Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother

January 6, 2020
Sonnenfeld recounts harrowing childhood experiences followed by his success in the film business in this episodic and uneven debut memoir. En route to becoming a respected cinematographer in the 1980s and then a hugely successful comedy director in the ’90s, Sonnenfeld’s difficult relationship with his parents is a recurring theme—the title comes from an incident when his mother had Madison Square Garden interrupt a Jimi Hendrix performance to page Sonnenfeld about missing his curfew. Sonnenfeld employs a deadpan narrative style, an effective choice when recounting his early work in the 1970s porn industry and, later on, dealings with Hollywood players such as Penny Marshall and Scott Rudin, but jarring when dealing with childhood trauma, including repeated molestations by his mother’s cousin and, as a five-year old, being asked by his father to convince his distraught mother not to commit suicide. Since these incidents are only treated superficially, the complicated dynamics underlying his relationship to his parents never become truly clear. Sonnenfeld is on surer ground discussing his artistry, with his look at cinematography proving a particular highlight. Readers will wish this intermittently entertaining and enlightening book had a sharper focus.

Barry Sonnenfeld, who has directed and produced numerous films, including MEN IN BLACK, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, and a series of pornographic shorts, tells the story of his tortured life. While a seasoned narrator might have lent some rhythm to the narration, Sonnenfeld performs it without emotion. He plows right on, one story after another, in a Woody Allen-esque recitation of his horrible life. True, he wasn't physically abused by his family--school bullies took care of that--but they tortured him psychologically. From an overbearing, incompetent mother to an uncaring father who allowed him to be molested by a cousin, he learned to fend for himself. That drive made him one of Hollywood's most famous producers and directors. M.S. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine