'Hal' is a documentary on the under apricated late film maker Hal Ashby (1922-1988) who won an Oscar for editing in the 1960's, made a string of influential films in the 70's, and faded to near obscurity in the 80's before succumbing to pancreatic cancer. A non Mormon from Ogden, Utah he had a difficult personal life, his parents divorced when he was a small child, and then his father killed himself when he was 12. He fled his first wife and only child when he was still a teenager and moved to California for a career and to marry four more times.
He could be a faithful friend and while actors and crews loved to work with him studios didn't, he was very idiocentric. His period of greatest artistic and commercial success was the 1970's, he made seven films, all of them classic's from 'The Landlord' to 'Being There'. I'm not huge on 'Harold and Maude' like most of his fans but I should really revisit it. I love 'Being There', but have yet see 'Shampoo' or 'Coming Home', so I'll have to correct that, I should have some strong movie nights coming in the nearish future. ***
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