Skip to main contentFew things are more entertaining or more annoying than an egomaniac prattling on and on, ad nauseam, about himself (at least that's what everybody tells me whenever I start to talk). But the truth is, some people are more interesting than other people, or at least are more capable of telling an interesting story. Begrudge the arrogant, self-absorbed pricks who hog the conversation all you want--just remember, most of the time their lives are more interesting.
Robert Evans is one of those egomaniacs who manages to repel and attract simultaneously. He's the sort of narcissist who probably has more pictures of himself in his scrapbook than of other people. At the same time, Evans is one of Hollywood's most legendary golden boys. The Kid Stays in the Picture is his latest ego trip, a documentary by filmmakers Brett Morgen and Nanette Burstein, based on Evans' autobiography of the same name, that charts his meteoric rise, fall and resurrection in the film industry.
After a brief tenure as a child actor, Evans went into the fashion industry with his brother. In 1956, Evans was "discovered" poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel by actress Norma Shearer, who picked him to play her late husband, legendary film mogul Irving Thalberg, in 1957's Man of a Thousand Faces. After a quick rise to stardom, Evans decided to move into the real seat of power in Hollywood--producing. By 1966 he was the head of production at failing Paramount Pictures. Under Evans' guidance, Paramount would rise to greatness with a string of hits that included The Odd Couple, Rosemary's Baby, Love Story (starring Evans' wife Ali MacGraw) and, the crowning achievement in his cap, The Godfather.
Told mostly with still photographs interspersed with old film clips and interview footage, The Kid Stays in the Picture is narrated by Evans, who sounds here more like a hard-boiled detective than a film producer. The result is a lot like listening to a book on tape while flipping through a photo album. Evans' manner of speech has an odd staccato cadence, with every third sentence mumbled, making it difficult to understand what he just said. But when you can understand him, it's always very interesting. Referring to filmmaker Roman Polanksi (who worked with Evans on Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown) as "the Polack," and ex-wife MacGraw as "Snot-nose" reveals the sort of candor that made his book a must-read within the film world.
On its surface, The Kid Stays in the Picture is little more than a blustering journey into a universe that has Robert Evans as its center. It's precisely Evans' self-indulgent personality, however, that makes the film so enjoyable. It can be annoying at times to listen to the man recount how he had everything, only to piss it all away--but then his ability to bounce back from near ruin can be inspiring. And whether you like him or hate him, Evans and his rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-riches story never cease to be engaging.
Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st Ave., 223-4515. 7 and 9 pm Friday - Thursday, Aug. 16 - 22. Additional shows 10:45 pm Friday - Saturday; 12:45, 2:45, 4:45 Saturday - Sunday. $6.
WWeek 2015