The author of several academic books on film and poetry, Beach takes the first book-length critical look at the films of Hal Ashby, an important figure in the "Hollywood Renaissance" of the late 1960s and 1970s. After providing an overview of career, Beach examines the thematic concerns in the director's work (which included Harold and Maude and Coming Home) and argues that Ashby was an unusually versatile and creative director. He also examines the use of the musical score in Ashby's films and the rapid decline in his career in the 1980s. Eminently readable, this book will interest film scholars and general readers interested in 1970s cinema. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)