Check It Out: ‘Reflections’ a lovely tribute to actress

The first Natalie Wood movie I remember seeing was “West Side Story.” It was on television — I was probably 9 or 10 years old at the time — and I can remember watching Maria (played by Wood) singing “I Feel Pretty.” I thought she was divine. Who wouldn’t want to be Maria? So young, so pretty, catching the eye of handsome Tony — never mind the angst, the tragic plot, the hard life of an immigrant. My pre-teen brain was fixated on Natalie Wood and the singing and the dancing — what a way to live.

Later on, when I was introduced to Shakespeare, specifically “Romeo and Juliet,” and made the connection between the Bard’s doomed lovers and Maria and Tony’s equally ill-fated romance, I watched “West Side Story” again and came away with a completely different attitude about Maria’s “charmed” existence. But I was still enthralled with Wood, and even now, when one of her movies comes on TV, I usually stop what I’m doing and fall under her spell once again.

A new book about Wood has just been published, and if you’re a fan, take some time to check out this gorgeous tribute to one of Hollywood’s legendary actresses.

More than 300 pages of photographs, essays, celebrity quotes and ephemera offer a unique view into both Wood’s work as an actress and her life off camera.

Included are personal tributes from husband Robert Wagner and fellow actor Robert Redford, as well as memories and photographs shared by Wood’s daughters, Natasha and Courtney. The large and varied collection of movie stills made up of both familiar and little-seen images will certainly delight fans. From her first major film role as Orson Welles’ adopted daughter in “Tomorrow Is Forever” (1946) to her final role in “Brainstorm” (released in 1983), the reader follows her journey from adorable child actor to an accomplished, award-winning movie star.

The most appealing aspect of the book, in my opinion, is the collection of personal photographs taken by family and friends. Childhood pictures of Wood with her parents and siblings, impromptu snapshots with fellow actors, warm, lovely images with her children — all of these moments coalesce into a thoughtful portrait of an actress, daughter, sister, wife and mother.

Jan Johnston is the collection development coordinator for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District. Email her at readingforfun@fvrl.org.