INVENTING DAVID GEFFEN (Netflix)
He’s the G in DreamWorks SKG, the conglomerate he founded with Steven Spielberg and ex-Disney boss Jeffrey Katzenberg. He’s gay, and has been out for most of his career.
He’s the epitome of a self-made man and his influence has been extraordinary. So this doco should give an insight into the simple question of why? How did he charm his way into the lives of so many of the world’s greatest talents? How did he hone his ability to spot superstar talent long before anyone else?
This film only goes part-way there, mostly listing accomplishments, pausing too rarely to deconstruct them.
We get glimpses of character traits, like loyalty and honesty, which, no doubt, helped powerful, talented people trust him. And delivering insightful management decisions time and again didn’t hurt.
He came out to avoid Vietnam. The draft paper asked: Do you have homosexual tendencies? He checked yes. Would you have a problem serving in the army? “Well, there are so many men.” He was rejected.
The next reference to his personal life is his well publicised, extraordinary relationship with Cher, with whom he lived for 18 months. It was a genuine relationship, he says, then closed the lid on a myriad of questions. We’re not introduced to any of his other intimate friends.
In 1964, at 21, he started in the William Morris mailroom, having lied about his credentials. In the mailroom he waylaid the university letter that denied his bogus academic record. By 1972, at 29, he’d sold two huge music companies for a total $US10 million.
With so much money, was he happy? No, he saw a shrink daily for three years. “I was uncomfortable being gay, and I struggled…”
His therapist said: “You’ll never get rid of the voices in your head. Just don’t listen to them.”
The doco includes interviews with Geffen himself, Spielberg, Elton John, Tom Hanks, Mike Nichols, Neil Young and Glenn Frey, and there are wonderful grabs from artists he’s managed including Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills And Nash, Jackson Browne and The Eagles. By the end, we admire him more, but know very little about what makes him tick. It’s an episode of the American Masters series. (M, 114 mins)