The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen

Theater critic Hofler (Money, Murder, and Dominick Dunne) delivers a spellbinding behind-the-scenes look at the seminal 1973 film The Way We Were. When playwright Arthur Laurents pitched the idea for the movie to producer Ray Stark, the politically minded script was partly a way for Laurents to earn “sweet revenge” for the time he was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Hofler details Robert Redford’s initial reluctance to join the cast (“It sounds to me like another Ray Stark ego trip” he jokes), a hesitation that diminished when he discovered he’d be paid more than costar Barbra Streisand. Hofler recounts the clash of wills between Laurents and director Sydney Pollack that often threatened production—“Laurents thought he knew how to handle Pollack: he would listen politely to the director’s suggestions and promptly ignore them”—and holds nothing back as he describes tumultuous rewrites, delays, and the various players’ lofty demands (such as Streisand’s perfectionism and “questioning of every detail”). The ever-changing screenplay and forceful presence of two major stars created a difficult atmosphere, but despite “the day-to-day horrors of shepherding The Way We Were to the screen,” the film skyrocketed to fame. Hofler’s prose sparkles, and he successfully blends histrionics with on-screen magic. The captivating result makes clear that the drama happening behind the camera can be just as gripping as what’s in front of it. Agent: Lee Sobel, Lee Sobel Literary Agency. (Jan.)