My Mother Was Nuts: A Memoir

I don't read much nonfiction and only read memoirs/biographies if it is someone I really admire. That being said, here is why I read this book; as a child I loved Laverne & Shirley! I wanted a big "S" to put on my shirts like Laverne's L. I might have been slightly nerdy... I did not know much about Penny Marshall's life outside of what television shows made her famous and that she became a director later in her career. Her story is fascinating and full of funny and touching moments. Many who reviewed this say she abandoned her child but they need to read more closely because she did not. She is unapologetically honest about her past and how a bit of nepotism got her a start. Penny also holds little back in admitting her drug use, her rocky relationship with her parents, her lackluster abilities as a mother or her grumpiness when she was a cancer patient. She knows her faults and doesn't try to sugarcoat them or brush them off. She is also hilarious, loving and an amazing director. After reading My Mother Was Nuts I have a deeper respect for Penny.

Glad I didn't listen to the reviews that said this wasn't a great read. Imagine Penny Marshal sitting in front of you telling you what happened and when and with who. That was my perception and how I couldn't put it down. I loved the stories and reading about what I already knew and what I didn't. As Penny's mother taught her, I was very entertained.🤗

Assuming you are a Penny Marshall fan or you wouldn't be considering reading this book, I will say in the beginning, you will definitely enjoy this book. I could heart her nasal voice telling this story as if we were sitting down for coffee and conversation, and what a story it is! I think every one of her friends who would drop in at all hours just to hang out and talk, were people I would've enjoyed hanging out in the corner just to listen to and be entertained by. Considering Carrie Fisher and Join Belushi were just two of her large group of pals, there's no question that you will be entertained and possibly laugh out loud a time or two.She writes the way she talks so you will probably hear her voice too.Funny and bittersweet, at times, my only criticism is that it was over too soon.

Kept me fascinated from the very first page to the last and was sorry to see it end. Get interesting peek into this excellent comedic actress' life. She was not shy about describing the low points and what she saw as failures as well as her triumphs, both as an actress and as a director. I was not even aware that she had directed films, and have made notations so I can look up some of the films she directed and others which were done by her friends. That this very successful Hollywood icon treasured friendships more than wealth or earthly belongings seems to show the true Penny Marshall.She also very much enjoyed "giving back" through charity works also shows her great depth of character.Highly recommend to any and all. there are laughs as well as a few tears and I can't help but respect Penny so much more after having read this book.

This biography was exactly how I like my biographies. It was truthful (well, as far as I can tell!), giving both the positive and negatives of Ms. Marshall's life. She takes everything in stride, and is able to look back at times with a realistic view of what happened. While it does talk of drugs, it doesn't glorify them. The book does not have salacious descriptions of people, nor is a "let me get back at so-and-so" type of book. I hate books that are intentionally over the top just to feed people's "Kardashian" appetite! It's a real book about a real person - one who I think would be fascinating to know!

3.5 starsI didn't realize just how much I liked Penny Marshall until she passed away. The show that made her famous, Laverne and Shirley, aired mainly before I was born so that's not the reason I was bummed to hear the news she had died. I think the reason I was sad is because I feel like she had so much more to share with the world in terms of making movies and honestly just being a strong, female role model for many people.After reading this book, I'm not sure if I would necessarily call Penny's mother nuts, but I can definitely say she seemed unusual and lacked a filter when talking to people. Their mother-daughter relationship made for some interesting reading as at first you get the sense that Penny hated her mom but as the book progresses you can also see also leaned on her for support such as when her daughter, Tracy, was born. My only real criticism of the book is I feel Penny was pretty vague when it came to Tracy being raised primarily by her ex-husband and his family during her early years. I also didn't entirely understand why Rob Reiner adopted Tracy when it appears Penny got along well with Tracy's father. Maybe she felt that was more Tracy's story to tell and that's why she didn't really get into it in the book. Not really sure though.It's pretty well-known Penny's older brother, Garry, was a famous director and writer, and pretty much helped Penny get her start in Hollywood. And Penny freely admitted in the book nepotism gave her some opportunities that others with no family connections might not have had. Her talent though is the reason for her long and successful career in my opinion. Playing Laverne was obviously her breakout role and Penny talks about her time working on the show. There were always rumors of her feuding with her co-star Cindy Williams and while they certainly disagreed about some things, I think Penny is more than fair in regards to discussing Cindy, and you can tell she did value their friendship.I loved hearing about her work as a director and found it fascinating that so much of it was just on the job learning. I really respect the fact she just wanted to make movies that made people feel good. I teared up when she mentioned how important it was to her to make sure the actual female ballplayers the movie A League of Their Own was based on were included in the movie. She realized this wasn't her movie, it was their story and she wanted to honor that. It made me sad that part of the reason she didn't do much movie directing in the last 15 years or so of her life was because studios just didn't care much about that type of storytelling anymore. I think the film industry underestimated her talent at bringing stories to the screen that audiences really connect with.Overall, definitely a good read and I recommend especially if you enjoy celebrity memoirs.

I'd read a biography of Laverne and Shirley some years ago. I know there was a falling-out of sorts, but just presumed it was "six of one, half a dozen of the other".I looked forward to getting a bit more insight on it with this autobiography, and I certainly did. Suffice to say that Marshall comes off the better and more noble person. For Williams to have wanted to reduce her hours, her working week and her screen time, yet keep the same money was a bit rich! As for her claim that Marshall might have got preferential treatment being the producer's brother, so what? She wouldn't have had a show without him! And as for not getting as many "laugh lines", that's normal in sitcoms - the "plain, homely" one of a pair usually does. Williams should have just been glad she had the "looks" which people such as Marshall clearly craved.It was a total surprise to read about her career as a producer and director. I had a vague memory of hearing about it once but never realised it was with such top films as "Big", "Awakenings", etc.I found it really fascinating to finally hear about the decisions which producers and directors haves to make, and the reasoning behind them. So much to think about behind the scenes! She explained it very well, I thought. Ok, some issues were a bit "arty" for me (and typical of the "luvvie" culture that one finds in the acting world), but by and large it was very interesting and informative. Ditto all the stories about which actors were originally going to do a certain film, and all the shenanigans that goes with establishing a final cast!There were only a few thing that made me frown, e.g. the way she and Jack Nicholson laughingly smoked in a non-smoking cinema (suggesting rules don't apply to "stars" like them), and the fact that she didn't even know who the father of her 2nd (aborted) child was. Her excuse that she'd slept around because she was "on location " for a while was pathetically lame. I only hope she wasn't one of the movie women who got involved with all the "me too" and Weinstein palavers. Enough said!Also a surprise was her long relationship with Art Garfunkel! Who would have thought?

I often wondered what happened to Penny Marshall. I remember Laverne and Shirley and laughed alot. I also remember her being a director but she has since vanished from our screens. This is a great read with many a famous name branded about. Marshall comes across really well and this is a lovely read.

Personally I found her style irritating and gave up after a fairly short while - presumably if you like her writing you'll love it, I'd not come across her before.

I bought this for my wife, who is a mother and who is nuts! She liked it, so that's the basis of this review. It's a good read (apparently).

I like Penny Marshall, and I was interested in learning more about her background. The beginning of the book is entertaining - her life in Brooklyn, her family, her mother's dance studio and college days. It was also interesting to hear about how she entered show business.Overall, she comes across as relatively unaffected and genuine. The only downside is that the latter part of the book drags a little - kind of like a list of everything she did in her career and everyone she knows. I didn't find these chapters gave me as much insight into what makes her tick. Overall, though, it's entertaining enough, and a quick read.

I was not sure on who Penny Marshal was when I first began reading it !! I found it hard to put down, then I realised I remembered seeing her on telly many years ago, a really funny lady, and a very positive strong attitude to life..

A rare autobiography in which the author seldom shys away from telling it like it is or at least reveals a little more than most. The author is not afraid to speak out about issues relating to the hollywood scene and as such this is a very wothwhile read.

Sorry to say although I decided to carry on reading it seemed to be about name dropping and so many of them were people I had never heard of. There was some semblance of a story but it wasn't for me

Yep her mother wa definitely nuts. For those who remember Penny Marshall, this is a very light hearted jaunt through her life. Amazing to find how connected she and her family are to Hollywood.

This is a delightful light read - a picture of growing up - of people we know from movies and television - of a creative determined woman who is a genuinely funny person and sensitive enough to have directed "Big" - and meant it.Her voice is clear all the way through it.Every time I picked it up, I knew I would smile.

good

This book takes us back to the Marshall family's early days and is full of funny off-beat stories about Penny and her brother Garry, who both became famour film directors.

I found this book extremely boring,so much it was the only book I've ever read which I couldn't be bothered to finish. All it was was a list of names of people I' never heard of

Rolls on at an amazing speed. She is a funny lady with no holds barred. Read this in two sittings (on holiday) , really interesting and lots of Hollywood inside info.

Quite an interesting book if you remember Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.