Patricia Heaton

Motherhood and Hollywood: How to Get a Job Like Mine
$6.99
Most of the reviews for this book are several years old, and the book itself is now half-a-dozen years in print. So why bother with another review? One reason is because the show is thriving now in syndication and may be attracting new fans who will find this book for the first time, and I want those fans to know it is still a relevant and insightful work to get. But perhaps not for the reasons you think...

Another reason is because time provides perspective. While the show is still wonderful and truly an established classic now, it is no longer the reason to go looking for books and more information about it. Other shows have come along an replaced it in terms of popularity or "must-see" status. The stories of the behind-the-scenes life are mostly passe' for contemporary audiences, other than for historical interest. So why should you spend the money, time and effort to read "Motherhood and Hollywood"?

A few years removed from "Raymond," Patricia Heaton is an award-winning actress who can still attract legions of male fans with her looks and her style, and there is something about her that makes her so real she is all the more attractive. For a woman in beauty-saturated Hollywood who is now past 50, that's quite an accomplishment. Amazingly, at the same time she can also attract legions of female fans because she is down-to-earth approachable and her "real life" is not so different in priorities, challenges, and nature than their own. Again, for the public to have this general perspective says a great deal about Patricia. For many, she is the wife men desire and the wife women desire to be, and that is a rare combination indeed.

But this is a review of her book, not Patricia herself. Here is my point on why you should read "Motherhood" and how perspective fits into it: From all accounts I have found, she is still the same woman. Sound trite? Hollywood is a place of compromises, failures, and facade, yet Heaton is still the same woman you meet in this book, and that, to me, indicates a depth of character worth looking closer at. She is still married and committed to that, she still talks about motherhood as her life, she still maintains her independent views despite their low popularity among the celeb elite, and she still is grounded in faith and family. Despite the success, despite the unrealistic expectations of fans, despite new trials to find success again.

There are plenty of descriptions in the other reviews on the tidbits Heaton chooses to cover and what she doesn't, but I want to make a point on her style. It has been criticized for hopping around or for using some course metaphors, and those things are true. She seems selective in what she says and doesn't say, and that is true. But there is, to me, a huge benefit to this. I finished this book feeling as though I had spent time in conversation with a real human being. It's not a formula driven publicity piece. It's not intended to be a comprehensive biography of every nuance of her life. It is like she sits down and says "here are the things I want to tell you about myself, because of all the things in my life, these are the ones that I define myself by." Upon finishing the book, I felt like I knew Patricia Heaton, not that I just knew a lot of things about her.

So, get to know this unusual star. You can get the background on "Raymond" in many other books and places, and don't expect a lot of that here. It's worth a few hours, though, to sit down and get to know the person Patty Heaton.

PATRICIA HEATON 24x36 COLOR POSTER PRINT
$11.99
This is a truly exceptional item! A high quality poster print measuring 24x36 inches professionally printed on quality Kodak photographic paper. This is no ordinary cheap commercial poster on thin art paper. Our poster is produced on real photo paper by our experienced photo technicians here at Moviestore. We guarantee that you will be delighted with the look, feel and overall stunning quality of your purchase. We offer a full refund of your money if you are not fully satisfied! Buy with confidence from Moviestore.

A Portrait
$17.98
I bought this CD primarily for tracks 2 - 9 on disc two, a collection of pieces called the Adnan Songbook. These songs are the poems of Etel Adnan, a poet born and raised in Beirut Lebanon, born to a Muslim Syrian father and a Christian Greek mother. British composer and musician Gavin Bryars set these 9 poems of hers to music. The words are sung by British lyric soprano Valerie Anderson. I heard these tracks in February 2009 on WGBH, Boston public radio and I was immediately mesmerized by the beauty of the music and the wonderfully clear, pure voice of Valerie Anderson. The works are haunting, beautiful, otherworldly and powerful. I recommend this disc, purely for those tracks, alone, with the highest praise I can give. Buy it!

The Middle mini 11x17 promo poster (Patricia Heaton)
$2.50
11x17 mini poster distributed at 2009 Comic-Con to promote the upcoming ABC comedy The Middle starring Patricia Heaton.