This week, I was so pleased to welcome back two friends & the hosts of The Film Stage's excellent podcast The B-Side, which covers movie stars in a fascinating way by focusing not on the films that made or kept them famous but the ones that actors made in between. A producer & filmmaker living in Pittsburgh, Dan Mecca started The Film Stage with Jordan Raup in college at Buffalo & Conor O'Donnell is a post-production supervisor based in New York City & also serves as a critic for The Film Stage.

In the 39th episode of the podcast this season, the boys from The B-Side join me to discuss the career & main overarching theme that you will find in the filmography of child actor turned Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard. A man who's been working hard his entire life growing up on film sets where he'd see hundreds of craftsmen quietly executing their jobs with skill & precision in an industry that tends to overlook these individuals in favor of picture-perfect movie stars, Ron Howard is utterly fascinated by the working man. Particularly drawn to studying the work-life balance & the way we all struggle to care for family, friends, & ourselves while at the same time earning a living with purpose, since he stepped foot behind a camera, Howard's gravitated to these tales as a filmmaker. While we touch on numerous pictures that he's made and collaborators he's worked alongside throughout his career in this infectiously delightful & insightful feature-length conversation, we focus primarily on the films PARENTHOOD, THE PAPER, & THIRTEEN LIVES.

Originally Posted on Patreon (11/12/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/92808304

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

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Watch With Jen - S4: E39 - Ron the Job: Ron Howard at Work with Conor O'Donnell & Dan Mecca