Short Synopsis
Distinguished critic Molly Haskell offers a brilliant portrait of the extraordinary director—a small, unhappy boy living through his imagination who grew into a man whose openness, generosity of spirit, and creativity have enchanted audiences for more than forty years.

Full Synopsis
"Everything about me is in my films," Steven Spielberg has said. Taking this as a key to understanding the hugely successful moviemaker, Molly Haskell explores the full range of Spielberg's works for the light they shine upon the man himself. Through such powerhouse hits as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones, to less-appreciated movies like Empire of the Sun, to the haunting Schindler's List, Haskell shows how Spielberg's uniquely evocative filmmaking and story-telling reveal the many ways in which his life, work, and times are entwined.

Organizing chapters around specific films, the distinguished critic discusses how Spielberg's childhood in non-Jewish suburbs, his parents' traumatic divorce, his return to Judaism upon his son's birth, and other events echo in his work. She offers a brilliant portrait of the extraordinary director—a small, unhappy boy living through his imagination who grew into a man whose openness, generosity of spirit, and creativity have enchanted audiences for more than forty years.

“This is a wonderful book, at once personal and critical, eloquent and vivacious." ---Morris Dickstein, author of Dancing in the Dark

“Molly Haskell, one of our most essential authorities on the movies, has written a fascinating, witty, acutely discerning book . . . Spielberg is given his proper due, and Haskell outdoes herself.” ---Phillip Lopate, author of American Movie Critics

“Steven Spielberg and Molly Haskell—the great producer-director of modern film and one of the most intelligent and sensitive film writers we have ever had. The result is as rich and intriguing as the meeting of Elliott and E.T." ---David Thomson, author of A Biographical Dictionary of Film

"The exploration here is lively, the critic is deeply informed . . . a fascinating jumble of messages — a study of a critic inevitably analyzing herself as she considers the life (Jewish and otherwise) of Steven Spielberg." ---New York Times

"A fresh look at wunderkind Spielberg. . . . Johnny Heller’s even and unassuming audio performance . . . makes the experience pleasant for both admirers and detractors of Spielberg’s works." ---Library Journal Audio Review