Key Grip

April 14, 2008
In his uneven first book, Smith presents the reader with scenes from his life, covering his career in the film industry, alcoholism, ego issues and a quest for meaning. Smith provides plenty of flashbacks from his years as a misguided, sky-diving 20-something and also tackles his existential battle at the age of 57 (in the opening chapter, which takes up a full third of the book, Smith treks up a hill to perform Native American meditation practices). Occasionally using vivid, descriptive language and other times passing over important topics in summary (the death of his first child, his second marriage), the author searches for a central theme, and despite the book’s title, being a key grip isn’t it; Smith doesn’t address that topic directly until he’s two-thirds of the way through his story. Other chapters, such as brief entries about snapping turtles, are more tangential than metaphorical. At times, Smith jumps from first to second person, with two chapters written from one version of himself to another. This lack of focus leads to patchwork reading, though some will doubtless be seduced by Smith’s forthright, rueful voice.

June 1, 2008
Smith spent much of a tumultuous life in one glamorous endeavor, filmmaking, wishing he were in another, writing. How he evolved from thrill-seeking, drug- and alcohol-besotted low man on the Hollywood totem pole to sober, insightful writer is the subject of this moving, gently written memoir made up of 12 loosely connected personal essays, in which he touches on such diverse topics as love of skydiving, ambivalence about his family, and struggling repeatedlywith chemical addiction. As the books title implies, Smith also spends a lot of time discussing the film industry--how he found work in it, whom he met, the niche he occupied, what a key grip does (rigs lights, prepares dolly shots, does last-minute construction), and why he stayed in the field despite long hours, grueling pace, and exploitative producers. Altogether, a wise, intensely readable autobiography that should please those who enjoy reading about transformation-filled life journeys and those who like a spoonful of gossip to make the life lessons go down.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)