A Real Love Story

By and large, the Movie Night Group devotes our screenings to fictional films, but this week we screened a documentary - Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (2015). The film tells the story of Harold and Lillian Michelson, two behind-the-scenes forces in Hollywood history. Harold was a storyboard artist and later an art director, while wife Lillian was a researcher for films (and the owner of an extensive library). Both a romance and a look into the history of Hollywood, this was one that we had to view together.

The beauty of this film is the genuine warmth that the director shows in portraying his subjects.  According to this TCM article, Daniel Raim had considered a film about Mr. Michelson after talking to him for his documentary on art directors (Something's Gonna Live (2010)) and a short film (The Man on Lincoln's Nose (2000)). At the same time, he envisioned a second film that would explore the research process in film, with a focus on Ms. Michelson and her library. But once he talked to them and their friends more extensively, he realized that their stories were so interwoven, that the best way to discuss them was to do one film about them both.

Despite his admiration for the couple, Mr. Raim is not creating a hagiography.  For one thing, it's quite apparent that Ms. Michelson would not allow it. She talks openly about her own limitations - her trepidation about marrying Mr. Michelson, when she really didn't know him very well; her problems dealing with her autistic son (her knowledge about autism proved useful when she researched for Rain Man (1988). However, she would not allow Dustin Hoffman to follow her son around, feeling it was a violation of they young man's privacy). We are presented with a story about two real people, not an idealization of a perfect life.

Ms. Michelson is the linchpin of the film - she  tells her tales with humor.  For example, she recalls being fired from her job with the telephone company when she was seven months pregnant because she was "an affront to the public." Her stories about her research - getting access to a closed FBI office so she could see what it looked like; connecting with elderly Jewish women so she could get an example of turn-of-the-20th Century undergarments (for a scene in Fiddler on the Roof (1971)); interviewing a drug lord for the movie Scarface - are both humorous and awe-inspiring. A voracious reader, Ms. Michelson developed a love for science fiction, which resulted in Mr. Michelson agreeing to become the art director for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). When Robert Wise asked him to do the job, Harold initially  said no; he didn't care for science fiction. But Lillian insisted he do it - turn down Star Trek? Unthinkable!

While photographs of the couple help to tell the story, a great contribution to the film is the illustrations provided by Patrick Mate, a colleague of Harold's at DreamWorks. These drawings provide a visual focus to the unfolding story.  Likewise, Mr. Michelson's hand-made greeting cards, which he would present to his wife for her birthdays, Valentine's Day, and their anniversaries, show his quirky sense of humor, and his deep love for his wife.

Harold's amazing storyboard clearly demonstrate the influence of the story-board artist to film. His work on The Birds (1963) and The Graduate (1967) outline the films shot-by-shot. Interestingly, Mr. Michelson recalled that he viewed The Graduate as a serious film, and was amazed when director Mike Nichols took his work to create a film that was sarcastically funny.

Interviews with colleagues and friends show the affection that the couple engendered inside the film industry. When Harold became ill, Lillian took him to work with her at DreamWorks (one of the many homes that she was able to find for her collection). Harold would sit with the staff animators, and tell them of his experiences. The result: the couple ended up as King Harold and Queen Lillian in Shrek. (Harold and Lillian website)

The reviews for the film were raves. Check out Variety, The New York Times, and Point of View Magazine as examples. We wholeheartedly agree, and recommend that you give this one a look.  We'll leave you with the trailer, and hope you will enjoy the film yourself!