Noah and Logan Miller are twin brothers who both had dreams of playing major league baseball and when that didn’t work out they went and did the only other thing they were equipped to do- went to Los Angeles to become filmmakers. While they are out in Los Angeles trying to break into the film business they take odd jobs (I mean really odd, and sometimes dangerous jobs), writing screenplay after screenplay and developing their talent though they have yet to land their big break. When they get a chance they spend weekends with their father, a drifter who has struggled with alcoholism and has been in and out of jail for years. Their dream is to make a movie about their life and the joke is that Ed Harris, whom has always reminded the boys of their father, will play their dad in the film.
Their father’s death and their promise to him that they will complete their film lights the proverbial fire under their behinds, and they give themselves a year to complete the task. From that point forward everyone is either in or on the way because nothing will stop them from fulfilling the promise they made to their father. This book tells the improbable and heartwarming story of the journey to get their film “Touching Home” made into a movie with none less than Ed Harris in the role of their father.
This book was a joy to read. I love to read books that are explanatory of things that I both do and don’t know anything about; and when they are poignant, heartwarming and fun to boot- you’ve got a real winner. Noah and Logan Miler have been trying to break into the film industry for years, but sometimes you need a little extra motivation, and once they had it and stopped taking no for an answer, doors started to fly open in their favor.
It took me a minute to figure out the way the brothers were speaking, in almost a first person plural narrative. Everything was we, we, we and then when a particular brother was mentioned they were spoken of in the third person. We didn’t let anything get in our way. Logan did this. Noah said that. It was really interesting and such a touching way to show that these brothers have and have always had each other’s backs and believe in each other and completely work together as a team, sharig everything (they have one phone, one car, etc). You would think that maybe it would get tedious or tiring, and I was wary of the technique in the beginning, but it absolutely never did. It was charming, funny and endearing.
The most important thing that they are trying to convey about their whole journey was how much they wanted to fulfill the promise that they made to their dad, and the fact that they weren’t going to let anything get in the way of what they needed to accomplish. In doing so they provide a humorous yet sobering overview of the film business, what a daunting industry it is and just how much you need on your side in order to be successful- lots of preparedness, flexibility, money, connections and lucky breaks. I would have liked to have heard some more of the details in how they pulled of the miracles that they did, but this is really just a hilarious and touching overview of the process. This book has wide appeal and I would recommend it to anyone. It’s a great for anyone in your life who has a dream that they want to follow. Guaranteed to provide a can-do attitude, hope and inspiration.
Want an example of twin speak? Check out Amy’s interview with the Miller brothers.
