Book Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Diary by Bob Balaban

My used copy, a bit worse for the wear.

In 1976 Bob Balaban was a struggling New York actor who was cast in Steven Spielberg's third feature film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Balaban appeared in a supporting role as the cartologist/interpreter David Laughlin. During the film's long production Balaban kept a detailed diary, providing a fly on the wall perspective of a landmark film. 

Balaban's impetus for writing the book was there so few accounts by actors on making a film. He walks the reader through the casting process, the complicated logistics of working on a big budget production, while capturing both the tediousness and surreal excitement of making movies. 

Most of Balaban's scenes were with Francois Truffaut, one of the giants of French cinema. A founding member of the French New Wave, Truffaut's films like The 400 Blows and Shoot the Piano Player were classics. Spielberg admired Truffaut's performance as a compassionate doctor in The Wild Child and was thrilled he agreed to play the Ufologist Lacombe. 

Balaban was nervous to work with Truffaut but was quickly put at ease. They got along well and ended up becoming good friends. Truffaut's kindness and generosity left a strong impression on everyone who worked on the picture. He encouraged Spielberg to make more character driven stories and to work with children, providing the impetus for E.T. The diary also shares many anecdotes on Truffaut's thoughts on cinema, film history, and American culture.

The production of Close Encounters began in Wyoming around the Devil's Tower monument. Finding good food dealing with volatile weather, and the culture shock staying in a rough mining town were the major challenges. Most of the film was shot in Mobile, Alabama over the summer of 1976. A gigantic aircraft hangar was used for UFO landing for the film's ending. The building was famously so large the air conditioning created its own weather system. The days were long, involving lots of waiting and the pressure of having to deliver a performance on a moment's notice. Additional filming took place in India and the Mojave Desert. 

Spielberg had dreamed of making a UFO movie since he was a kid. Balaban's portrait the young director is an endearing one, informative and patient with his cast while managing all the complicated technical details. During his off time, he played video games in his office with Richard Dreyfuss and often held evening screenings of classic movies at his rented house. 

Close Encounters Diary is valuable on many levels, but unfortunately, it's been out of print for years and is only available online through used bookstores. My copy was not in great shape, but it was readable!