Somehow this one got by me, but I was delighted to dig into it, as I quite enjoyed Hanks short story collection, Uncommon Type. For his first novel, Hanks delivers a tale that takes us behind the scenes of a big superhero movie and walks us through all the steps of its production, exploring the happy and not-so-happy accidents that combine to make the film a blockbuster.

The tale begins with the origins of what will become a superhero tale, a Marine returning from the horrors of World War II and the effect it had on his young nephew who grew up to be a comic book artist. From there, we transition to famed writer-director Bill Johnson who is looking for a new project and is offered the chance to helm the latest installment in a Marvel-like cinematic universe.

Hanks takes his time, introducing us to the story’s characters one by one, and allowing us time with each of them, learning their backstories, understanding who they are, and then adding them to the mix of the the Cardboard Carnival as they come together to work on Knightshade: The Lathe of Firefall.

There are some pretty basic precepts to making a film and being professional according to the characters in Hanks’ book, be on time, if you’re an actor, know you’re lines, and most solve more problems than you cause. And there are problems throughout the production that the team, which includes Bill, his star, Wren Lane, his producer Al Mac-Teer, and a new recruit to the production team, Ynez will have to solve.

I wouldn’t expect Hanks to spill the beans, but you have to wonder how many of the incidents depicted in the book are based on real-life happenings. There is the ring of truth to a number of the anecdotes the characters share and live through.

The book is also enhanced with tons of footnotes, explaining film terminology for those not in the know, and also some delightful asides that don’t add to the narrative, but fill out the world in which the characters exist.

There’s a sense of honest joy that I found woven throughout the book, and I found myself wrapped up in the book, the making of the film, and the glimpses we get at the film itself (the script for it can also be found online for your enjoyment).

Hanks gives us a look at film production, the good and the bad, and makes his characters relatable allowing us to see how each person contributes to the magic of moviemaking, and also explains why you should never hate a film.

I loved this read, I dig Hanks’ sense of humour, and I feel he imbues a lot of himself in his words which makes me think he’d just be an awesome guy to sit around and chat with about all things, not just film, the space program, typewriters or World War II, but everything.

The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece is a delightful, occasionally whimsical and emotional read that hit that sweet spot of enjoyment for me. I love the way he tells his story, the way he explores his characters – their joys and heartaches, their jealousies and ambitions, and brings them all together for us in a world we often don’t get to see for ourselves.

This one could be right up your alley if you want something fun, engaging, and filled with characters we can see ourselves in.