Either You're in or You're in the Way: Two Brothers, Twelve Months, and One Filmmaking Hell-Ride to Keep a Promise to Their Father

I picked this book up based on the reviews, having never heard of the Miller brothers or their movie. It arrived today, and I read it straight through in a few hours. I couldn't put it down. There are really two aspects to this book. The first is the story of how two determined brothers managed to make a movie with no experience, no money, no training, nothing but determination. That aspect is a good story, and might have been interesting enough to get me to read it straight through like I did. But it's the other aspect that makes this a truly great book: the insight you get into the hearts and minds of two individuals who have a dream and will not let anything stand in their way of achieving it. These guys started with nothing but a friend who gave them names to call, and other names they found in books about the business. They got on the phone, asked for help, followed up every lead and every long trail of referrals until eventually they found every person, skill and resource they needed. They got some of the best actors in the business to be in their movie for the love of acting. They did this with nothing but drive and desire. If you've had a dream for a long time, you may be a bit miffed that these guys are successful and you are not (yet). Don't waste another second of your life thinking that way-the Miller brothers wouldn't. They're too busy writing scripts, working the phones, and making their next dream a reality. Five stars for a pure motivational joyride. Now I'm off to track down a copy of the movie. I hope I can get it overnight.

WOW! That was the first word that came to mind as I started reading this truly heartwarming and inspirational true story of two sons and their love for their less than perfect father. It is also the story of what an individual or in this case two individuals can do with an undeniable will to get the job done. This story is about two brothers who fulfill a promise to their recently deceased father to produce a movie entitled, "Touching Home" that they had written to honor their father. Who had passed away on the cold cement floor of a California jail during the winter time. This is a very well written and extremely honest book about the lives of some very remarkable and yet so unremarkable that they could literally be just about anyone of us. Which is another reason why this book is so resoundingly fresh and honest in its telling of a very sad yet uplifting story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a heart, and especially those that don't! Shawn Kovacich Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

The Miller brother's "Either You're in or You're in the Way" literally drew in me after the first few pages. I finished the 280 page book in a single sitting. I was expecting something along the lines of Robert Rodriguez's Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player, which was about a young film maker working outside the Hollywood model, and instead got a touching story about two brothers trying to fulfill a dream and promise to their deceased father, while working (bulldozing) their way through the Hollywood establishment. The brothers, or "Bros" as they call themselves, wrote and eventually filmed "Touching Home" a semi-autobiographic story about their failed professional baseball careers and an alcoholic father in a cycle of self-destruction. As you learn fairly quickly in the telling, the Bros had set some lofty goals for producing this movie, including securing "real" actors like Ed Harris (A Beautiful Mind, Radio, Enemy at the Gates, etc). You could look at this book in two different ways, first as a how to guide on getting a movie made when you have no experience or creditability in Hollywood, or secondly as study on the effects of an alcoholic father and a dysfunctional family life on two brothers. As a guide, the book illustrates the challenges, hard work, and sleepless nights aspiring moviemakers can expect to face. It also makes you appreciate the effects of luck, both good and bad, on achieving long standing goals. The Bros had more than their fair share of both types, but as Louis Pasteur said, "Luck favors the prepared", and they seemed always prepared to capitalize on good luck and worked to minimize the effects of bad luck. As a voyeuristic view into a life influenced by an alcoholic father, the Bros hit too close to home for me. Their father could have been mine, an alcoholic living in his car, spending more time in jail than not, and dying alone. The parallels made some of the reading difficult as I recalled the good times when he was sober and guilt of not being able to help as he self-destructed. The Bros did an excellent job capturing the emotions without bogging the story down. This was one of the few books that lived up to the hype printed on the dust jacket! I did laugh-out-loud, got teary eyed in parts, and felt a sense of accomplishment when they finished shooting their movie. Highly recommended!

" This book is a "How to" manual for overcoming adversity and reaching ones goals and dreams in order to lead an extraordinary & fulfilled life. I absorbed this book over 4 days, laughing, reflecting and crying ("Full Circle") from cover to cover. Everyone who has ever had a dream, lost one or achieved theirs, NEEDS to read this book by the Miller Twins. No matter your age, profession or station in life you will find a pearl of wisdom, laugh you're a_ _ off and cry for the experiences of Noah and Logan as they pursued their dream to make the beautiful and inspiring film, "Touching Home" starring 3 academy award nominees, including Ed Harris. The writing is visceral (young Noah grabbing the goose by it's neck and punching it, living from shack to shed), refreshing, uplifting, magnetic, hard charging Red Bull reading reminiscent of "Fear and loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S Thompson with one major twist, the story and characters are ALL real. As a sales & leasing professional I was attracted by the "Seven thoughts" particularly 2) Surround yourself with gray hair and listen. 3) Never wait for a phone call 5) There are only solutions and 7) Either you're in or you're in the way. REFRESHING advice from kids so young yet so mature. Cast away your fear, uncertainty and doubt and chase your dreams with every ounce of energy you've got. Noah and Logan can show you how! Order this book now!