As
we did in 2021 and 2023, we're attempting to again increase book coverage in the
community. This go round, we're talking to Ty about his review of CARRIE FISHER & DEBBIE REYNOLDS: PRINCESS LEIA & UNSINKABLE TAMMY IN HELL
(Ty). Ty, an overview?
Ty: Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince wrote the book and it's about Debbie Reynolds was Carrie Fisher's mother and the two were actresses. Debbie was nominated for an Academy Award, a Tony, an Emmy (in fact prime time and daytime nominations), Golden Globes, etc. Carrie lucked into STAR WARS -- a franchise that made her famous and provided her with three big hits. Otherwise her acting career really isn't anything except SHAMPOO, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY . . ., HANNAH AND HER SISTERS and THE BLUES BROTHERS. She really didn't do much on screen as an actress. She did have more of an impact as a writer -- of screenplays, novels, monologues and memoirs. But in terms of acting? She was better than her father Eddie Fisher but not as prolific or as talented as her mother.
Now your husband has been really interested in Debbie Reynolds this year.
Ty: Yes. Before 2024, I was much more familiar with Carrie Fisher than Debbie Reynolds and I had no idea that Debbie had such a strong career. I knew SINGING IN THE RAIN and IN AND OUT, for example, but she had a lot more than that. She had HOW THE WEST WAS WON, for example, a huge hit, and I didn't even note that in my review of the book. So this year, we read two of Debbie's memoirs and we read that awful book on Carrie Fisher, see Marcia's "Sheila Weller's Carrie Fisher: A Life On The Edge" and we read this book and I'd argue this is the best one. It covers the battle that it was for Debbie to have a career. It covers so much and you really respect her and start to feel sympathetic to her -- it's one thing to write POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE -- a solid novel by Carrie -- but to turn into that piece of garbage film? It is a piece of garbage and Carrie really did whore there because the movie star mother is really not in the novel but she becomes the co-lead character in the film. And I would be insulted if I was Debbie Reynolds because, yes, that was her that Carrie was writing about. And, again, the film's story is not the book's story.
So the book made you really admire Debbie Reynolds?
Ty: It really did. Carrie was a taker -- this is me, not the book. She took so much from her mother and it's amazing that Debbie was able to, for example, do the Liberace movie with Michael Douglas and to be so good in it. She did that while dealing with all of Carrie's never-ending crazy. At some point, you need to grow the hell up but Carrie never did. And that shock therapy that she did and claimed cured her didn't help a damn bit. Just another lie -- another lie that harmed others -- in a long list of lies.
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Previous book discussions:
"Book Talk (Stan, Rebecca, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Trina, Ava and C.I.)"
"Books (Ruth, Jim, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Stan, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Dona, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Ty, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Mike, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Stan, Rebecca, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Mike, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Ann, Marcia, Trina, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Elaine, Ava and C.I.)"
"Books (Marcia, Rebecca, Ava and C.I.)"
"Book Talk (Kat, Ava and C.I.)"
