the beginning of his career, McCarthy had little control over how magazines and newspapers defined him. He became a “Brat Pack” actor because a journalist’s phrase captured public imagination. Decades later, he could use directing and writing to examine what that label had meant from his own perspective. He did not need to convince every viewer to share his interpretation. Simply participating in the historical record on his own terms represented a significant change.
Today, younger viewers may discover Andrew McCarthy through streaming television, his directing credits, his books, or
