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MODERN FAMILY

Name: MODERN FAMILY
Author: Marc Freeman
ISBN: 978-1-250-26003-1

by Marc Freeman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2020

A glossy look behind the scenes and a satisfyingly ample memento for fans.

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Dozens of those responsible for making the popular ensemble comedy, which ended in 2020, reflect on their experience in this amiable account. In his first book, journalist Freeman assembles excerpts from interviews with the show's cast, writers, directors, production team, guest stars, and two showrunners into brief chapters that roughly follow the show from conception to conclusion, leaving plenty of room for detours along the way. Those looking for dirt or gossipy details won't find them here: Most of the interviewees are polite and cautious, happy to offer up amusing anecdotes but seemingly eager to leave professional bridges unburned. However, that doesn't mean that dramatic tension is lacking. Most of it comes from the long-simmering conflict between showrunners Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, who, a few episodes into the series, realized that their narrative styles and goals were so incompatible that their only solution was to take turns masterminding the episodes, which they continued to do—not without resentment and writerly feedback—for the duration of the series. While the focus is squarely on Modern Family and its cast and crew, readers curious about the making of TV shows in general, and network sitcoms in particular, will find plenty to interest them, including the process of casting a show, the mechanics of a “table read,” the construction of a temporary set, and the designing of a title sequence. Freeman occasionally dips a toe into controversy, as in a chapter featuring some of the show's female writers, who made up a very small percentage of the writing staff, reflecting on their less-than-ideal experiences. As Freeman notes, the show “gained an industry reputation…for letting women writers go or not asking them back.” Though some might wish for a stronger editing hand in chapters in which the same point is made by several different interviewees, true aficionados may be happy for the excess. A glossy look behind the scenes and a satisfyingly ample memento for fans.

Pub Date: May 19, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-250-26003-1

Page Count: 528

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: April 14, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020

Categories:

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS & CELEBRITY | GENERAL NONFICTION

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New York Times Bestseller

LOVE, PAMELA

by Pamela Anderson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 31, 2023

A juicy story with some truly crazy moments, yet Anderson's good heart shines through.

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New York Times Bestseller

The iconic model tells the story of her eventful life.

According to the acknowledgments, this memoir started as "a fifty-page poem and then grew into hundreds of pages of…more poetry." Readers will be glad that Anderson eventually turned to writing prose, since the well-told anecdotes and memorable character sketches are what make it a page-turner. The poetry (more accurately described as italicized notes-to-self with line breaks) remains strewn liberally through the pages, often summarizing the takeaway or the emotional impact of the events described: "I was / and still am / an exceptionally / easy target. / And, / I'm proud of that." This way of expressing herself is part of who she is, formed partly by her passion for Anaïs Nin and other writers; she is a serious maven of literature and the arts. The narrative gets off to a good start with Anderson’s nostalgic memories of her childhood in coastal Vancouver, raised by very young, very wild, and not very competent parents. Here and throughout the book, the author displays a remarkable lack of anger. She has faced abuse and mistreatment of many kinds over the decades, but she touches on the most appalling passages lightly—though not so lightly you don't feel the torment of the media attention on the events leading up to her divorce from Tommy Lee. Her trip to the pages of Playboy, which involved an escape from a violent fiance and sneaking across the border, is one of many jaw-dropping stories. In one interesting passage, Julian Assange's mother counsels Anderson to desexualize her image in order to be taken more seriously as an activist. She decided that “it was too late to turn back now”—that sexy is an inalienable part of who she is. Throughout her account of this kooky, messed-up, enviable, and often thrilling life, her humility (her sons "are true miracles, considering the gene pool") never fails her.

A juicy story with some truly crazy moments, yet Anderson's good heart shines through.

Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023

ISBN: 9780063226562

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

Categories:

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS & CELEBRITY | GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

- SEEN & HEARD
Book: Tim Allen Exposed Himself to Pamela Anderson

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I'M GLAD MY MOM DIED

by Jennette McCurdy ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 9, 2022

The heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.

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The former iCarly star reflects on her difficult childhood.

In her debut memoir, titled after her 2020 one-woman show, singer and actor McCurdy (b. 1992) reveals the raw details of what she describes as years of emotional abuse at the hands of her demanding, emotionally unstable stage mom, Debra. Born in Los Angeles, the author, along with three older brothers, grew up in a home controlled by her mother. When McCurdy was 3, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Though she initially survived, the disease’s recurrence would ultimately take her life when the author was 21. McCurdy candidly reconstructs those in-between years, showing how “my mom emotionally, mentally, and physically abused me in ways that will forever impact me.” Insistent on molding her only daughter into “Mommy’s little actress,” Debra shuffled her to auditions beginning at age 6. As she matured and starting booking acting gigs, McCurdy remained “desperate to impress Mom,” while Debra became increasingly obsessive about her daughter’s physical appearance. She tinted her daughter’s eyelashes, whitened her teeth, enforced a tightly monitored regimen of “calorie restriction,” and performed regular genital exams on her as a teenager. Eventually, the author grew understandably resentful and tried to distance herself from her mother. As a young celebrity, however, McCurdy became vulnerable to eating disorders, alcohol addiction, self-loathing, and unstable relationships. Throughout the book, she honestly portrays Debra’s cruel perfectionist personality and abusive behavior patterns, showing a woman who could get enraged by everything from crooked eyeliner to spilled milk. At the same time, McCurdy exhibits compassion for her deeply flawed mother. Late in the book, she shares a crushing secret her father revealed to her as an adult. While McCurdy didn’t emerge from her childhood unscathed, she’s managed to spin her harrowing experience into a sold-out stage act and achieve a form of catharsis that puts her mind, body, and acting career at peace.

The heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.