Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother

Memoirs of a Neurotic Filmmaker

De: Barry Sonnenfeld

Narrado por: Barry Sonnenfeld

This outrageous and hilarious memoir follows a film and television director’s life, from his idiosyncratic upbringing to his unexpected career as the director behind such huge film franchises as The Addams Family and Men in Black.

Barry Sonnenfeld's philosophy is, "Regret the Past. Fear the Present. Dread the Future." Told in his unmistakable voice, Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother is a laugh-out-loud memoir about coming of age. Constantly threatened with suicide by his over-protective mother, disillusioned by the father he worshiped, and abused by a demonic relative, Sonnenfeld somehow went on to become one of Hollywood's most successful producers and directors.

Written with poignant insight and real-life irony, the book follows Sonnenfeld from childhood as a French horn player through graduate film school at NYU, where he developed his talent for cinematography. His first job after graduating was shooting nine feature length pornos in nine days. From that humble entrée, he went on to form a friendship with the Coen Brothers, launching his career shooting their first three films.

Though Sonnenfeld had no ambition to direct, Scott Rudin convinced him to be the director of The Addams Family. It was a successful career move. He went on to direct many more films and television shows. Will Smith once joked that he wanted to take Sonnenfeld to Philadelphia public schools and say, "If this guy could end up as a successful film director on big budget films, anyone can." This book is a fascinating and hilarious roadmap for anyone who thinks they can't succeed in life because of a rough beginning.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"[Sonnenfeld's] moments of self-effacement...make him an ideal tour guide through the vagaries and hypocrisies of the entertainment industry.... He catalogs his own anxieties at length, sometimes to exorcise them and sometimes to fetishize them.... It is thrilling to ride shotgun."—David Itzkoff, The New York Times

"If I went to prison, and I saw that Barry Sonnenfeld was going to be my cellmate, I would think, 'Oh, this will be a breeze.'"—Jerry Seinfeld

"The extraordinary thing about Barry is how many truly strange and amazing chapters he's had in his life."—Neil Patrick Harris

"Writing a book this sharp, [Sonnenfeld is] puncturing the myth of the Director as God....A wild account of his life and times....Here we have not only a new entrant in the movie-director memoir genre but an even rarer beast: a book by someone in the entertainment industry who is neither self-aggrandizing nor self-important but uniquely, and painfully, candid."—The Wall Street Journal

"Hilarious."—Ryan Seacrest, "Live with Kelly and Ryan"

"Barry's memoir is amazingly honest and brazenly hilarious. Now excuse me, I need to take a shower and try to get some of those images out of my head."—Cheryl Hines

"Sonnenfeld's autobiography is laced with funny, sometimes absurd, moments.—WBUR

"Anyone who has encountered Barry for any length of time has wondered how he came to be the way he is. The answer is hilariously, poignantly, and forthrightly told through various stories that resulted in me feeling nauseous, laughing out loud, blushing, and repeatedly saying under my breath, 'Oh my God, Barry.' Sometimes all of those things at once."—Allison Williams

"Barry Sonnenfeld's memoir is not unlike many of his films. It's an incredible story about an unlikely hero. There is action, adventure, comedy, horror-and just a little bit of porn."—Kelly Ripa

"Hilarious, full of heart, and there are no typos."
—Max Greenfield

"I couldn't put it down."
—Marc Maron

"The most purely enjoyable memoir I've ever read. The content of this neurotic genius's life is fascinating, complimented by his rare gift of storytelling."
—Patrick Warburton

"Exactly everything a good memoir should be."—Audible Editorial

"Outrageous and hilarious...written with poignant insight and real-life irony."—KATU AM Northwest

"Very funny...Told in his unmistakable voice."—WAMC

"A neurotic, revelatory treat...[Sonnenfeld] spins eye-opening yarns....It's brutally honest...memorable and hilarious."
—HollywoodInToto.com

Laughed, cried, laughed some more

As a southerner, I’ve never met a neurotic Jew. I wish I had. I loved this man, his story, his love story, his journey, and his friendships. God bless him for the childhood he endured but I am forever grateful for the adult that it produced. Barry is hilarious, kind, introspective, & brilliant. I’m pissed that his mother killed Jimmy Hendrix yet intrigued by her cooking techniques & drama. I will probably listen to this again as it is one of those pieces that you will catch something new each time. Thank you for your life, your struggle, your experience. Blessed to know you sir. Gracias
Thank you Kelly Ripa for suggesting this amazing read!

So surprised he still has a sense of humor

This poor guy has certainly had an interesting life. After all his adventures its good to see that he can still enjoy life and smile. Great book.

loved it!

This book is so funny, interesting, as well as touching. I really loved it!

An Excellent Audiobook.

Being more than a bit neurotic myself, I really did enjoy this book. Frankly, I was sorry when it ended. Sonnenfeld is an engaging bundle of quirks and neuroses. And his narration made the book highly entertaining. Try it. You’ll like it!

Hilarious, honest and inspiring

Plus, gets you out of the vortex of wondering what to watch tonight. Just watch something Sonnenfeld shot or directed and you’ll be happy.

Don’t be afraid to listen at 1.3x

Brilliant, but for…

This was an extremely entertaining book with a lot of “inside baseball” Hollywood stories, and life lessons sprinkled throughout. I respect and delight in the tales of “Ba’s” professional candor (wont that I had ever had the intestinal fortitude to stand my ground in similar (corporate, non-film situations).

“Creative differences” here (not that I have any creativity whatsoever), but really wish (if it had to be part of the book) there’d been a “this next chapter is so stomach-churning that it will turn you off porn forever, and runs for the next xx minutes - you may want to skip it”, and similarly with the later chapter on CM the CM…though I had learned my lesson by that time and just skipped through most of the latter. I got it, a traumatic experience no one should EVER have go through. BTW, I don’t watch horror films either…

Mr Sonnenfeld is a phenomenal story teller, and his narration beyond perfect. I wish it had been longer; his story makes me realize how many truly fascinating people there are out in the world.

Very similar mother, very many points in common

Borderline mothers...
This book could be an introduction to really getting in contact with what happened to many of us.
A very elevated sense of humor that you'll get after listening to the book; not a LOL but a series of painful chuckles throughout, with the overall sense that it helps, and the sure effect of sarcasm or laughter when it actually happens again (for those that still have their "mother" around).
I thank you, Barry.
Cristian Fernandez Falcon, San Antonio TX

Terrific showbiz memoir of a very singular artist.

One of my favorite film directors has written a wonderful, painful, improbable and very, very funny memoir. Moving at a brisk pace with as many hair-raising twists and turns as his best movies, Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother is filled with rich details (and, in the case of the hilarious/cringeworthy porno chapter, too many details) about his childhood and his film career. As written, you feel like the whole book was written with a perfectly center framed wide angle lens, and Sonnenfeld himself reads his own words with his inimitable voice and his trademark dry, matter-of-fact wit. A must for fans of film and Hollywood lore, and particularly of Barry Sonnenfeld‘s work.

Nothing important except read the book

When you read or when one has the luxury to read more than most you get opinions. You have opinions about why or what or how works or doesn’t work. Best reader important. Book and layered for anyone interested you get your money back because you can think you get something listen over and enjoy more not less

The Kosher Cowboy Rides Again

What a fun read! As a fellow Jewish person, I felt like I was listening to stories told to me by a cool uncle. Barry Sonnenfeld has been involved in so many of my favorite films and television shows that I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to learn more about the stories behind the scenes. If you want to take a peek into Hollywood’s backstage through a neurotic and witty lens, this is the book for you.