E-Book Content
John Sayles, Filmmaker John Sayles, Filmmaker A Critical Study and Filmography Second Edition Jack Ryan McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London FRONTISPIECE: John Sayles, 2002 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Ryan, Jack. John Sayles, filmmaker : a critical study and filmography / Jack Ryan—2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7864-3551-7 softcover : 50# alkaline paper 1. Sayles, John, 1950 – —Criticism and interpretation. PN1998.3.S3R93 2010 791.4302' 33092—dc22 I. Title. 2010010877 British Library cataloguing data are available ©2010 Jack Ryan. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Front cover: Director John Sayles on the set of Passion Fish, 1992 (Miramax/Photofest) Manufactured in the United States of America McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com For my father, John E. Ryan, an old union man who enjoyed Matewan, the last movie he ever saw This page intentionally left blank Table of Contents viii Acknowledgments Preface to the Second Edition ix Introduction 1 1. A Storyteller: From Literature to Film 5 2. Outside and Inside the Production System 38 3. An Escaped Slave, the Boss, and Union History 76 4. Cityscapes: Baseball’s Lost Souls and Urban Renewal 113 5. The Power of the Physical World: From Soap Opera Diva to Celtic Myth 144 6. Borders: Texas, the Academy, and Mexico 175 7. Commodities: Real Estate and Babies 214 8. Human Geography: Business-as-Usual Politics, Stagolee’s Blues Redux, and a Commitment to Independence 258 Filmography 297 Bibliography 303 Index 311 vii Acknowledgments Like me, this book found a life in Cleveland, Ohio, and I owe thanks to many fine people from that wonderful place: Judy Oster, who taught me more than I thought possible; Bill Siebenschuh, whose insouciant wit and appreciation for life’s pratfalls helped me more than once; Roger Salomon, who gave me a start and stuck with me as I learned the ropes; Mayo Bulloch, who offered her finely tuned sense of humor and generous support. My appreciation also goes to Mary Grimm, Park Goist, and Lila Hanft for reading the original manuscript of this book and offering constructive suggestions toward its refinement. I’d also like to thank Doug Clarke, Tony Whitehouse, Steve Bulloch, Ruth Walter, Peter Royston, Jean Ryan, John Vourlis, and all of my English Department colleagues at Gettysburg College for their generosity and encouragement. My children, Nicholas, Emily, and Gabriel, deserve credit for being extremely delightful people. Thanks to Camille Spaccazento, Karyn Kusama, and Dan Rybicky, all once members of John Sayles’s production office staff in New York, who answered my questions, and thanks to John Sayles for the concise notes and the “Twilight Zone” challenge. Finally, I’d like to thank Gettysburg College’s Provost’s Office for generous assistance in the form of two research and professional development grants, which allowed me to complete both editions of this project and for making me part of the team. And I have to thank everyone who works for the Office of the Provost—you make all that we do worthwhile. Without the backing of three special people this book would not exist. My mother, Elizabeth Ryan, gave her support, love, and