Before you see M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming film The Happening on June 13, you might want to revisit an extraordinarily personal account of his previous film, Lady In the Water. This involving book, written by sports writer Michael Bamberger, delves into filmmaking and M. Night Shyamalan’s personal experiences before, during, and after the filming of Lady in the Water, an underrated film judged on its box office take more than its merits. As the title suggests, Bamberger puts a personal perspective into this filmmaking process to entice readers into an interesting exercise full of realism and power.

This book is a great alternative to countless “making of” and summarative text accounts of box office successes that produce a victory march or marketing campaigning instead of an engaging book. Of course, seeing the film, an expanded version of Shyamalan’s bedtime story to his children, and his other works helps readers grasp the filmmaking aspects better, but there are no prerequisites.

“I want to see somebody else’s take on what I do. I want to learn something,” says Shyamalan. That’s how we get better, right? Or, maybe it just gives The Enquirer magazine buying public an opportunity to exercise their “build them up, tear them down” life philosophy. This book gives readers the opportunity to discover these events for themselves as they learn more about this high profile filmmaker, and filmmaking in general.

First, Bamberger establishes Shyamalan‘s unique, rare status (the convenience of making films near his home in Philadelphia and how his name carries so much weight on the theater marquee, just as much as an “A-list” star). The emotional, sometimes visceral experience of a Shyamalan film (e.g. that big plot twist) definitely raises the expectation bar.

All that responsibility could weigh any person down, but Shyamalan exhibits great confidence and healthy perspectives on life. This step-by-step insight into how a director puts a movie together holds some interest largely due to an eclectic, eccentric cast and crew (Chris Doyle for starters). Bamberger delves into Shyamalan’s personal life a bit (his wife Bhavna and some of the eighty home movies he made before Praying with Anger), but focuses mostly on the professional work throughout the Lady shoot. The book also touches on filmmaking concepts like coverage, beats, and the casting process, fleshing out the process even more.

Choosing actors “with good mental health” like Paul Giamatti, Sarita Choudhury, Mary Beth Hurt, and Cindy Cheung combined with a talented crew in a family-like atmosphere creates a successful film, right? Everyone’s having a great time filming it, and many elements seem to be clicking well, so what’s left? Bamberger incorporates his “voice work” theme here well, especially how Shyamalan reacts to criticism from just about everyone. I wonder how Shyamalan’s perspective on the film critic character, played by Bob Balaban, could've enhanced this book more.