Ep 100. Ron Howard
When a 16-year old Ron Howard was hanging out on set with Henry Fonda (as one does), Fonda gave the young actor a bit of advice: If he loved acting, he should focus on theater, but, "If you love movies, become a director.\u201d Ron Howard loved movies.\n\nThe Oklahoma-born son of two actors, his earliest memories are of memorizing dialog from his dad\u2019s summer stock plays as a 3-year old. Walking unaware into an MGM kids\u2019 casting call in 1959, Howard senior mentioned he had a son who was a fine actor. They called young Ronny in, had him do a scene, and asked his dad if he could do anything else. "I really don\u2019t know if he can." Ron Howard entered our living rooms a year later as Opie in The Andy Griffith Show, and didn\u2019t leave for the next 25 years when Happy Days ended in 1984. That\u2019s when we really saw what else he could do.\n\nHe started directing in 1977 by convincing producer Roger Corman to let him helm Grand Theft Auto (Howard agreed to act in Corman\u2019s Eat My Dust! in exchange). Next came Night Shift, and then, at a point where most directors are still paying off film school debt, he delivered Splash, Cocoon and Parenthood. They were all charming, funny, well reviewed and commercially successful; and yet we still hadn\u2019t seen the extent of what he could do as a director.\n\nWhat Howard excels at is telling stories that tell us something about ourselves; real tales of real people \u2013 albeit writ large \u2013 whose lives and worlds double as themes he wants to explore: family, teamwork, hubris and adversity, to name a few. Another particular genius is his ability to translate those worlds visually, forging a direct connection from our eyeballs to our gut or heart, as the story demands. Consider a tale that takes place largely inside the head of a brilliant but unstable mathematician. In its review of A Beautiful Mind, The New York Times called his technique \u201cas simple as it is inspired,\u201d adding, \u201cMr. Howard has found an accessible cinematic way to present this insight: Schizophrenia does not announce itself as such to those it afflicts. Mr. Howard leads us into its infernal reality without posting a sign on the door.\u201d The film, an unexpected success, earned him an Academy Award for Best Director.\n\nWhen he took us into Formula One racing with Rush, a lot of people went along reluctantly, only to be surprised at how one tight shot of a violently vibrating tire could make their heart race as fast as the motor shaking it. That shot signaled danger more effectively than any deadly crash. Variety thought so, too. \u201cTo witness this level of storytelling skill (applied to a subject only a fraction of the public inherently finds interesting) is to marvel at not only what cinema can do when image, sound and score are so artfully combined to suggest vicarious experience, but also to realize how far Howard has come since his directorial debut.\u201d\n\nHe was able to make equally dramatic cinema from two men sitting across from each other, talking. \u201cYou expect something dry, historical and probably contrived. But you get a delicious contest of wits, brilliant acting and a surprisingly gripping narrative,\u201d said the Washington Post\xa0about\xa0Frost/Nixon. \u201cHoward's cinematic treatment deftly exploits very conventional narrative techniques without one ever being quite aware of them.\u201d\n\nBut of course the film that feels closest to his core as a filmmaker is Apollo 13. It has it all: exploration, heroism, history and the compelling factor of being true. Noting that the subject matter demanded Howard\u2019s reverential treatment, the Los Angeles Times called it his most impressive film to date in a 1995 review. \u201cHoward's willingness to be straight ahead with his directing, the film's derring-do aspects have the advantage of showing the men simply being heroic as opposed to acting like heroes.\u201d\n\nIf some critics have made cynical dismissals of a perceived gee-whiz, all-American, hero-worshipping aesthetic, Howard makes no apologies. \u201cI\u2019m drawn toward celebratory stories. I feel that they are every bit as valid and useful as the darker, cautionary tales. And my favorite thing is when the celebration is not up front and in your face, but something that evolves. It\u2019s something you can understand, that flawed characters can be a part of moments that are worthy of celebration and respect.\u201d That\u2019s sounding pretty good to us these days.\n\nHoward\u2019s work continues to follow his fascinations, from the depths (In the Heart of the Sea) to music (Made in America, The Beatles: Eight Days a week) to boxing (Cinderella Man). We explore along with him again in National Geographic\u2019s first-ever scripted series Genius. His new anthology drama chronicles the world\u2019s most brilliant innovators, kicking off with the famous physicist Albert Einstein. In it, and all of his work, Howard approaches his subjects with eye of a historian, a fan, a geek, and a loving adherent to detail.\n\nSo, how to summarize the life's work of someone whose 63-year career spans two Golden Ages of Television and some of the most acclaimed and successful movies of every genre? Fortunately we don\u2019t have to; it\u2019s still very much in progress.