Cameron on the set of True Lies. In Landau’s case, filmmaking was in the blood, as his parents were acclaimed independent producers of films like The Pawnbroker and the Oscar-nominated documentary King: A Filmed Record.

The Bigger Picture follows Landau’s career from his start as a production assistant (a glorified gofer) in his early 20s through a series of promotions, culminating in an executive vice-president role at Fox before he was 30. There, he watched the budget while monitoring directors like Cameron, Michael Mann, and Warren Beatty. His presence on the set of True Lies impressed Cameron so much that the director hired Landau to helm Titanic. When Landau resigned from Fox, Warren Beatty and Michael Mann also offered him producer roles on their next films. The scope of the Titanic project vastly outweighed the other films, and Landau was hooked, even though all Cameron had at that time was a screen treatment.

Like many Hollywood memoirs, The Bigger Picture has its share of celebrity anecdotes. However, this book is not a tell-all gossip piece, and most of the anecdotes are trivial. Landau briefly discusses Matthew McConaughey’s screen test for the role of Jack in Titanic. That screen test ended rather abruptly when McConaughey insisted on saying his lines with his usual Texas drawl. For the most part, however, the anecdotes focus on the business side. Some are fascinating, such as the struggle behind the release of the Titanic trailer. Studio rules at the time capped a trailer at 2 ½ minutes, but the Titanic trailer clocked in at just over four. By that point, Paramount was very nervous about the movie, which was well over budget and had generated a lot of bad buzz. Landau convinced Sherry Lansing, Paramount’s CEO, to show the four-minute trailer at the National Association of Theater Owners annual conference. Actor Kurt Russell, who attended the screening, called the trailer the best he’d ever seen, and Landau got his go-ahead. The rest is history.

Unfortunately, most of Landau’s stories aren’t nearly as interesting as the four-minute trailer. He discusses a key decision he made as a production assistant: scheduling an outdoor shoot on a now-forgotten movie despite the threat of rain. While that decision proved important for Landau’s career, it won’t prove nearly as interesting for readers. Similarly, Landau devotes a great deal of space to discussing the technical aspects of making James Cameron’s revolutionary Avatar. The discussion of the technical details involved in motion capture effects (which Landau calls “performance capture”) may interest technical wonks but not the average reader. I am somewhat familiar with the technical side of filmmaking, but I had a hard time following some of Landau’s details.

The Bigger Picture is on much firmer footing when Landau talks about personal matters. He discusses his courtship of his future wife at length, including a discussion of their first date (which he commemorated for the rest of his life). He was a great joker on his film sets, and he kept casts and crews amused and entertained, as he relates. The book does a good job of portraying him as a very likable guy, the sort of person people would love to have around on a film set.

The Bigger Picture doesn’t end well, as James Cameron notes in his introduction. When Landau decided to write the book, he was already struggling with the cancer that would eventually kill him. The last parts of Landau’s story are touching as he tries to keep up a busy production schedule on what would eventually become the third Avatar movie while battling debilitating cancer. Landau candidly notes that he only decided to write the memoir when he realized that his disease was probably terminal, and he wanted to leave a testament of his life and career behind. This part of the book is the rawest and most sincere. I wish Landau had gone into greater detail, but I understand his decision. The last chapter of The Bigger Picture serves as a bittersweet conclusion to a very productive life.

 The Bigger Picture is an unremarkable look at the career of a remarkable producer. More importantly for potential readers, though, it is a remarkable look at the life and imminent death of that man. Those looking for a classic tell-all about Titanic, Avatar, and numerous less prominent movies may be disappointed. Those interested in the life story of a man who spent his entire adult life in the film industry will find it more interesting. Like many movies, The Bigger Picture has its flaws. Overall, however, it rates a thumbs-up.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.