Speaking Parts

Stan Chung teaches English at the College of New Caledonia in Prince
George, B.C.

This excellent and well-presented book incorporates Egoyan’s
screenplay with a solid introduction to his career, a serious interview
focusing on Egoyan’s aesthetic, an essay on the film by Egoyan
himself, and very interesting facsimiles of Egoyan’s production notes
and dialogue changes. The production notes provide an invaluable insight
into the filmmaking process. Although Egoyan’s importance as an
independent writer/director has not been overlooked, he is still
relatively unappreciated by North American critics. Egoyan’s mastery
of dialogue, structure, and imagemaking—the skills of a writer—is
evident in the screenplay alone, and when the screenplay is combined
with a viewing of Speaking Parts, his genius as a director becomes
evident. Anyone interested in modern cinema (especially critics,
screenwriters, directors, and students of film) will enjoy this
fascinating and important view of Atom Egoyan’s artistry.