Sonny Boy: A Memoir by Al Pacino review – from fish out of water to Hollywood star
Al Pacino, affectionately nicknamed “Sonny Boy” after the Al Jolson song, opens his captivating memoir in 1943 when he's just three years old. At this time, his mother Rose, a beautiful and sensitive factory worker, begins sneaking him into the local cinema. Together, they immerse themselves in the enchanting stories flickering across the screen, which are particularly thrilling given the hardships of their own lives. Rose's charming husband has already left for another relationship, leaving her to return to the South Bronx with little Alfredo, now in the care of her parents. Sonny takes great joy in his role as a provider and guardian, running errands like buying Kotex for his mother and confronting construction workers who dare to ogle her.
Pacino’s description of New York’s postwar tough neighborhoods is strikingly vivid. He shares stories about a group of young troublemakers, including kids named Cliffy, Bruce, and Petey, who skip school to hang out in abandoned lots or sift through open sewers for anything shiny they can sell for a few cents. Lacking the funds to join the Scouts, they resort to bullying those who can, targeting the fortunate children with supportive families and jobs. According to Pacino, it’s only because of Rose's nurturing that he avoids the same fate as his friends, many of whom succumbed to addiction and died young. With Rose's support and his own love for reciting Ray Milland's lines from The Lost Weekend in their tiny apartment, Sonny earns a spot at New York’s High School of Performing Arts.
He feels completely out of place but also shines brightly at the same time. After an amazing performance, when someone says, "Hey kid, you're the next Marlon Brando," he has no idea who they’re referencing. So, when he decides to leave after a year to help Rose cover the costs for her electroshock therapy and barbiturates necessary for her deteriorating mental health, it’s not as significant as it might seem. Most of Sonny's free moments are now spent in public libraries, immersed in the works of Chekhov, Hemingway, and Odets. He feels an undeniable connection to their stories. He comes to understand that Rose, who is “delicate and unpredictable,” could have easily been a character from a Tennessee Williams play. Tragically, like Williams, she eventually succumbed to an accidental overdose. It was 1962, and Sonny was only 22 years old.
It improves and then it declines. Sonny shares a living space with Martin Sheen, another young actor who seems to be favored by divine influence. He hones his skills in the off-off-off Broadway scene, occasionally receiving a positive critique, but just as often facing harsh reviews, like “steer clear of Al Pacino…he's the one element that ruins this performance.” What everyone is really anticipating, of course, is the pivotal moment in 1972 when Francis Ford Coppola chooses him to star alongside in The Godfather. The studio originally wanted Jack Nicholson, but when Pacino discovers that his grandfather, Rose’s dad, hailed from a Sicilian town called Corleone, it starts to feel like destiny.
You might say that the rest is history, but it’s difficult to define what that history really entails. Pacino focuses more on the films that were unsuccessful rather than the successful ones. While he has no regrets about passing on the role of Han Solo in Star Wars, he does question why he put so much effort into making flops like Bobby Deerfield and Hugh Hudson’s Revolution, both of which negatively impacted his career.
However, he has never placed much importance on his career or wealth; at one point, he inexplicably loses $50 million without grasping how it happened. He also mentions his struggle with alcoholism, which he claims helped him cope with the prolonged grief of losing his mother—without alcohol, he believes he would have ended up in Bellevue psychiatric hospital like she did. Traditional Alcoholics Anonymous isn't effective for him since he can't maintain anonymity, but he finds success with an intensive form of therapy, attending sessions five times a week for many years.
This could also shed light on his unexpectedly great taste in romantic partners. After a brief engagement with Jill Clayburgh, he has lengthy relationships with Diane Keaton and Tuesday Weld. Fast forward to 2023, and Pacino welcomes his fourth child, Roman, with producer Noor Alfallah. Although little Roman is still in diapers, his 84-year-old dad is already picturing the moment when he’ll share stories about his childhood in the Bronx during the 1940s. He imagines that it will come across as unbelievable as the world of Oliver Twist.
