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Books
MAYBE I AM A CROOK Nixon (Frank Langella) comes clean to David Frost (Michael Sheen).
Malcolm Gladwell (Blink, The
Tipping Point) explores the
secrets of superachievers in
his newest book, Outliers:
The Story of Success (Little,
Brown and Company). Two
nuggets: Your birth date can
predict success…and knowing
Chinese might make you
better at math. —Diane Brown
WHY
YOU’RE
SPECIAL
When Nixon Got Frosted
RON HOWARD REVISITS THE PRESIDENT’S FAMOUS CONFESSION
LIKE MANY Ameri-
cans, actor-director
Ron Howard had very
mixed feelings about
Richard Nixon in the
“On one hand, back in 1977 I was of
draft age, and Nixon had suspended
the draft, so I liked him for that,” says
Howard. “On the other hand, I felt he
probably prolonged our time [in
Vietnam]. I questioned him on social
issues, and of course I felt utterly
betrayed by Watergate.”
The interviews first focused on
Nixon’s triumphs, including relations
with China, and Howard recalls that
Nixon “acquitted himself so brilliantly—
I was struck by how knowledgeable a
statesman he was. And I started to
shift into a mode of acceptance.” Then
came the segment in which Nixon
acknowledged at least some responsi-
bility for the Watergate cover-up. “I
remember feeling that a man can be
two things,” says Howard. “He can be
talented and effective, and he can also
be a betrayer of your trust. And one
thing doesn’t cancel out the other.”
Fresh from directing the adventure
thriller The Da Vinci Code, Oscar-
winner Howard—and, yes, it’s still
okay to remember him as Opie on
TV’s The Andy Griffith Show—took
on a decidedly more focused project
in Frost/Nixon. Based on the 2007
Broadway play by Peter Morgan, it
stars Frank Langella as Nixon and
Michael Sheen as Frost. At first the
dialogue-heavy, action-light concept
didn’t seem like the ideal movie, but
Howard drew from two of his most
successful films: Apollo 13 and the box-
ing biopic Cinderella Man.
Events
Running with the bulls is so
Old World—at Alaska’s
Anchorage Fur Rendezvous,
the locals run with reindeer.
The February 27 through
March 8 event features dog-sled races and ice sculpting.
Looking to stay warm? Visit
the Jim Beam Jam, featuring
dancing, live music, and, well,
Jim Beam (907-274-1177; www
. furrondy.net). —Tim Magaw
FUR AND AWAY
Tom Jones reveals his reflective side on his new CD, 24
Hours, but don’t worry—
there’s plenty of Welsh soul
to please panty-flinging fans.
Jones teams up with Bono
and the Edge for the funky
“Sugar Daddy” and offers a
bluesy take on Springsteen’s
“The Hitter.” —Ken Budd
Music U2, MR. JONES?
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT: RALPH NELSON; NICHOLAS EVELEIGH; JOHN KELLY/GETTY IMAGES; STEVE MARCUS/REUTERS/CORBIS
12 AARPJANUARY&FEBRUARY 2009
