Book Review: "In Pieces" by Sally Field
“In Pieces” by Sally Field
Bookshop | Kindle
Publisher Synopsis: One of the most celebrated, beloved, and enduring actors of our time, Sally Field has an infectious charm that has captivated the nation for more than five decades, beginning with her first TV role at the age of seventeen. From Gidget's sweet-faced "girl next door" to the dazzling complexity of Sybil to the Academy Award-worthy ferocity and depth of Norma Rae and Mary Todd Lincoln, Field has stunned audiences time and time again with her artistic range and emotional acuity. Yet there is one character who always remained hidden: the shy and anxious little girl within.
With raw honesty and the fresh, pitch-perfect prose of a natural-born writer, and with all the humility and authenticity her fans have come to expect, Field brings readers behind-the-scenes for not only the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships--including her complicated love for her own mother. Powerful and unforgettable, In Pieces is an inspiring and important account of life as a woman in the second half of the twentieth century.
Rating (out of 5): 4.75
Trigger Warnings: sexual assault
Review: As you may know, I’m the resident celebrity memoir enthusiast around here (see my reviews of Jessica Simpson’s, Elton John’s, and a round-up of some other favorites). But, Sally Field’s is not a typical gossipy celebrity memoir. It took her seven years to write, without the help of a ghostwriter, and reflects on her childhood and first 15 or so years of her career. I am a child of the ’90s so my first exposure to Field was in “Mrs. Doubtfire” (followed closely by “Forrest Gump”); Field’s prolific career began in the mid-60s, so there was a lot new to me.
Field writes beautifully about her relationship with her mother, whom she calls Baa, and heartbreakingly about the abuse she survived at the hands of her charismatic stepfather. I found it deeply moving, honest, and tough to read at times. Sally is older than I realized (73!) and it’s clear that writing this was an exploration of how she became the woman she is—and the actress she is. Her moving performances for the past 55 years show a certain kind of empathy, and in reading this, we discover where it comes from.
If you’re looking for gossip, it mainly comes in the form of FIeld’s tumultuous relationship with Burt Reynolds in the late ’70s, when he was at the height of heartthrob status. He was incredibly emotionally abusive and diminishing of Field’s career; she didn’t even attend the Emmys the year she won for “Sybil.”
Field’s “you like me” 1985 Oscars speech is often made fun of, but the entertainment industry was even more hierarchal then than it is now; Field started as a TV actor in “Gidget” and “The Flying Nun” and she writes of the difficulty she endured to be taken seriously. No one wanted to offer The Flying Nun herself meaty film roles. She writes, of deciding whether or not to attend the Emmys ceremony where she would ultimately win,
With only the slightest hint of disapproval from Burt, I felt ashamed of my desire to be accomplished, to be successful, to be recognized, embarrassed that I wanted to attend this award show, to feel that I was no longer a joke in the industry. And if, for a moment, I started to learn in the direction of accepting the studio’s offer, he’d sit on the edge of the bed, gulping air, jabbing his fingers into his chest. I felt stuck in an old pattern: To be loved I Had to stop being me. Matter of fact, I had to stop being anyone.
The memoir concludes with a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how hard Field fought for the role of Mary Todd Lincoln in Spielberg’s “Lincoln” (full disclosure: I went to a 10:30 showing of this movie with my mom when it was released and we both fell asleep in the theater). Field’s mother, Baa, was near the end of her life as Sally was fighting for the role, and the conversations between the two of them are at time tough to read. But (spoiler alert?) they make peace with their relationship before Baa passes, and it became clear that this book is truly a portrait of the complexities of one mother’s and daughter’s relationship.
TL;DR: A moving, at times heart-wrenching memoir from one of the most iconic actresses of our time. Field is honest, raw, vulnerable, and courageous as she reflects on childhood trauma, her relationship with her mother, and how tapping into her emotions and empathy (on screen and off) affected her.
If you liked this, try:
“From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home” by Tembi Locke (Bookshop | Kindle) (my review here)
“Know My Name” by Chanel Miller (Bookshop | Kindle) (my review here) (Elizabeth’s review here)
“Love, Loss, and What We Ate” by Padma Lakshmi (Bookshop | Kindle)
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