Here’s the Story – Maureen McCormick

Autobiography
Hardcover from Amazon.com - $19.72

Buy it if: You slow down for car accidents

Don’t Buy it if: You feel sick at the idea of another child-star tell-all

‘Marcia, Marcia, Marcia…’ You know it, you love it, you’ve said it. Maureen McCormick lived it. The damaged-child-star-life-ruined story has become a familiar literary motif these days. The ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ kids, Danny Bonaducci’s beyond-surreal life. Even Soleil Moon Fry (Punky Brewster for those not in the know) has managed to keep herself ‘relevant.’ Does Maureen ‘Marcia Brady’ McCormick’s effort suffer as a result of those who’ve come before her? I think not. But the book does struggle a bit on its own merits.

Though I never made an effort to watch the Brady Bunch, I think it would be impossible to grow up in America (maybe anywhere in the western world) and not see at least a few episodes here and there. It’s ubiquitous and gives any reader at least a moderate amount of context for this book, which has a massive focus on the ‘Bunch.’ In fact, it’s really quite surprising what a role the television show played in McCormick’s life. I was under the impression that, like so many child actors, the show was only a jumping off point for her tumultuous ride to pseudo-fame and the typical trappings that usually entails. Instead, I was surprised to find the Bradys continuously cropping up throughout her life. It does give the reader an oddly comforting touchstone with every mention, despite the fact that you can easily find yourself transposing the characters and real-life actors. Amazingly, doing so doesn’t usually lead you too far off the mark.

As for the content, well…it’s actually fairly boilerplate celebrity with a few surprises. Drugs? Check. Weight gain? Check. Affairs? Check. Family mental illness? It doesn’t come in the form you might expect, but…check. Disappointingly, there are definitely some missing sections. She mentions an album once and has pictures of herself on tour, yet nothing is written about her ‘musical career.’ She also seems to allude to a deep religious conviction, but never really shines a light on that either. It’s a bit odd that some parts of her life receive such detailed examination while others are wholly left out of the text. I can only wonder about the reasons for omission as, given what was included, she’s not afraid to show the worst sides of herself.

Ironically, my initial impetus for purchasing this book came after hearing McCormick on the Howard Stern show. She was inviting, forthright, candid and charming. I figured that if the book was written in the same tone it would be enjoyable, with a twist of 70s-child-start voyeurism… Unfortunately, it’s a little more staid with less humor. A lot of that personality does come across, but not with the same verve she mustered for Howard.

As I finished, Here’s the Story, I was reminded of something a friend of mine told me recently. She mentioned that she walked out of Oliver Stone’s ‘W’ in the fall, not because she felt it was incorrect or poorly made, but merely because she didn’t think enough time had passed to give the subject matter proper perspective. I have to say, this book suffers from the same issue. It covers events right up until the middle of last year, and they’re not small or insignificant ones, either. It’s tough to muster conviction when an author with such a tumultuous life is writing about occurrences from such a recent time period. I think it’s just a bit too soon…

So, for this reason, I’d say it’s best to hold off on this one. HOWEVER, when the paperback comes out with the oh-so-inevitable ‘Now, with a brand new afterword!’ splashed across the front, then I say unleash your wallet for Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Hopefully by then she’ll have found time to reflect a bit more and deliver the rest of the goods…