After winning acclaim as a film editor, Hal Ashby went on to establish himself as one of the leading directors of the 1970s. He proved successful with both satiric material and strong drama and was able to elicit excellent performances from a gallery of actors including Lee Grant, Jon Voight and Jane Fonda, all of whom won Oscars under Ashby's direction.

Born and raised in Utah, Ashby had a rather unhappy childhood. His parents divorced when he was around six and his father committed suicide seven years later. Finding school work difficult, Ashby dropped out in his senior year. A period of