Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time: True Stories from a Career in Hollywood

Once described by actress Cheryl Hines as the most neurotic person she’d ever met, director and filmmaker Sonnenfeld’s follow-up to his 2020 memoir Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother, is a neurotic delight. Sonnenfeld shares anecdotes that read as outtakes from his memoir, which is not to say that the stories are superfluous—far from it. He knows that readers of show business memoirs want all the juicy details, and he delivers with nonstop hilarity. This time, he takes readers behind the scenes of the many memorable movies and television shows he’s been a part of, from When Harry Met Sally, Get Shorty, and the “Men in Black” franchise to Schmigadoon! He’s not shy about discussing his less successful projects like Wild Wild West; in fact, he is at his funniest in those self-deprecating moments. The book’s format (or shtick, as one might call it) of short, episodic chapters works exceptionally well for capturing Sonnenfeld’s unique personality and sense of humor.