Shit, Actually

The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

By: Lindy West

Narrated by: Lindy West

Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Your favorite movies, rewatched.

New York Times opinion writer and best-selling author Lindy West was once the in-house movie critic for Seattle's alternative newsweekly The Stranger, where she covered film with brutal honesty and giddy irreverence. In Shit, Actually, Lindy returns to those roots, reexamining beloved and iconic movies from the past 40 years with an eye toward the big questions of our time: Is Twilight the horniest movie in history? Why do the zebras in The Lion King trust Mufasa - who is a lion - to look out for their best interests? Why did anyone bother making any more movies after The Fugitive achieved perfection? And, my god, why don't any of the women in Love, Actually ever f--king talk?

From Forrest Gump, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Bad Boys II, to Face/Off, Top Gun, and The Notebook, Lindy combines her razor-sharp wit and trademark humor with a genuine adoration for nostalgic trash to shed new critical light on some of our defining cultural touchstones - the stories we've long been telling ourselves about who we are. At once outrageously funny and piercingly incisive, Shit, Actually reminds us to pause and ask, "How does this movie hold up?", all while teaching us how to laugh at the things we love without ever letting them or ourselves off the hook.

Shit, Actually is a love letter and a breakup note all in one: to the films that shaped us and the ones that ruined us. More often than not, Lindy finds, they're one and the same.

©2020 Lindy West (P)2020 Hachette Books

Critic reviews

BookRiot, "Book Recommendations for October 2020

Fortune, "Five New Books to Read in October

SeattleMet, "11 Localish Books to Read This Autumn"

Up News Info, "5 new books to read in October"

"[A] laugh out loud romp... [these essays are] warmhearted, acutely self-aware, and surprisingly timely, providing insight into modern society through movies first sold on VHS... Like catching up with a dear and funny friend, this insightful and irreverent book is a soothing balm for turbulent times."—Kirkus Reviews

"It's a no-holds-barred romp through modern movie-making."—LitHub

"[A] hilarious, sharp collection..."—BookRiot

Laugh out loud - SO MUCH FUN!

I love movie recaps and this was exactly what I was looking for at a time I am watching more movies than ever. Even if you haven’t seen some of these movies, you’ll want to after hearing Lindy’s take. I’m so excited for even those new to Lindy’s work to laugh out loud at her hilarious writing. Well done, Lindy! Just the book we needed!

Watching the movies mentioned is not a prerequisite!

I don’t watch movies and got this book because I will consume anything Lindy West is involved in and somehow missed that it was about movies. First two sentences I though “shit, actually...maybe this book isn’t for me” glad I didn’t turn it off (tbh I was riding my bike and can’t mess with my phone without crashing yet) because it was amazing like everything else Lindy West does. Congrats on another book, please write more. And maybe come our gay wedding and be our officiant? ❤️

So good

This book is just a hoot. This is the second time I’ve listened to this and it just cracks me up!

Feminist writer Lindy West examines many of the problematic but beloved films of our past with her iconic wit. Her humor, candor, and critical eye blend so well in her writings.
Titanic, Forest Gump, Harry Potter, Love Actually, Twilight, American Pie, etc all have many troublesome moments that would not fly in modern movie making. Yes, we can still love these movies but realizing where some massive missteps have occurred is important in our growth as a society. West dives in headfirst with her feminist eye while still keeping the book a laugh out loud journey.

I loved West’s first memoir “Shrill” (I also adore the tv show) and bought this on audible the day it came out. She also narrates it splendidly. Her Sean Connery impression makes me giggle just thinking about it. If you want a laugh and to learn a few things, I highly recommend this audiobook!

Such a fun way to learn about some of these movies that I have not actually seen!

A few of the movies West rates in this book are ones I have not seen and I can’t really think of any better way to have experiences those stories than through her description!

Sooo, so, SO very funny.

I loved every second of it. My fave is the one about "Garden State," but the entire book is solid gold. I now want Lindy in my head, saucily and hilariously narrating and reviewing my life, at all times.

Hilarious!

Lindy West is HILARIOUS. Her summaries of the plots of various movies made me laugh out loud SO many times. I love how she navigates the space of loving a problematic movie by making fun of how problematic it is by today's standards. And just making fun of plot holes and general logical fallacies of many popular movies. I also may be convinced to watch The Fugitive.

A BuzzFeed listicle in audiobook form

I realize this book stemmed from an article in a web article, but no attempt was made to change the content of the rest of these into a book/audiobook medium. (I severely doubt that leaving “TBH” in literal text is going to age well!)

There are also numerous completely unnecessary political references peppered in here. Sure, the author can feel free to express their point of view, but encountering this crap in a book that’s ostensibly about plot holes in pop culture movies is like finishing a bag of peanut M&Ms on one of those foul-tasting ones.

Aside from the presentation I found this book vaguely entertaining. I think I picked it up as part of a 2-for-1 deal, so no complaints. The author has some great points, some funny insights, and discusses some obvious plot holes in these movies which had never occurred to me.

Definitely a few solid chuckles in here, tempered by a whole lot of the current “white men are bad” zeitgeist.

so funny

I literally cackled sooo much. lindy west needs to write more movie synopses! her humor is great.

hilarious

This was absolutely hilarious. This was a book club pick, and I had no idea what it was about, and I laughed so hard so many times. I'm going to get a copy of this for my dad because he will also lol

fun, energizing, relatable

overall really enjoyed this. lindy's reading is wonderful. many of these movies I hadn't seen but for the ones I had, I definitely was laughing the whole time.