The Directors: Ron Howard

Opie Taylor. Richie Cunningham. Hollywood director. For over 40 years, Ron Howard has been in the public eye, either in front of or behind the camera. In Tinseltown parlance, he's a genuine player, yet--as seen in this American Film Institute portrait, which surveys his directorial efforts--Ron Howard comes across as an easygoing, self-effacing, and exceptionally unpretentious guy. Although he probably wouldn't characterize his work in producer Joel Silver's words ("my movies are about asses on seats"), Howard enjoys making films that both entertain and emotionally connect with audiences, and viewers will be rewarded with some heartwarming trips down cinema's memory lane here with clips from Splash, Night Shift, Cocoon, Parenthood, Willow, Backdraft, The Paper, Far & Away, Apollo 13, and Ransom (since the documentary was made in 1997, no footage from EDtv or the upcoming How the Grinch Stole Christmas is included). Interviews with Howard's parents, Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Mary Steenburgen, Michael Keaton, Daryl Hannah, and others round out this enjoyable hour spent in pleasant company. Highly recommended. [Note: Some film clips include mild language, as well as the phrase "fucked-up"; in my opinion, it's pretty low key.] Other titles in the series include: John Frankenheimer, Garry Marshall, John McTiernan, Rob Reiner, Joel Schumacher, Norman Jewison and Sydney Pollack. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)