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Above the Line: My Wild Oats Adventure

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A funny, fierce, imaginative memoir chronicling "New York Times "bestselling author and Academy Award winner Shirley MacLaine's remarkable experiences filming "Wild Oats "in the Canary Islands and the extraordinary memories her time there brought forth of a past life on the lost continent of Atlantis.
Her agent told her not to get on the plane. The male leads weren't even cast. The financing was shaky at best. The script had been re-written countless times. And yet something about "Wild Oats" lured Shirley MacLaine to the film's location shoot in the far-off Canary Islands--and straight to the center of one of the most thrilling and paradigm-shifting adventures of her life.
The making of the film reads like a screwball comedy, as the cast and crew face unpredictable daily obstacles with ingenuity, grit, and personal sacrifice. Yet the chaos leads Shirley to a revelatory new understanding of the demise of one of history's most elusive yet endlessly intriguing places. Scholars have long theorized that Spain's Canary Islands are the remnants of the mighty lost continent of Atlantis. As the movie set descends into pandemonium, Shirley finds fascinating corollaries between the island's cataclysmic fate and our own dangerous trajectory. Can we learn the lessons the citizens of Atlantis failed to comprehend?
The answer is borne out of recovered memories from Shirley's past life on Atlantis and through a series of meditations that reveal the necessity of unfettered imagination when looking for bold new truths, rendering this evocative memoir essential reading for anyone seeking a broader understanding of what it means to be human--both where we came from and where we are going.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2015

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About the author

Shirley MacLaine

30 books332 followers
Shirley MacLaine is an actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed, and eccentric women, she has received numerous accolades over her seven-decade career, including an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, six Golden Globes, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. Apart from acting, MacLaine has written numerous books regarding the subjects of metaphysics, spirituality, and reincarnation, as well as a New York Times bestselling memoir, Out On a Limb.

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5 stars
61 (14%)
4 stars
91 (22%)
3 stars
149 (36%)
2 stars
81 (19%)
1 star
29 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
Profile Image for Catherine.
104 reviews3 followers
March 31, 2016
Not her best. I wanted to read more about Atlantis, less about show business.
Profile Image for Allison .
399 reviews2 followers
August 16, 2017
This is my first Shirley MacLaine book. I decided to read it after seeing her interviewed on Stephen Colbert's show a few weeks ago. It won't be the last of her books I read. It was very entertaining and interesting to read about what goes on behind the scenes of making a movie. Her style of writing also made her easy to identify with as she described the challenges she faced both personally and professionally during her time working on "Wild Oats". I'm hoping I'll get to see the film before long too.

I am also interested in finding out more about Atlantis and reincarnation as well as investigating the other books and sources that were referenced in the book regarding these topics.

There was one glaring problem with the book that bugged me throughout the book and detracted from her believability, for me. What makes it even more annoying and troublesome is that the glaring error in the book SHOULD have been caught by an editor somewhere along the way from Ms. MacLaine's handwritten pages to the final printing.

She refers to humans as being "98% water" and using this incorrect information as being the basis for why we are connected to the water and why our consciousness is changing - because water changes, etc.

We are categorically NOT 98% water. Depending upon our age, we may not even be 60% water.

The average adult male is about 60% water. The average adult woman is about 55% water...*


The problem with the lack of a fact check here is that because this is such a simple fact to check and it wasn't and it is inaccurate, that inaccuracy casts doubt upon the validity of other "truths" and/or "facts" in the book. It's just a shame that it wasn't spotted and corrected before publication. At least I didn't come across any blatant typos. Those really bug me to no end.

Other than this water percentage error, which was a shining one for me, I really enjoyed her story-telling. I enjoyed how she alternated between talking about the external experiences she was having working on the film and the experiences she was having internally with her consciousness and memories. I genuinely look forward to reading more of her books soon. I truly believe she has a deep insight to share with us all and that the sooner we can progress intellectually and spiritually and embrace our connectedness to the Earth, each other and our collective future, the better off we will all be.

*Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. "How Much Of The Human Body Is Water?". About.com Education. N.p., 2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
Profile Image for Sally Ember.
Author 4 books167 followers
June 6, 2016
This wasn't the worst book I've ever read, but it was close. The only reason I'm giving even two stars is that some of it was interesting.

However, this book either had no editor or some editor who couldn't do his/her job, because the number of writing mistakes, repetitions, pacing and fact-checking issues this book had should have put straight into the REVISE pile, not to-be-published.

I know Shirley Maclaine from her other books and they are all "out there" in some way or another: why else would anyone read her books? But, this book wasn't even a book: there wasn't much of a plot, the characters (such as they were, since this was supposedly non-fiction) were thinly drawn (at best), she has almost nothing to say except unload the contents of her ruminations and dreams and there was NO PURPOSE to this book that I could discern.

I have never been to the Canary Islands, however, and I have an interest in Atlantis, so there were a few tidbits I enjoyed. Otherwise, not worth anyone's time. Ever.
Profile Image for Beth.
699 reviews16 followers
June 26, 2021
I had recently been to the Canary Islands so thought I would like to read about Shirley's Wild Oats Adventure. Sure was a mixed up "film shoot" there in the Canary Islands. Shirley had heard and believed they were the mountain tops of the lost civilization country named Atlantis.

To me there were 3 kinds of writing in the book:
1. Shirley's thoughts about and study of the history and anything she could find about Atlantis
2. Shirley's world of acting while in the Canaries revolving on doing a film without money backing the endeavor, people not getting paid, actors who came and went, confusion about who was responsible for what, who Shirley drank Caipirinhas with, whether all top actors should strike or work without pay, who was friendly with whom and who acted friendly then gossiped bad things about each other.
3. The part I could not and did not read were the parts when Shirley went into telling about the star people she visited from the past because they were actually in the present since there was only now, no past or present as Einstein had discovered. This was way out of my realm of belief.
Profile Image for Lori.
1,723 reviews
February 7, 2017
I would give this a 3.5.I had seen the movie "Wild Oats" recently and wanted to read Shirley Mclaine's book. "Above The Line:My Wild Oats Adventure"This book is partly about her filming the movie "Wild Oats" and her beliefs in the world of Atlantis and reincarnation.If anyone knows much about Shirley Maclaine, she has written many books about reincarnation and Earth millions of years ago.so this books is a bit about both filming the movie and her beliefs.
I learned how frustrating it is to film a movie. I would have thought when a movie starts filming all money was in place to film. Not so. there was a lot of drama waiting for more money to come in, getting supporters to help pay etc. So filming this movie was a major headache. from money to casting, to frayed nerves.
Since some of the movie was filmed in the Canary Islands and it was rumored that this location was around where Atlantis could have been so long ago Ms. Maclaine took an interest in learning more about Atlantis and sharing with the readers. A pretty interesting read for the most part.
Profile Image for Yolette.
7 reviews
March 24, 2016
I really wanted to like this book. Having read most of her previous works, I was thrilled to see that she was coming out with another one. Unlike some of her earlier writing, this one is neither entertaining nor a page-turner. The "voice" in her writing has changed and, to me, it is not nearly as coherent and engaging.

The sections regarding the goings-on behind the scene on a movie production I found mildly interesting and I believe the book would have benefited more had she stuck to the point. Rather, the last third of this "book" she drifts off to crusade for a rehash of prior other worlds traveled and past lives lived that were mentioned in previous works. Perhaps providing a few new details, but a rehash, none the less. In essence, the book has a beginning, a slog towards a middle that never really gets there, and then it has another "beginning" as we slip off into neck pain, water therapy, stem-cell research, TMJ and a revisit to past lives of her previous books. I suppose in her estimation even books can reincarnate if one keeps referring to them.
Profile Image for Joan.
127 reviews
July 23, 2016
I so enjoyed this experience: Shirley Maclaine telling me great stories. I don't know how the book is written but in her reading I loved the "Oh sures." after a remark about the producer's promise and the like. Over and over, in the descriptions of the movie making, I could hear her eyes roll.

In the sections, on past lives and all, I might have skimmed over if I were reading the book, I found her to be interesting, well read - a talk about Atlantis and stars, lead to remarks about the Dogon people of Mali, and not at all Evangelical.

Her remarks about herself, including aging, were frank and fresh.

I listened to this in my car, good in 10 or 30 minute clips alike. I was sorry to have it end.

Hey, Shirley, what are you doing now?
Profile Image for Deangelis4.
20 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2021
Only Shirley can give you the nitty-gritty details of life on a set with Jessica Lange, and then delve into experiences talking to starmen and how the lost city of Atlantis was not only real, but an allegory for life on Earth right now. It's a wild ride, much more interesting than the film Wild Oats. You wonder why actresses like Jessica and Shirley aren't just recorded or given the right to write 75% of screenplays, about their own lives and adventures... I would watch the hell out of that. Just hearing their responses to their circumstances, in real-time dialogue, I couldn't help think, "these lines are better than anything written for them in that movie." Like when Shirley is worried about whether the film will get made because of lack of financing, and Jessica replies to her that she doesn't care because she's getting paid to drink mojitos in the Canary Islands. Now that is some wisdom for you. Or when someone is trying to double-talk Shirley and she says something like, "I told Sam Giancanna to go eff himself and I'm going to tell you the same thing." Two lines of dialogue better than the whole movie. But the book was a good read if you're a Shirley fan and you want to know that actresses of her age get paid to sit around and realize how much smarter they are than everyone else, and not get treated with much respect. Also, she just knows so much about so many things. I just love her.
Profile Image for Leanne Hunt.
Author 9 books45 followers
April 23, 2019
I've always known that Shirley Maclaine had unconventional beliefs about life and didn't read any of her books for that reason. However, I felt like venturing into something different and so picked out this book from the Overdrive collection through my public library.
The book itself was a bit disappointing even though I enjoyed learning something new about the story of Atlantis and the Atlantian race that was supposedly so technologically advanced. macLaine tries to combine two very different aspects of her life—being a famous actress on a movie set and tuning in to the vibrations of various locations—but I don't think it came off very well. The effect was rather chaotic and disconcerting. I expect it is because an experienced actress who knows many people in the industry isn't someone you equate with non-materialistic interests. Yet Hollywood is full of spiritual people, I hear, so why not?
I guess, in the end, I wasn't moved by the book, and that was the problem. To me, a good book is one that impacts you enough to make you reevaluate the way you look at life. i found Maclaine's experience interesting to read about but ultimately not interesting enough to inspire further research.
11 reviews
September 1, 2022
Shirley MacLaine's "Wild Oats Adventure," was definitely something to be proud of. Shirley MacLaine had a passion for this film, even though it was rewritten countless times. The film adventure also came with many obstacles like financing, short on actors, and ingenuity, but still, Shirley MacLaine got on that plane and flew to the Canary Islands to shoot the film.
This book was definitely out of my reading range. I usually tend to read fiction books, but I wanted to try something new this month. I really liked how this autobiography was a journey of Shirley MacLaine's film adventure. I liked how she described her surroundings very well and she was sincere with all the obstacles that came with the film. For example, their money shortage was real and sometimes scary. This wasn't my favorite book because Shirley MacLaine derived from her "Wild Oats Adventure," and explained how the citizens of Atlantis were and more of their history which was kind of confusing. Overall, a pretty interesting book if you like autobiographies.
Profile Image for Andrea Stoeckel.
3,271 reviews136 followers
August 13, 2022
"People are always fascinating if you really look at them".

This book is bothe a documentery of how an 80 year old does acting, and just how open she is to knowledge and change. I remember 40 years ago arguing with an Old Testement professor in seminary after reading "Out on a Limb". Maclaine offered up knowledge he dismissed but the study of other lives and other history has always fascinated me, and still does. I have seen many Maclaine films and cherish my now yellowing paperbacks sitting on the stuffed shelf behind me.

To that collection I now add Above the Line and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the background details of what goes on with the actors (above the line) and those who keep the actors able to act (the crews below the line) but, to extend the metaphor, Maclaine searches ior answers to aging by looking at the past lives and the future of promise we all have. Highly Recommended 5/5
Profile Image for Shannon Breen.
33 reviews
August 29, 2017
I preface this by saying I LOVE Shirley MacLaine's books and while I don't necessarily accept all her spiritual beliefs, I at least find her search interesting. This book has her usual witty style. She's a talented writer. And the parts about the making of the movie I loved. 4.5 stars. It was the other stuff that brought down my rating. While I have liked reading in the past about her study of reincarnation, chakras, channeling, etc., she lost me a bit in THE CAMINO when she talked about Atlantis. Unfortunately, 90% of the non-movie stuff in this book is about Atlantic and much her own "visions" that she has seen of what occurred there. I usually find her interesting whether I subscribe to her beliefs or not, but I found the Atlantic materially incredibly boring. I still recommend the book if you like her style. Just not one of her books that I will read twice.
Profile Image for D. Thrush.
Author 14 books169 followers
October 27, 2024
I’ve read almost all of Shirley MacLaine’s books. I admire that she openly shares her metaphysical and spiritual beliefs. I expected this book to be about the making of the movie Wild Oats, but it frequently veers into the related topic of Atlantis. Wild Oats was filmed on the Canary Islands which may be the remnants of Atlantis. MacLaine believes she had a previous life there. Wild Oats couldn’t seem to get financial backing, and the set was rife with drama. At the same time, MacLaine was drawn into memories of Atlantis. Though this sounds fascinating, I just couldn’t get into it like her other books. I was hoping for photos but there were none. Now I’ll finish watching the movie which didn’t pull me in either.
Profile Image for Todd R.
330 reviews21 followers
April 7, 2020
Really a 2.7 for me, not a 3, but I rounded up not down. Shirley tells an ok story here, nothing more than a narrative on how to get through the train wreck of a Hollywood production. There are brief prose between some of the chapters that are wobbly and out of sync with the book, they left me wondering what they had to do with anything most of the time.
The last few chapters hold nuggets of Shirley's personal visions on Atlantis, of which the book returns to time and time again.
Overall not a horrible read, it was quick and very much like having a conversation with a friend over nachos at the bar.
Profile Image for Jennifer Nanek.
691 reviews4 followers
November 19, 2017
This book is about Shirley McClaine's experiences while filming the movie "Wild Oats". I had not seen the movie before I read the book..but because I did read the book I have now seen the movie. The movie is nothing to write home about. The book was enjoyable. I listened to the audio version. It's just fun listening to her tell stories about life on the movie set. Her theories about Atlantis are strange and fantastic and interesting to listen to. It wasn't a great book but it was ok. I enjoyed listening to it.
306 reviews3 followers
June 12, 2018
Two different themes awkwardly combined into one book. Reads like it was written off the top of her head.
Wild Oats was an independent film with funding problems, a revolving door cast, inexperienced crew, and ever changing script. Shirley Maclaine accepts a starring role anyway because a connection to Atlantis allows her to explore her spirituality. The narrative alternates between her negative experience making the movie and her nonstandard spiritual beliefs. And some passages about whatever pops into her head. "I'm as down-to-earth as a human can be."
Profile Image for Lily.
75 reviews48 followers
January 25, 2019
Монолог на една известна личност и от на време эзотерика, има да се чудим какво е Атрантида и какво отношение има тя към правенето на филм,
вмсе пак стила е интересен, има места където се цитират други нейни книги като Камино, аз съм профан в тая материя.
Иска ми се да ива паралел му Атрантида и съвременния свят, нтой е като че ли само загатнат0 Най-често снимките на филм държат героите в накакъв вакуум. Ак о го сравним с някакво музикално произведения приличана оперета от началото на 30-те. Препоръчвам да си го вземете от билиотека, да не го купувате.
Profile Image for Mernie.
Author 1 book4 followers
November 13, 2020
This has everything you want in a Shirley MacLaine book... the 'magic' of movie making along with all the nitty and the gritty. We also get all the magic of Ms. MacLaine's celestial travels—this time to the lost continent of Atlantis. Her voice is unique and always her own, and the answers she channels answer great big questions that spark even more ideas and insights. 'Above the Line' took me far away from my normally rich life made so much more mundane by the restrictions of this crappy global pandemic. Thank goodness for good books and good dogs, and thanks again, Shirley!
Profile Image for Dianne.
26 reviews
November 17, 2022
A movie industry great, before it was an "industry", Shirley MacLaine takes you behind the scenes and shows the ups and downs of the making of cinematic art! The dedication of actors to their art, the " reel" side of the industry is portrayed with her usual flare, including her beliefs of life's adventures!
Profile Image for Jeremy.
466 reviews8 followers
September 15, 2017
It was alright, but it wasn't particularly engaging. Interesting to see her views on spirituality though.
Profile Image for Judith Gollihar.
18 reviews1 follower
October 11, 2017
Reread because this is about making Wild Oats which is currently on Netflix. Too much new age for me but full of nuggets about making the movie.
Profile Image for Debra.
60 reviews2 followers
August 27, 2018
not my favorite Shirley book.
Too much movie set gossip, less spiritual insight
15 reviews
February 15, 2019
Excellent

Totally entertaining. Lots to mull over and consider. Fun to try to imagine who the other characters are. Good entertainment




2 reviews
May 31, 2019
haphazard look at her journey on Camino
55 reviews
July 30, 2019
The parts about the movie were interesting but the other stuff was too way out for me and I am interested in reincarnation. Her theories are way too wacky for me to even follow.
969 reviews10 followers
September 4, 2019
Not my fave MacLaine book. More focus on the business of movie-making, less on the mystical introspection we've come to expect from her.
Profile Image for Dave.
864 reviews7 followers
February 5, 2020
I did not find this as inspiring as her earlier works. Something that did resonate with me is her prediction that a major earth shift is on top of us. Time will tell.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews