Hal

Hal Ashby, who died in 1988 at the age of 59, was a most brilliant and irreverent film director and editor. In the 1970's he brought such classic movies to the screen as "Harold and Maude", "The Last Detail" (one of my favorite films), "Shampoo", "Coming Home" and the biting satire "Being There".

This documentary on his life and work, directed by Amy Scott, making her feature debut, illustrates Ashby's passion for film, starting as an editor (winning an Oscar in that category) and then going on to directing, initially under the mentoring of the acclaimed Canadian director Norman Jewison. The doc outlines Ashby's continual clashes with studio executives and how that combined with a shift away from films with a social message in the 80's would help exacerbate his decline.

Sorry to say, but some technical issues in the doc somewhat hampered my enjoyment of the movie. When Ashby's voice recordings came onto the screen the subtitles became extremely small or were annoyingly shown in lettering from the top to bottom. Combined with poor sound quality, it was difficult for me to catch all that was being said. To note also, there's plenty of raw language throughout for those concerned about same.

Overall, it was great to re-visit some of the brilliance of Hal Ashby, and movie buffs should enjoy this visit down memory lane, despite the sadness and tragic parts of his life.

Greetings again from the darkness. There may never have been a director with a comparable streak of 6 films in terms of quality and variety as Hal Ashby delivered between 1971 and 1979. At least 4 of those films would be included on a list of my all-time favorites. Ashby was a maverick filmmaker during an era when filmmaking style and tone shifted, and he was at least partially responsible for some of that change. Amy Scott (fittingly trained as a film editor) chose to make Ashby the subject of her directorial debut, and we can only assume her admiration for his work and curiosity about his later career was her inspiration.

HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971), THE LAST DETAIL (1973), SHAMPOO (1975), BOUND FOR GLORY (1976), COMING HOME (Best director nomination, 1978), and BEING THERE (1979) are the films that comprise the aforementioned "streak", and are also the projects that afforded Ashby the opportunity to work with such industry talents as writers Robert Towne, Jerzy Kosinski, and Waldo Salt; cinematographers Haskell Wexler, Michael Chapman, and Caleb Deschanel; and actors such as Ruth Gordon, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Lee Grant, Jon Voight, Jane Fonda, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, and Peter Sellers. All of these folks contributed to the edge in independent filmmaking that arose in the 70's.

Director Scott works diligently to paint a full portrait of Ashby the man, so that we might better understand the odd career arc. A challenging early family life pushed him to grow up too fast, and with 5 marriages balanced by 5 divorces, it's likely that Ashby was never destined to be a settled down family man. His drug addictions served to undermine what was already his difficult and demanding style on set, and his trademark look of long scraggily hair and unkempt beard ensured he was never mistaken for an industry insider.

Much of what we learn comes from the voice of Ashby himself, courtesy of audio tapes. Other insights and remembrances come from interviews with: Judd Apatow, Rosanna Arquette, Jeff Bridges, Beau Bridges, Lisa Cholodenko, Caleb Deschanel, Jane Fonda, Lou Gossett, Lee Grant, Dustin Hoffman, Alexander Payne, David O Russell, Cat Stevens, Jon Voight, and Haskell Wexler. We also hear from legendary director Norman Jewison, who gave Ashby his first job as film editor. Ashby later won an Oscar for Best Editor on Jewison's IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967) ... and the clip shown of him accepting the award highlights a man who barely resembles the man we would come to recognize over the next few years.

We learn that his ever-present battle with studio executives likely led to his not getting the opportunity to direct TOOTSIE, and more importantly to me, we get an explanation of what happened to Ashby's 8 MILLION WAYS TO DIE (1986) - a film I always thought was oh-so-close to being a great 80's movie, but instead was a bit of a mess. And now we know why. There may not be a more revered and respected filmmaker and influencer of other filmmakers ... certainly not one who is less discussed. Ashby's BEING THERE ranks with the very best political satires of all-time (yes, even DR STRANGELOVE), and few could juggle comedy and drama any better. Hal Ashby died from cancer in 1988 at age 59. Was it his uncompromising manner or was it the effects of drugs that brought his career to a halt, and prevented him from achieving the blockbuster status of his peers Coppola, Scorsese, and Spielberg? We'd like to think it's the age old 'art vs. commerce' argument, but that simply doesn't hold up. Regardless, for a few years, no one did it better than Hal Ashby, and he did it his way.

In the golden age of American films of the '70's, Hal Ashby was a director with nine outstanding character-driven, socially-conscious successes including Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Being There, Coming Home, and Shampoo. (And that all happened after his acclaimed as an editor in the '60's with Oscar for In the Heat of the Night). Because I took my daughter, Thea, to see Harold and Maude, she claims its influence in directing her to writing and editing scripts because of its warmth and anarchic humor.

The latter characterizes the independent and roguish subject of an inspiring doc by accomplished editor Amy Scott. It's as complete a biography of Ashby as could be hoped for emphasizing his creativity and zeal accompanying his recurring battles with suits who promised full support until they saw his wild conceptions and raw language.

Insight into his outsized work and personality is shared by his long-time cinematographer Haskell Wexler; his frequent editing collaborator, Robert Jones; and devoted stars such as Jeff Bridges, Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, and Warren Beatty. Powerful testimony from Judd Apatow and Alexander Payne, among others, confirms that Hal was film royalty. They all say he inspired them as artists.

His personal life was complicated by his five marriages (he loved women and consistently smoking weed. While the latter calmed down his raging passion for film, the former provided the drama he apparently needed to survive off his dramatic sets.

The documentary Hal itself reflects the surreal inclinations and dark wit of its subject (see Being There for parallels to current politics and Harold and Maude for endearing eccentricity). The doc doesn't overwhelm the audience with idolatry for Ashby because its apparent purpose is to give an honest accounting about one of the best directors in Hollywood history, about whom the general audience knows little.

Here's your chance to learn more and get an insight into filmmaking at the same time. Very few documentaries are as complete, respectful, and critical as Hal

This film is a welcome tribute to one of the best directors of the New Hollywood era of film-making. Throughout the 70's Hal Ashby was arguably to most consistent American director from this bracket, delivering seven highly regarded movies which still resonate today. There is still a level of elusiveness about the man himself, with very little video footage of him. From this perspective, the film relies on some audio but mainly the contents of his letters, of which he seemed to produce a great deal. What emerges is a man constantly battling his studio bosses but also a committed believer in human rights, very much in tune with his times.

The films themselves are the real draw here however. From the race-relation themes of his debut The Landlord (1970), to his enduringly weird and beautiful cult classic Harald and Maude (1971), to his confrontational expletive-heavy military drama The Last Detail (1973), to the Warren Beatty vehicle Shampoo (1975), to his Woody Guthrie biopic Bound for Glory (1975), to his anti-war Vietnam romantic-drama Coming Home (1978), to his prophetic look at an idiot becoming President of the United States in Being There (1979). These are an extraordinary run of movies indeed. Like so many of his 70's peers, the 80's were a difficult time, however, and the four movies he subsequently made in that decade are not nearly so well received or remembered. The documentary benefits hugely from many clips from all his movies, so this is both a winner if you are already familiar with them, or if you are a newcomer seeking recommendations. This is overall, an excellent overview of a low-key man who made timeless cinema.

A lovingly crafted portrait of Hal Ashby's career, with brief detours into his problematic personal life. Entertaining and touching use of his letters. Perhaps more accessible and exciting for audiences already acquainted with his most celebrated work.