In 1980, art house audience word of mouth about an unusual new movie,
Return of the Secaucus Seven , launched the career of director John Sayles and with him the era of the independent filmmaker. Sayles has remained a maverick, writing, directing, editing and even acting in his own films. This fully updated and revised edition of the 1998 book chronicles Sayles’ career - including the story of his inauspicious beginning as a second-string actor, and his work in fiction, theatre, music videos and television. A chapter is devoted to each of Sayles’ feature films, offering background material on production funding, a plot sketch, an analysis of important characters, and a look at the language, setting, and politics. Each chapter also traces Sayles’ technical development - his camera work, editing, musical arrangement and mise-en-scene. The book includes a complete filmography and a bibliography.