THE MAKING OF ANOTHER MAJOR MOTION PICTURE MASTERPIECE: A Review

Ugh I am so sad to write this, and I will preface this review by saying I think a lot of my dislike of this book is my fault. I did not read the back cover of this book. "The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece" by Tom Hanks could be nothing else but a non-fiction book about Hanks' experience making movies, right? Wrong. This is a fiction book that follows a cast of characters as they make their own fictional movie.

“The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece” unfolds across a few different narratives.

First, the reader is introduced to a trouble soldier, who just returned from World War II. He meets his gifted five-year-old nephew, leaves a lasting impression, and disappears for 23 years.

Second, Hanks fast forwards to 1970, where the now-grown nephew lives in Oakland, California, and uses his artistic gift to create comic books. His memory is triggered when he runs into his uncle again and he re-creates a comic book he remembers from when he was younger—but in his comic, he casts his uncle as a World War II hero.

Flash forward to present day, when a director stumbles upon the 1970 comic book. Using it as his inspiration, he begins to develop a contemporary superhero.

I think I also did myself a disservice by listening to this as an audiobook. I’ve always been drawn to listening to books when the author narrates them; I think it adds a different dimension. But, this was not an easy one to listen to. With a whole cast of characters and different timelines, I was often confused and staring into space.

If you are adamant about reading this one, get the physical copy and let me know if you still agree with my review.