There's No Going Back : The Life and Work of Jonathan Demme

Jonathan Demme, one of the most influential and dynamic directors of the twentieth century, was a fearless and radical filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer―a compassionate artist, advocate, and humanist who was compelled to tell the stories of marginalized communities. His intense passion and appreciation of music, culture, and art were interwoven throughout his life and extraordinary body of work.

There's No Going Back is the first complete biography of an auteur whose remarkable and versatile career encompassed acclaimed narratives, documentaries, and films spanning nearly five decades. Best known for Melvin and Howard (1980), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Philadelphia (1993), and Beloved (1998), Demme was an Oscar-winning filmmaker with a recognizable style and voice. He often used that voice to champion women's rights and amplify social and environmental justice issues. Demme was also well regarded for the loyalty, devotion, and collegiality shown to the actors, camera crew, and technical staff he employed in his projects.

Cinephile and journalist David M. Stewart affirms that Demme was more than just a quirky filmmaker or a product of 1970s New Hollywood; he was ceaseless and earnest in his approach to capturing humanity in all its complexities. Drawing from interviews with Demme's collaborators and colleagues, Stewart presents the many facets of the filmmaker's life as seen through the eyes of those who were in his warm, eclectic orbit. There's No Going Back is a compelling and fitting tribute to the brilliance and breadth of the man behind the camera.

David M. Stewart is a published scholar and film journalist and has been writing about movies since he was a high school senior. He worked on the set of the film The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) and did research for the documentary Hal (2018). His work can be seen in Air Mail, the Film Stage, the Arts Fuse, and PleaseKillMe.com. He teaches film and media studies at Emerson College, Plymouth State University, and Southern New Hampshire University. He lives outside of Boston.