include Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Claire Danes, and Jared Leto. Established stars he worked closely with include Leonardo DiCaprio, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Daniel Craig, Jake Gyllenhaal, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Connelly. As if that wasn’t enough, he sued Harvey Weinstein over the production of Shakespeare in Love—and won. He shares personal stories about all these people, and more.
Written mostly with love, sometimes with rue, this memoir is also a meditation on working, sprinkled throughout with tips for anyone who has ever imagined writing, directing, or producing for the screen. Fans with an appreciation for the beautiful mysteries—as well as the unsightly, often comic truths—of crafting film and television won’t want to miss it.
“I’ll be dropping a few names,” Ed Zwick confesses in the introduction to his book. “Over the years I have worked with self-proclaimed masters-of-the-universe, unheralded geniuses, hacks, sociopaths, savants, and saints.”
He has encountered these Hollywood types over four decades of directing, producing, and writing projects that have collectively received eighteen Academy Award nominations (seven wins) and sixty-seven Emmy nominations (twenty-two wins). Though there are many factors behind such success, including luck and the contributions of his creative partner Marshall Herskovitz, he’s known to have a special talent for bringing out the best in the people he’s worked with, especially the actors. In those intense collaborations, he’s sought to discover the small pieces of connective tissue, vulnerability, and fellowship that can help an actor realize their character in full.
Talents whom he spotted early include Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Claire Danes, and Jared Leto. Established stars he worked closely with include Leonardo DiCaprio, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Daniel Craig, Jake Gyllenhaal, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Connelly. As if that wasn’t enough, he sued Harvey Weinstein over the production of Shakespeare in Love—and won. He shares personal stories about all these people, and more.
Written mostly with love, sometimes with rue, this memoir is also a meditation on working, sprinkled throughout with tips for anyone who has ever imagined writing, directing, or producing for the screen. Fans with an appreciation for the beautiful mysteries—as well as the unsightly, often comic truths—of crafting film and television won’t want to miss it.
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First published February 13, 2024
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November 12, 2023
Why do we rush to read books from our favorite celebrities? Why do we immerse ourselves in the lives of our favorite actors, singers, writers, filmmakers, and others?
While it seems like everyone right now is reading books from Britney Spears or Jada Pinkett-Smith or others, I barely raised an eyebrow when those titles were released and instead my heart went aflutter when I caught sight of "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood" by Oscar winner Ed Zwick.
Filmmakers, it would seem, are loathe to write traditional biographies. Instead, they take the worlds they've spent their lives creating and invite us even deeper into them. I've read a number of memoirs authored by filmmakers over the years, I am a professional film journalist after all, and the vast majority of them have been rather light on personal revelations yet filled to the brim with cinematic nuggets of insight and wisdom.
The same is true here.
Ed Zwick is the acclaimed director of such films as Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Legends of the Fall, About Last Night, and Glory among others. He created the television show Thirtysomething and executive produced My So-Called Life. He's worked with a number of the film industry's greats, often discovering them or at least empowering them early in their careers, and over four decades in the industry his projects have claimed eighteen Academy Award nominations (seven wins) and sixty-seven Emmy Award nominations (22 wins). He himself claimed the Oscar for producing Shakespeare in Love, a victory made, perhaps, more sweet by his lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, which he won, after Weinstein tried to squeeze him out.
"Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" is, quite simply, one of the best of the many books I've read written by filmmakers. The book is less a personal memoir than a creative one. Chapters are organized primarily by films, projects, or creative periods and while Zwick doesn't avoid personal revelation neither does he immerse us in it.
Instead, Zwick invites us into his creative process as he grows as a filmmaker and encounters the "self-proclaimed masters-of-the-universe, unheralded geniuses, hacks, sociopaths, savants, and saints" he's worked with over the years. Refreshingly, he doesn't really hold back whether heaping enormous praise or honestly sharing details regarding his most challenging relationships.
We learn about the complex and complicated relationship, for example, that he shared with a fresh off Ferris Bueller's Day Off Matthew Broderick during the subsequent shooting of Glory. While he's quick to share that the two have since made amends, the vivid storytelling makes it clear this was among his most difficult relationships during filming.
There were others.
Throughout "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions," there are others where he shares lovingly, ruefully, or even with some degree of existing exasperation as he truly does reflect upon his hits, flops, and other experiences over the years.
I found myself loving nearly every page of "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions," though I'll confess I found the ending rather abrupt and perhaps lacking the personality that had filled the pages before it. Yet, this is a minor quibble for a book that informed, enlightened, entertained, and widened my view of Zwick and the cinematic worlds he's created over the years.
Each chapter also includes what could almost be called a meditation on the work itself, tidbits and insights and teachings often hard-earned and clearly never forgotten.
I'm not always sure why I choose to read a book by filmmakers, however, what I do know is that what I long for is exactly what I've gotten from Ed Zwick's "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions." Written with tremendous heart and humor, honesty and vulnerability, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" is no doubt a must-read for anyone who wants to gain greater knowledge and insight into the creative process and those who commit their lives to entertaining us all.
While it seems like everyone right now is reading books from Britney Spears or Jada Pinkett-Smith or others, I barely raised an eyebrow when those titles were released and instead my heart went aflutter when I caught sight of "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood" by Oscar winner Ed Zwick.
Filmmakers, it would seem, are loathe to write traditional biographies. Instead, they take the worlds they've spent their lives creating and invite us even deeper into them. I've read a number of memoirs authored by filmmakers over the years, I am a professional film journalist after all, and the vast majority of them have been rather light on personal revelations yet filled to the brim with cinematic nuggets of insight and wisdom.
The same is true here.
Ed Zwick is the acclaimed director of such films as Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Legends of the Fall, About Last Night, and Glory among others. He created the television show Thirtysomething and executive produced My So-Called Life. He's worked with a number of the film industry's greats, often discovering them or at least empowering them early in their careers, and over four decades in the industry his projects have claimed eighteen Academy Award nominations (seven wins) and sixty-seven Emmy Award nominations (22 wins). He himself claimed the Oscar for producing Shakespeare in Love, a victory made, perhaps, more sweet by his lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, which he won, after Weinstein tried to squeeze him out.
"Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" is, quite simply, one of the best of the many books I've read written by filmmakers. The book is less a personal memoir than a creative one. Chapters are organized primarily by films, projects, or creative periods and while Zwick doesn't avoid personal revelation neither does he immerse us in it.
Instead, Zwick invites us into his creative process as he grows as a filmmaker and encounters the "self-proclaimed masters-of-the-universe, unheralded geniuses, hacks, sociopaths, savants, and saints" he's worked with over the years. Refreshingly, he doesn't really hold back whether heaping enormous praise or honestly sharing details regarding his most challenging relationships.
We learn about the complex and complicated relationship, for example, that he shared with a fresh off Ferris Bueller's Day Off Matthew Broderick during the subsequent shooting of Glory. While he's quick to share that the two have since made amends, the vivid storytelling makes it clear this was among his most difficult relationships during filming.
There were others.
Throughout "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions," there are others where he shares lovingly, ruefully, or even with some degree of existing exasperation as he truly does reflect upon his hits, flops, and other experiences over the years.
I found myself loving nearly every page of "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions," though I'll confess I found the ending rather abrupt and perhaps lacking the personality that had filled the pages before it. Yet, this is a minor quibble for a book that informed, enlightened, entertained, and widened my view of Zwick and the cinematic worlds he's created over the years.
Each chapter also includes what could almost be called a meditation on the work itself, tidbits and insights and teachings often hard-earned and clearly never forgotten.
I'm not always sure why I choose to read a book by filmmakers, however, what I do know is that what I long for is exactly what I've gotten from Ed Zwick's "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions." Written with tremendous heart and humor, honesty and vulnerability, "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions" is no doubt a must-read for anyone who wants to gain greater knowledge and insight into the creative process and those who commit their lives to entertaining us all.
April 8, 2024
Published in 2024, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions is a terrific filmmaking memoir by writer/producer/director Ed Zwick, who climbed from a story editor and writer on the TV series Family in the 1970s to co-creating, writing, and directing (with his creative partner Marshall Herskovitz) thirtysomething in the '80s to directing classic movies, including Glory, Legends of the Fall, and The Last Samurai.
My knowledge of Zwick's work began with Special Bulletin, a 1983 TV movie about a reporter and cameraman taken hostage by eco-terrorists in the Port of Charleston who threaten to detonate what they claim is a nuclear device unless their disarmament demands are met. It's slicker and more terrifying than The Day After. It was informative to read about Zwick's arrival in LA (from Chicago) and inconspicuous start in show business, as well as his account of projects that were nearly made, like a 1994 version of Shakespeare In Love that would've starred Julia Roberts with Zwick directing (he stepped aside to produce and won an Academy Award for Best Picture).
Zwick has great stories to tell and in a fashion that reminded me of his writing for television and film, for which the word "craftsmanlike" could apply, stays out of his way and gets to his stories, and to the characters in those stories. These include melting down at Woody Allen's New Year's Eve party after breaking up with the girlfriend we was in attendance with, Zwick's instruction by acting coach Nina Foch and mentorship by director Sydney Pollack. Zwick uses this book as an opportunity to mentor writers or directors coming after him.
He admits to pining for relationships with the movie stars he's cultivated great working relationships with, only to never see or speak to them after the show wraps. Zwick praises first assistant directors and attempts to give a job few people can really define their due. He is candid about how difficult it was working with Matthew Broderick (and his mother) and Julia Roberts, litigating Harvey Weinstein into acceptable professional and human behavior, and how producing eighty hours of television gave him the tools to make movies. Between chapters, Zwick includes little lists of advice for writers and directors, or shares show business anecdotes in which the names have been removed.
NINE LESSONS FROM NINA
The oracle speaks
1. A HELPING HAND
If an actor is nervous, tell him his power emanates from the ground, rising from the earth into the sky like lightning. If he's scared, insist "This is going to be fun." Appeal to the child in the actor, who then appeals to the child in himself.
2. BE HERE NOW
Everything is happening for the first time. There's never time in real life to think. Throw in a curve ball before a take now and then. Create an unforeseen obstacle. Watch life happen. If something is easy, it's usually wrong.
3. THE DIALECTIC
Every scene has two truths that collide and change each other. Pretty much every scene should go from dark to light, or light to dark. Try to identify the moment in a scene that a dark bird flies in and flies out. Everything else is just slight of hand.
4. THE GLASS IS HALF FULL
When we say a performance is "generous" it means the actor is constantly giving the audience little gifts. Unexpected humor, sudden rage, mysterious secrets, unflagging intensity. That's the actor you want to cast.
5. THE LUCKY ONES
The best actors can be reading items from a dinner menu and leave you breathless as you wait to hear the entrées. Some people simply appear to have more vivid inner lives than others even wen they don't. The life in their eyes never seems to dim, and the camera wants to know why. We call this Being Kissed by the Angel.
6. VINTAGE NINA, Part I
As they grow older, actors tend to become less than men and actresses become more than women. She hastened to add, "They used to tell me I didn't have enough cleavage. Now I do but it's on my face."
7. VINTAGE NINA, Part II
Cut scenes whenever you can. There are only two things that are too short: life and penises. Everything else is too long.
8. VINTAGE NINA, Part III
One evening, after a cocktail or two, Nina whispered to me. "If you've ever listened to actors talk in private, you won't let them improvise."
9. DEFAULT MODE
If the script and the staging and the set and the costumes are right, it should feel like cheating. The key to acting is to stop acting.
My knowledge of Zwick's work began with Special Bulletin, a 1983 TV movie about a reporter and cameraman taken hostage by eco-terrorists in the Port of Charleston who threaten to detonate what they claim is a nuclear device unless their disarmament demands are met. It's slicker and more terrifying than The Day After. It was informative to read about Zwick's arrival in LA (from Chicago) and inconspicuous start in show business, as well as his account of projects that were nearly made, like a 1994 version of Shakespeare In Love that would've starred Julia Roberts with Zwick directing (he stepped aside to produce and won an Academy Award for Best Picture).
Zwick has great stories to tell and in a fashion that reminded me of his writing for television and film, for which the word "craftsmanlike" could apply, stays out of his way and gets to his stories, and to the characters in those stories. These include melting down at Woody Allen's New Year's Eve party after breaking up with the girlfriend we was in attendance with, Zwick's instruction by acting coach Nina Foch and mentorship by director Sydney Pollack. Zwick uses this book as an opportunity to mentor writers or directors coming after him.
He admits to pining for relationships with the movie stars he's cultivated great working relationships with, only to never see or speak to them after the show wraps. Zwick praises first assistant directors and attempts to give a job few people can really define their due. He is candid about how difficult it was working with Matthew Broderick (and his mother) and Julia Roberts, litigating Harvey Weinstein into acceptable professional and human behavior, and how producing eighty hours of television gave him the tools to make movies. Between chapters, Zwick includes little lists of advice for writers and directors, or shares show business anecdotes in which the names have been removed.
NINE LESSONS FROM NINA
The oracle speaks
1. A HELPING HAND
If an actor is nervous, tell him his power emanates from the ground, rising from the earth into the sky like lightning. If he's scared, insist "This is going to be fun." Appeal to the child in the actor, who then appeals to the child in himself.
2. BE HERE NOW
Everything is happening for the first time. There's never time in real life to think. Throw in a curve ball before a take now and then. Create an unforeseen obstacle. Watch life happen. If something is easy, it's usually wrong.
3. THE DIALECTIC
Every scene has two truths that collide and change each other. Pretty much every scene should go from dark to light, or light to dark. Try to identify the moment in a scene that a dark bird flies in and flies out. Everything else is just slight of hand.
4. THE GLASS IS HALF FULL
When we say a performance is "generous" it means the actor is constantly giving the audience little gifts. Unexpected humor, sudden rage, mysterious secrets, unflagging intensity. That's the actor you want to cast.
5. THE LUCKY ONES
The best actors can be reading items from a dinner menu and leave you breathless as you wait to hear the entrées. Some people simply appear to have more vivid inner lives than others even wen they don't. The life in their eyes never seems to dim, and the camera wants to know why. We call this Being Kissed by the Angel.
6. VINTAGE NINA, Part I
As they grow older, actors tend to become less than men and actresses become more than women. She hastened to add, "They used to tell me I didn't have enough cleavage. Now I do but it's on my face."
7. VINTAGE NINA, Part II
Cut scenes whenever you can. There are only two things that are too short: life and penises. Everything else is too long.
8. VINTAGE NINA, Part III
One evening, after a cocktail or two, Nina whispered to me. "If you've ever listened to actors talk in private, you won't let them improvise."
9. DEFAULT MODE
If the script and the staging and the set and the costumes are right, it should feel like cheating. The key to acting is to stop acting.
March 6, 2024
I don't watch many movies of my own accord. Typically, a friend asks me to go see something and I'll say yes, more so because this one theater serves food and brings it to your seat (they have this incredible bison burger and truffle parmesan fries). If I'm at someone's house and they pull up Netflix, I'm stuck. Truthfully, I kinda don't like films at all. So WHY did I pick up a book written by a movie director that talks about making movies? I'm not sure, because I've never heard of Ed Zwick before. All I can say is that I am a sucker for memoirs, and I enjoy reading about how other people have used their one precious life (I do believe in reincarnation, but that's neither here nor there).
Part of the attraction was that I don't know much about movies and acting, though I was an extra in Better Call Saul, and it was absolutely fascinating to watch Odenkirk do his scenes and the bustling crew. I haven't seen about 90% of the movies Zwick references, but no matter. This guy can write! (I know, DUH, that's why he's a successful director/producer/script writer.)
What a great book. He is funny, witty, humble, and utterly charming. I love reading about the business end of things, and for those of you hoping for dirt on stars, there's a tiny bit but not much, with some ICK about Weinstein. Zwick's a gentleman, and leaves the gossip for TMZ. Zwick gives his insight on the huge amount of work that goes into getting a film created, from inception to the awards parties. He seems like such a nice guy, and I found myself riveted by his stories. If you're a movie buff, don't hesitate to pick this up. Even if you aren't, still pick it up!
Part of the attraction was that I don't know much about movies and acting, though I was an extra in Better Call Saul, and it was absolutely fascinating to watch Odenkirk do his scenes and the bustling crew. I haven't seen about 90% of the movies Zwick references, but no matter. This guy can write! (I know, DUH, that's why he's a successful director/producer/script writer.)
What a great book. He is funny, witty, humble, and utterly charming. I love reading about the business end of things, and for those of you hoping for dirt on stars, there's a tiny bit but not much, with some ICK about Weinstein. Zwick's a gentleman, and leaves the gossip for TMZ. Zwick gives his insight on the huge amount of work that goes into getting a film created, from inception to the awards parties. He seems like such a nice guy, and I found myself riveted by his stories. If you're a movie buff, don't hesitate to pick this up. Even if you aren't, still pick it up!
March 1, 2024
Parts of this make for a very good book about how movies are made, but like many films this falls apart about two-thirds of the way through and doesn't have a real ending. So despite Zwick bragging throughout about how good he is at storytelling, it only goes so far and is certainly nowhere near five-star.
This isn't really a memoir; it's a book on filmmaking and each chapter ends with advice from the author. While that's fine, it actually detracts from the storytelling contained within. And he has some good ones about some very famous people.
What I like best is Zwick has no problem calling out big names and allowing us to peak behind the scenes at their sour personalities. Julia Roberts is one of those that doesn't get a pass here, nor does Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt, or Robert Redford. There are a few that he overpraises, especially Tom Cruise (who the author obviously wants to make another film with), but for the most part some celebrities won't be happy with how they're portrayed. One big flaw is there's no index at the end so no one can look themselves up!
He spends way too much time on some movies (Glory) and not enough on a number of others (Jack Reacher only gets a mention). Zwick oddly summarizes his last 15 years in a few pages at the end, which makes no sense, overlooking recent TV work and providing no insights into how the industry has changed with streaming.
In terms of his partnerships (both creatively and in marriage) he mentions them a lot but doesn't say anything negative. He does have a healthy sense of self-deprecation to go along with his huge ego, and after reading this his reputation as being a hothead is well deserved.
So in the end this script runs out of gas and fades to black too soon. It's not a hit, not a flop, but it certainly is filled with his illusions of grandeur.
This isn't really a memoir; it's a book on filmmaking and each chapter ends with advice from the author. While that's fine, it actually detracts from the storytelling contained within. And he has some good ones about some very famous people.
What I like best is Zwick has no problem calling out big names and allowing us to peak behind the scenes at their sour personalities. Julia Roberts is one of those that doesn't get a pass here, nor does Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt, or Robert Redford. There are a few that he overpraises, especially Tom Cruise (who the author obviously wants to make another film with), but for the most part some celebrities won't be happy with how they're portrayed. One big flaw is there's no index at the end so no one can look themselves up!
He spends way too much time on some movies (Glory) and not enough on a number of others (Jack Reacher only gets a mention). Zwick oddly summarizes his last 15 years in a few pages at the end, which makes no sense, overlooking recent TV work and providing no insights into how the industry has changed with streaming.
In terms of his partnerships (both creatively and in marriage) he mentions them a lot but doesn't say anything negative. He does have a healthy sense of self-deprecation to go along with his huge ego, and after reading this his reputation as being a hothead is well deserved.
So in the end this script runs out of gas and fades to black too soon. It's not a hit, not a flop, but it certainly is filled with his illusions of grandeur.
March 19, 2024
Interesting because of the behind the scenes of movies but Zwick comes across as the guy who thinks he's a nice guy but isn't nearly as nice or kind as he seems. He rationalizes violating Denzel Washington's trust while filming Glory as being good for the movie and that their families were friends years later so it's all OK. No, it's an example of a director being abusive and Zwick gives other examples without realizing it, though the Glory example is the most extreme. I think it's a sign of Washington's grace that he moved past it.
Early in the book he refers to himself and his business partner as "the rabbi and terrorist." It quickly becomes obvious which one Zwick is, and even he alludes to that in a brief moment of self-reflection.
In the latter half of the book he goes "get off my lawn" about changes in the industry without a drop of self-awareness, let alone realizing he's a hypocrite. His TV shows were good but modern TV is garbage. He rails about big budgets and Hollywood excess while conveniently forgetting production overruns on his movies that he mentioned earlier in the book, how excessive airline flights were written off as production costs, etc.
Heck, he explains that they built an actual house for Legends of the Fall and were well underway in building a full Globe Theater for his aborted version of Shakespeare in Love. That's not cheap and in the later example, there are various replica Globe Theaters around the world but his building a new one is justified while other movies' six-figure budgets are excessive.
Worse, he tries to wrap his grievances in the shroud of studios not making movies "for grownups" anymore. First, American Fiction, Past Lives, and countless others beg to differ. Second, what Alan Horn basically told him was that a certain type of movie (where you build houses from scratch in the middle of nowhere, etc.) for a certain type of limited audience (Legends of the Fall was not a big hit) wasn't practical in the new Wall Street-driven Hollywood, but Horn didn't say movies had to be frivolous, special effects driven, etc. That's just the excuse Zwick wants to use because people aren't as interested in his work and maybe that's because he isn't picking good projects (even he admits some of his more recent movies were mistakes). Hell, multiple actors turn down working with him or working with him again, but he never considers that he or the project is the issue. It's always the other person.
Hate to tell you, Ed, if you always think it's them, it's actually you.
I think his wife, Liberty, is a saint.
Early in the book he refers to himself and his business partner as "the rabbi and terrorist." It quickly becomes obvious which one Zwick is, and even he alludes to that in a brief moment of self-reflection.
In the latter half of the book he goes "get off my lawn" about changes in the industry without a drop of self-awareness, let alone realizing he's a hypocrite. His TV shows were good but modern TV is garbage. He rails about big budgets and Hollywood excess while conveniently forgetting production overruns on his movies that he mentioned earlier in the book, how excessive airline flights were written off as production costs, etc.
Heck, he explains that they built an actual house for Legends of the Fall and were well underway in building a full Globe Theater for his aborted version of Shakespeare in Love. That's not cheap and in the later example, there are various replica Globe Theaters around the world but his building a new one is justified while other movies' six-figure budgets are excessive.
Worse, he tries to wrap his grievances in the shroud of studios not making movies "for grownups" anymore. First, American Fiction, Past Lives, and countless others beg to differ. Second, what Alan Horn basically told him was that a certain type of movie (where you build houses from scratch in the middle of nowhere, etc.) for a certain type of limited audience (Legends of the Fall was not a big hit) wasn't practical in the new Wall Street-driven Hollywood, but Horn didn't say movies had to be frivolous, special effects driven, etc. That's just the excuse Zwick wants to use because people aren't as interested in his work and maybe that's because he isn't picking good projects (even he admits some of his more recent movies were mistakes). Hell, multiple actors turn down working with him or working with him again, but he never considers that he or the project is the issue. It's always the other person.
Hate to tell you, Ed, if you always think it's them, it's actually you.
I think his wife, Liberty, is a saint.
April 7, 2025
Ed Zwick is a talented director, producer and writer. This book is his marvelous memoir, which includes stories of working with actors that are household names. I first came across Ed Zwick's work back in 1987 via the series, 'Thirtysomething,' which I loved despite not being thirty-something myself. I loved the series for its truly absorbing stories of friends and couples doing life together. It was so current, real and heartfelt - I experienced each life event along with my favourite characters.
Since then, I have watched many of the amazing movies he has been responsible for such as (but not limited to): Legends of the Fall, Courage Under Fire, Shakespeare in Love, Traffic, I am Sam, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, and Defiance. There have been other TV series also!
Ed Zwick comes across as very personable and approachable - someone it would be good to spend time with and to swap stories with. He appears thoughtful, kind and astute. I grew to like him more and more as I listened to his mellow voice telling about his journey through life and the people he has interacted with and even directed.
I encourage everyone to read this book and learn firsthand of his experiences of working with the likes of Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts etc.
Quotes:
Regarding facing down cancer:
"Being sick is like learning a new language for a journey to a foreign country you've never especially wanted to visit."
"At the end of the day, chemotherapy is still a very medieval approach, not unlike bloodletting in which they kill you just a little bit in order to cure you."
Regarding talented up and coming directors:
"Too many of their films seem not at all interested in holding up a mirror to contemporary life, its issues and contradictions."
Zwick believes that "the best stories are those that try to make sense of chaos. They insist on interpretation, even when information seems to refuse it, especially at a time when the very notion of truth is under assault."
He adds that, "Throughout history popular storytellers have always been the default moralists of their time. To abjure that obligation in the name of mindless entertainment is to surrender a kind of sacred duty."
Additionally, "It's not enough to make films that drown out the growing sound of screaming in the world beyond the Hollywood bubble."
"Even as they display astonishing technical virtuosity I can't help but notice when they choose to abandon the reality principles so crucial in having an audience relate to a story."
By focussing their time and energy on making films with fantastic visual effects it feels as if these new directors have "chosen the sizzle over the steak."
Indeed, when audiences are wowed and pause to question, 'How did they do that?' The audience has been "pulled out of the story emotionally and something is irrevocably lost."
Since then, I have watched many of the amazing movies he has been responsible for such as (but not limited to): Legends of the Fall, Courage Under Fire, Shakespeare in Love, Traffic, I am Sam, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, and Defiance. There have been other TV series also!
Ed Zwick comes across as very personable and approachable - someone it would be good to spend time with and to swap stories with. He appears thoughtful, kind and astute. I grew to like him more and more as I listened to his mellow voice telling about his journey through life and the people he has interacted with and even directed.
I encourage everyone to read this book and learn firsthand of his experiences of working with the likes of Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts etc.
Quotes:
Regarding facing down cancer:
"Being sick is like learning a new language for a journey to a foreign country you've never especially wanted to visit."
"At the end of the day, chemotherapy is still a very medieval approach, not unlike bloodletting in which they kill you just a little bit in order to cure you."
Regarding talented up and coming directors:
"Too many of their films seem not at all interested in holding up a mirror to contemporary life, its issues and contradictions."
Zwick believes that "the best stories are those that try to make sense of chaos. They insist on interpretation, even when information seems to refuse it, especially at a time when the very notion of truth is under assault."
He adds that, "Throughout history popular storytellers have always been the default moralists of their time. To abjure that obligation in the name of mindless entertainment is to surrender a kind of sacred duty."
Additionally, "It's not enough to make films that drown out the growing sound of screaming in the world beyond the Hollywood bubble."
"Even as they display astonishing technical virtuosity I can't help but notice when they choose to abandon the reality principles so crucial in having an audience relate to a story."
By focussing their time and energy on making films with fantastic visual effects it feels as if these new directors have "chosen the sizzle over the steak."
Indeed, when audiences are wowed and pause to question, 'How did they do that?' The audience has been "pulled out of the story emotionally and something is irrevocably lost."
December 28, 2023
Ed Zwick is a fascinating narrator who fearlessly reports various shenanigans experienced over his many years in the entertainment industry. His writing talents created many popular TV shows and movies - Check out his IMDB page! He offers an insider point of view while avoiding the pitfalls of a hagiography. It was eye-popping to read backstories about unexpected celebrities doing self-centered things to “improve art”, sometimes at the author’s expense. Although unwelcomed critiques come with this ego-driven territory, the author is consistently kind, his wise adult self recognizing the pitfalls of youth and an understanding of what early success does to those who become superstars in their 20s. He highlights gracious celebrities as well. .He credits his wife for being a great stabilizer in his life and his own family for being his center, ultimately meaning more to him the fictional Family (and other hits) he created. I enjoyed being in his world.. His candor makes for great reading.
October 25, 2024
The author recounts a conversation with a studio boss who “loved” his last movie.
Was “proud” of it. BUT would never make anything of its kind , ever again.
Movie : Blood Diamond.
Production cost: $ 100,000,000.
Net profit: $ 40,000,000.
New math :
Corporate bosses expect to meet a profit/loss projection every quarter.
“It’s more profitable for us to lose “$75,000,000 on one release and then make $350,000,000 on the next…..A big movie just for adults can’t do that anymore.
And $40,000,000 doesn’t move the needle on our stock price.”
HITS,FLOPS, & OTHER ILLUSIONS is that rare book that is hard to put down and on your mind in between reads. Read the pr stuff on-line , on Amazon, on the book jacket. You will likely recognize some if not all of emmy/oscar winning Ed Zwick’s body of work in television and film.
What you get in book form is a highly personal, insightful, intelligent , readable autobiography. Everything from failed relationships to a happy marriage,off-set by a cancer diagnosis. You get the making of hit movies or tv shows, step by step. You also get 10 to 12 tips at the end of each chapter on script writing, the care and feeding of actors or writers or studio bosses, indignities suffered by directors,advice from the pros,controlling your temper, and so on. He names (most) names and unembarrassedly recounts his failures in his personal life as well as on the job, his proudest moments as well as his lowest. What it was like to work with Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise , Julia Roberts , Jake Gyllenhaal, DiCaprio, Anne Hathaway or Denzel.
Without reservation, this is a 5 star,plus. Entertainment Tonight on steroids….
Was “proud” of it. BUT would never make anything of its kind , ever again.
Movie : Blood Diamond.
Production cost: $ 100,000,000.
Net profit: $ 40,000,000.
New math :
Corporate bosses expect to meet a profit/loss projection every quarter.
“It’s more profitable for us to lose “$75,000,000 on one release and then make $350,000,000 on the next…..A big movie just for adults can’t do that anymore.
And $40,000,000 doesn’t move the needle on our stock price.”
HITS,FLOPS, & OTHER ILLUSIONS is that rare book that is hard to put down and on your mind in between reads. Read the pr stuff on-line , on Amazon, on the book jacket. You will likely recognize some if not all of emmy/oscar winning Ed Zwick’s body of work in television and film.
What you get in book form is a highly personal, insightful, intelligent , readable autobiography. Everything from failed relationships to a happy marriage,off-set by a cancer diagnosis. You get the making of hit movies or tv shows, step by step. You also get 10 to 12 tips at the end of each chapter on script writing, the care and feeding of actors or writers or studio bosses, indignities suffered by directors,advice from the pros,controlling your temper, and so on. He names (most) names and unembarrassedly recounts his failures in his personal life as well as on the job, his proudest moments as well as his lowest. What it was like to work with Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise , Julia Roberts , Jake Gyllenhaal, DiCaprio, Anne Hathaway or Denzel.
Without reservation, this is a 5 star,plus. Entertainment Tonight on steroids….
May 25, 2024
****5/25/24**** Finished this book quickly on a recent trip and enjoyed the insider's view of how films and TV shows get made. Like any successful insider, Zwick has worked with so many celebrities, including many blockbuster A-listers who were no one's when he cast them. That is fascinating to read about and see the beginnings of their trajectories to fame. And like any Hollywood book, we get to learn that some actors who are very popular are actually difficult to work with, while others are consummate professionals. I watched every episode of 30-Something, which is what Zwick cut his teeth on, so that is what drew me into this new bio. I didn't enjoy the sections of more philosophical meanderings and read those very quickly, as I mostly was interested in the stories of Hollywood and life behind the curtain of production. 4-stars.
July 3, 2024
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 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.
April 25, 2024
Pros: really fun background info on some pretty incredible movies in the zeitgeist
Cons: Ed Zwick's ego and big boomer energy made me roll my eyes a lot. We get it, you don't "get" super hero movies but if you think they are never saying anything important, than you're as idiotic as the section of this book where you *checks notes* claimed to have predicted 9/11. Yes. That's a part of the book. It's used as a reason why the critics who didn't like the portrayal of Muslims as terrorists in one of his movies were wrong in and he was right because "everyone's offended these days". He also comes across as sexist / obsessed with actresses. And opens with Woody Allen being his original boss in Paris yet says NOTHING about Woody being a pedo. His beef with Weinstein only really covers him being an asshole to Zwick with a passing line about the rest of it. I feel like as a director, a male director, who worked with both of these men, it was Zwick's responsibility to full on address these men head on in this book.
Cons: Ed Zwick's ego and big boomer energy made me roll my eyes a lot. We get it, you don't "get" super hero movies but if you think they are never saying anything important, than you're as idiotic as the section of this book where you *checks notes* claimed to have predicted 9/11. Yes. That's a part of the book. It's used as a reason why the critics who didn't like the portrayal of Muslims as terrorists in one of his movies were wrong in and he was right because "everyone's offended these days". He also comes across as sexist / obsessed with actresses. And opens with Woody Allen being his original boss in Paris yet says NOTHING about Woody being a pedo. His beef with Weinstein only really covers him being an asshole to Zwick with a passing line about the rest of it. I feel like as a director, a male director, who worked with both of these men, it was Zwick's responsibility to full on address these men head on in this book.
March 5, 2024
Both dishy and practically useful. Compulsively readable. Considering how long I've been entertaining the author's DM requests for retweets to promote the project, I was mildly surprised not to find my name in the acknowledgments. (Not actually surprised but you know)
February 25, 2024
Book 10 of 2024 - ☑️! It took me a second to finish as February turned out of be a busy month, but I thoroughly enjoyed every second of Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood by Ed Zwick. I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author, and I recommend at this juncture, to enhance the readers experience.
I have friends that have worked on Ed Zwick projects, I think My So Called Life was cancelled entirely too soon, and Thirtysomething has a very unique and special place in my heart, which I won’t go on a tangent with at this juncture, but I’m happy to talk about 😄.
If you’ve read enough of my reviews, you know I work in Film & TV, and I tend to gravitate towards books that cover the subject, regardless of the genre. Like any good autobiography, it feels like Zwick is sitting next you, just you, and letting you in on all of these personal stories and secrets of his from his years in the business. From anecdotes about directing, to juicy stories about the tumultuous behind-the-scenes world of Shakespeare in Love, to personal tidbits about his life, this book had me hooked, and it only took me as long as it did to finish it because of my busier schedule. A 5/5 ⭐️ read - this book really also made me miss work…I’m itching to get back to it!
📺 🎞️ 🎬
I have friends that have worked on Ed Zwick projects, I think My So Called Life was cancelled entirely too soon, and Thirtysomething has a very unique and special place in my heart, which I won’t go on a tangent with at this juncture, but I’m happy to talk about 😄.
If you’ve read enough of my reviews, you know I work in Film & TV, and I tend to gravitate towards books that cover the subject, regardless of the genre. Like any good autobiography, it feels like Zwick is sitting next you, just you, and letting you in on all of these personal stories and secrets of his from his years in the business. From anecdotes about directing, to juicy stories about the tumultuous behind-the-scenes world of Shakespeare in Love, to personal tidbits about his life, this book had me hooked, and it only took me as long as it did to finish it because of my busier schedule. A 5/5 ⭐️ read - this book really also made me miss work…I’m itching to get back to it!
📺 🎞️ 🎬
Read
December 31, 2024I love a good Hollywood memoir, and this is one of the better ones I've read recently. Zwick's work in TV has meant a lot to me, so I definitely wanted a little more time with his series, but I get why you might focus way more on Glory and The Last Samurai.
I did feel occasionally like I wanted him to pull back and share some of his philosophies on storytelling in a bit more depth, but the little nuggets we got throughout were still good.
I did feel occasionally like I wanted him to pull back and share some of his philosophies on storytelling in a bit more depth, but the little nuggets we got throughout were still good.
April 16, 2024
Hits and flops and other illusions was a very good book. It took the reader through what it takes to be a successful director in Hollywood. He takes the reader through the major stars that he dealt with.
April 21, 2024
A little insufferable, but some good stories
April 27, 2024
Surprisingly boring. Big disappointment. Great chapter on the movie Glory though.
June 4, 2024
I generally read showbiz memoirs for the grisly tales from the trenches, stories of mind-numbing frustration and onerous, only-in-Hollywood conflict. In Zwick’s book he turns over pages of praise to industry big shots, including Denzel, Brad, Leo, and Tom, but is relatively light when it comes to the horror stories, as with the headaches he’s had dealing with the likes of Matthew Broderick, Julia Roberts, and, unsurprisingly, Harvey Weinstein. After a 50-year career, though, Zwick is good at objectively assessing the seismic changes he’s seen in the business, and is unflinching at self examination.
March 2, 2024
Fun. Insightful. Dishy. Didn't want it to end.
March 28, 2024
This guy is just insufferable. I should have been forewarned, having endured the whiny “Thirtysomething” until we couldn’t stand it any more, but his combination of profound self-absorption and microscopic self-awareness is on full display here. He seems to believe he’s Steven Spielberg, without the hit movies. Take a hard pass, unless you’re into drowning in someone else’s ego.
May 22, 2024
I read this book for the hot goss and because I loved My So-Called Life and Once and Again, but mostly was just like ughh this guy is so full of himself.
July 22, 2024
Worth your time...
...if you like books like these.
I'm still coming to grips with the idea that I'm one of those people who read Hollywood memoirs. But when I have bad book luck and the last two or three books have pissed me off, I find a book by some director or famous actor actually calms my nerves and clears my palate.
I'd never heard of Ed Zwick, but I'd seen most of his movies. Reading about how they got made fascinates me like a video of something being built by hand can hypnotize me.
This year I have read more books about the movies than I have watched movies.
This was a good one.
...if you like books like these.
I'm still coming to grips with the idea that I'm one of those people who read Hollywood memoirs. But when I have bad book luck and the last two or three books have pissed me off, I find a book by some director or famous actor actually calms my nerves and clears my palate.
I'd never heard of Ed Zwick, but I'd seen most of his movies. Reading about how they got made fascinates me like a video of something being built by hand can hypnotize me.
This year I have read more books about the movies than I have watched movies.
This was a good one.
June 8, 2024
A revealing look at the way movies and series are made from a writer-director with a higher sense of integrity than many. People like Julia Roberts, Matthew Broderick and Anne Hathaway do not come off so well here.
August 26, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm giving it four stars, because I felt that at times he either withheld names or dropped them just because he could. He does tell us at the beginning that he will do that, but still . . .
I was a big fan of thirtysomething, so it was great reading about all the behind-the-scenes stuff and what it was like to co-create it and work with the actors, fellow producers, staff, etc. And I have loved some of the movies he made (and some that he wasn't able to make, like Shakespeare in Love), and loved those backstories as well.
He is an engaging writer and undoubtedly an engaging personality. And I loved all the quotes from Nina Foch. I only remember her as an actress. Nice to learn more about her.
I was a big fan of thirtysomething, so it was great reading about all the behind-the-scenes stuff and what it was like to co-create it and work with the actors, fellow producers, staff, etc. And I have loved some of the movies he made (and some that he wasn't able to make, like Shakespeare in Love), and loved those backstories as well.
He is an engaging writer and undoubtedly an engaging personality. And I loved all the quotes from Nina Foch. I only remember her as an actress. Nice to learn more about her.
October 22, 2025
Great storytelling about behind-the-scenes Hollywood. I especially liked reading about his work with Denzel Washington & Tom Cruise. So nice to hear about stars who are nice to their coworkers
January 17, 2025
Reading stories about the industry I love so much is the greatest joy. I'm a sucker for anecdotes about celebrities, writers, dramas, deals, and this book has plenty. Ed Zwick's perspective on his career and how it affects his life is heartening, too. Brilliant stuff.
June 4, 2025
I first heard about this book on a NPR Fresh Air interview and liked the idea of hearing about some famous movies from a director. After reading, it makes me want to listen to a director's commentary. I added nearly a dozen movies to my letterboxd Watchlist and it really did make me think.
He definitely has a older white man's view on a lot of things and does come from a privileged Harvard background. But he's also worked with an amazing diverse cast of characters in front of and behind the camera and is aware of his limits as an actor and writer. And even his limits as a human being.
I also loved how much credit he gave his wife, that was always great. And how his long friendship was clearly evident. Friendship always deserves to be celebrated.
Yes, there are a lot of great name-drops and movie gossip.
He definitely has a older white man's view on a lot of things and does come from a privileged Harvard background. But he's also worked with an amazing diverse cast of characters in front of and behind the camera and is aware of his limits as an actor and writer. And even his limits as a human being.
I also loved how much credit he gave his wife, that was always great. And how his long friendship was clearly evident. Friendship always deserves to be celebrated.
Yes, there are a lot of great name-drops and movie gossip.
April 7, 2024
Blah…
March 31, 2024
Meh. I heard the author on Marc Maron’s podcast. Thought I would check out his book. It started out OK. But I started to lose interest and began to skim. Too much detail bored me.
April 10, 2024
Until this year, I had no idea writer-producer-director Ed Zwick was responsible for some of the greatest TV series and films that have defined my entire life, basically.
Take, for example, his role as co-creator (with writing partner, Marshall Herskovitz**) of thirtysomething***, the poignant TV drama that captivated my mother (and thereby my)’s attention when it aired in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
The influence of that one series cannot be overstated when you consider what Zwick has to say about the actors, writers, and producers he and Herskovitz hired to work on the series with them:
“Their work has had an undeniable influence on the best television has had to offer,” he wrote in his new memoir. “Alias, My So-Called Life, Friday Night Lights, Brothers & Sisters, Grey’s Anatomy, Parenthood, New Amsterdam, Breaking Bad, Without a Trace, Nashville, Once and Again, Damages, Jane the Virgin, In Treatment, and This is Us, to name a few.”
Ummmmmmm…. best television has had to offer INDEED!
While it may have been my understanding of Zwick’s work on thirtysomething that initially drew me into this read, I was pulled along by discovering how many other projects he’s worked on that I love, most notably his role in producing and directing Legends of the Fall (aka, the film that took my teenage obsession of Brad Pitt to an 11).
As Zwick says in his introduction, “I’ll be dropping a few names,” and indeed he does throughout his life story—from recounting his experience casting Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington in Glory, to discovering Claire Danes during the casting process for My So Called Life to courting Julia Roberts for the lead in Shakespeare in Love (a project for which Harvey Weinstein swooped in and stole from him like the colossal bully he was). It truly is CRAZY how many legends this man has worked with over the years!
I loved the unexpected discovery of this memoir landing onto my 2024 reading list as much as I loved all the behind-the-scenes anecdotes Zwick shared within its pages. This is a title that’ll stick with me for years to come and is a must-read for anyone who loves pop culture, the film industry, and/or creative professions as much as I do.
**Multiple times while reading this book, I thought of Zwick and Herskvotiz as TV’s answer to the famed theater partnership of Rodgers and Hammerstein … I also LOVED learning Ed and Marshall’s production company is named Bedford Falls Productions after the fictional town in It’s a Wonderful Life, a film that resides on the “forever favorites” shelf in my heart.
***Since reading this book, I’ve started re-watching thirtysomething and it’s SUCH a nostalgic, Baby Boomer blast from the past—one that feels like the pop culture equivalent of being wrapped up in your grandma’s coziest afghan. I can’t get enough of the series and I’m already looking forward to rediscovering My So-Called Life next!
Take, for example, his role as co-creator (with writing partner, Marshall Herskovitz**) of thirtysomething***, the poignant TV drama that captivated my mother (and thereby my)’s attention when it aired in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
The influence of that one series cannot be overstated when you consider what Zwick has to say about the actors, writers, and producers he and Herskovitz hired to work on the series with them:
“Their work has had an undeniable influence on the best television has had to offer,” he wrote in his new memoir. “Alias, My So-Called Life, Friday Night Lights, Brothers & Sisters, Grey’s Anatomy, Parenthood, New Amsterdam, Breaking Bad, Without a Trace, Nashville, Once and Again, Damages, Jane the Virgin, In Treatment, and This is Us, to name a few.”
Ummmmmmm…. best television has had to offer INDEED!
While it may have been my understanding of Zwick’s work on thirtysomething that initially drew me into this read, I was pulled along by discovering how many other projects he’s worked on that I love, most notably his role in producing and directing Legends of the Fall (aka, the film that took my teenage obsession of Brad Pitt to an 11).
As Zwick says in his introduction, “I’ll be dropping a few names,” and indeed he does throughout his life story—from recounting his experience casting Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington in Glory, to discovering Claire Danes during the casting process for My So Called Life to courting Julia Roberts for the lead in Shakespeare in Love (a project for which Harvey Weinstein swooped in and stole from him like the colossal bully he was). It truly is CRAZY how many legends this man has worked with over the years!
I loved the unexpected discovery of this memoir landing onto my 2024 reading list as much as I loved all the behind-the-scenes anecdotes Zwick shared within its pages. This is a title that’ll stick with me for years to come and is a must-read for anyone who loves pop culture, the film industry, and/or creative professions as much as I do.
**Multiple times while reading this book, I thought of Zwick and Herskvotiz as TV’s answer to the famed theater partnership of Rodgers and Hammerstein … I also LOVED learning Ed and Marshall’s production company is named Bedford Falls Productions after the fictional town in It’s a Wonderful Life, a film that resides on the “forever favorites” shelf in my heart.
***Since reading this book, I’ve started re-watching thirtysomething and it’s SUCH a nostalgic, Baby Boomer blast from the past—one that feels like the pop culture equivalent of being wrapped up in your grandma’s coziest afghan. I can’t get enough of the series and I’m already looking forward to rediscovering My So-Called Life next!
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