Things I've Said, But Probably Shouldn't Have: An Unrepentant Memoir

Dern, who got his acting break in Roger Corman films, is best known for roles in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and the Oscar-nominated Coming Home. While he's been an actor for decades, his rambling career account suffers from inaccuracy; for example, when Dern wrongly identifies Elia Kazan as Jewish (he was brought up Catholic). Born a Midwest child of privilege, Dern learned the Method with Lee Strasberg, who suggested he go to Hollywood. And from the moment he gets there, he trumpets his own abilities. His memoir details his fellow actors, directors and pictures, and reveals that he turned down an audition for The Godfather and rebuffed Woody Allen. While briefly touching on his marriages and his obsession with running, Dern saves his eloquence for the magic that can occur on a set. He reserves high praise for directors like Hitchcock, because ""we might do something nobody had ever done before."" Despite his wild run, his memoir is so dominated by ego, it fails to hold our interest.