‘Dad’s’ a tyrant on the set

SOMEONE needs to tell David O. Russell that we have laws in this country that prohibit employers from abusing their employees [“ ‘Huckabees’ Tantrum Just Business as Usual?” by Gina Piccalo, April 11]. If any other employer acted like he did, he would be fired and/or sued for abuse.

More shocking is the reaction of liberal Hollywood -- from George Clooney condemning the release of the tape as “sneaky” and messing with people’s lives, to Russell’s co-workers and friends justifying it by saying that “movie sets are pressure cookers.” Oh yeah -- movie sets are way more stressful than hospital emergency rooms.

LESLIE RODRIGUEZ

Manhattan Beach

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THE focus shouldn’t be on the star-director interaction, interesting though that is, but rather on the reign of tyranny over those “below the line.” What we really have here is an abusive “husband/father” to the family (crew).

To cover this in silence only protects the abuser and demonstrates the dysfunctional relationship that can occur with the Russell types. To excuse it, as producer Greg Goodman does, only illustrates the enabling that goes on in Hollywood.

LELAND P. HAMMERSCHMITT

Ojai