Critic Reviews
Mixed
Based on 4 reviews on
Whenever it was, you've probably noticed that Goldblum has become one of Hollywood's most enduring actors, someone who only seems to grow more famous, more heralded, more beloved through the decades, even though he's always followed his own, strange muse. The guy primarily plays jazz music these days, but is more famous than ever. Actor, pianist, husband, father, style icon, meme. Goldblum contains multitudes, but why? What does he mean?
The Washington Post's Travis M. Andrews decided to find out. And so he set out on a journey through Goldblum's career, talking to directors like Lawrence Kasdan and Philip Kaufman, colleagues like Harry Shearer and Billy Crudup, and pop culture experts like Chuck Klosterman and Sean Fennessey, to get to the bottom of this whole Goldblum thing. And then he took what he learned and he wrote this book, which is titled Because He's Jeff Goldblum and is the best thing written since The Brothers Karamazov and slightly easier to follow. But you should already know that. In this new semi-biography, semi-rumination, and semi-ridiculous look at the career of Goldblum, Andrews takes you behind the scenes of his iconic movies, explores the shifting nature of fame in the twenty-first century, and spends far too much time converting Goldblum's name into various forms of speech.
Want to hear how Goldblum saved a script supervisor from an amorous baboon? Or what he would write on the mirror after taking showers when he was a teenager? How about his feelings on various brands of throat lozenges? (That one could be an entire book unto itself.) Then this is the book for you!
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Read an interview with @travismandrews, author of #BecauseHesJeffGoldblum, about the writing life and what makes Jeff Goldblum the phenomenon that he is, with @thenerdaily! https://t.co/1FrMVZNOX2
"Travis Andrews takes the same, joyous approach with which Jeff Goldblum seems to live every minute of his waking life. Deeply reported, smartly analyzed and unpredictable in its own right, this book gets to the heart of what makes Goldblum a singular figure in American culture without forgetting to have fun."
--Geoff Edgers, author of Walk This Way
"Travis M. Andrews colorfully and entertainingly deciphers the allure of the Jurassic Park and Independence Day star."
--Yahoo, The It List
"Andrews' first book examines the life and work of the irresistible Goldblum with a light touch and a sardonic sense of humor."
--Booklist
"Goldblum fans will appreciate this glowing portrait that also analyzes the actor's appeal."
--Library Journal
"Andrews debuts with a gushing biography and cultural consideration of Jeff Goldblum... those similarly smitten with Goldblum will surely appreciate this lark."
--Publishers Weekly