<em>The Disaster Artist</em>'s Tribute to the Joys of Moviemaking

Over the next month, The Atlantic’s “And, Scene” series will delve into some of the most interesting films of the year by examining a single, noteworthy moment and unpacking what it says about 2017. Next up is James Franco’s The Disaster Artist. (Read our previous entries here.)

There’s nothing Hollywood loves more than a tale of suffering in the name of creation. Making great art can be a magical and infuriating endeavor, one that often requires sacrifice. Works that go behind the scenes of and Tim Burton’s tend to home in on the absurdity of such efforts, portraying directors at the center of manic three-ring circuses that couldn’t possibly result in a meaningful film. The set of Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 movie , dramatized this year in James Franco’s , was such a circus. But it was one that, against the odds, actually led to the creation of something special.