The View from the Bridge

August 17, 2009
Though the title plays up Meyer's work as writer and director on the second and fourth Star Trek films (arguably the best of them), there's plenty in this breezy, enjoyable showbiz memoir for non-Trekkers to enjoy. Meyer wisely focuses on the range of his Hollywood accomplishments, including devastating television movie The Day After and Oscar-nominated film The Seven Per-Cent Solution (adapted from his best-selling book). Ingratiatingly humble-"I assume that people who get to make a film are a) doggone lucky and b) doing this job because they want to do it"-Meyer's clear joy for his work never edges into ego-inflation or pretension. William Shatner, Malcolm McDowell, Mary Streenberg, Leonard Nimoy, Kirstie Alley, Gene Hackman and other stars pop in and out of his narrative, as does Meyer's family, but the films take center stage, as well as Meyer's grounded but exuberant affection for the community that allowed him to make them.

September 9, 2009
Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and writer and/or director of Star Trek movies II (The Wrath of Khan), IV (The Voyage Home), and VI (The Undiscovered Country), Meyer delivers a graceful and self-reflective memoir. Unlike Julia Phillips's acerbic You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again, Meyer's account of his 40 years in Hollywood testifies to the industry's generosity. He traces the arc of his creative progression from university newspaper film critic through his Seven-Per-Cent Solution breakthrough to Star Trek and later projects. Verdict Laden with anecdotes and insightful commentary, Meyer's story is far more than the obligatory addition to the Star Trek canon. Meyer is smart and funny, and he excels at making meaningful connections between his art and life. A rich and textured story that will endear itself to film fans and Trekkies.-Barry Miller, Austin P.L., TX

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.