Daily Inspiration Quote by Mark Rydell

Rydell’s compliment is doing two jobs at once: paying respect to the pantheon while quietly drawing a boundary around it. By naming “the mavericks” and singling out Robert Altman, he isn’t just listing influences; he’s invoking a whole ethic of American filmmaking where authority is suspect and the camera feels like it’s catching life mid-argument. Altman stands in as shorthand for looseness, ensembles, overlapping dialogue, and a willingness to let messiness be the point.

Then comes the pivot: “There are many good directors.” It lands like a diplomatic shrug, the kind of line you give when you don’t want admiration to turn into allegiance. Rydell, a director associated with actor-centered dramas and mainstream studio work, is careful not to over-identify with the rebel brand. The subtext is pragmatic: maverickdom is admirable, but it’s not the only route to craft, and certainly not the only route to a career that survives Hollywood’s churn.

The repetition and slight vagueness matter. “Yes” implies he’s answering a question about heroes or influences, and he resists the expected narrative of lineage. Instead, he offers a measured hierarchy: there’s an elite category (the mavericks), with Altman as the emblem, and then a broader field of competence. It’s less a gush than a positioning statement - admiration without surrender, taste without tribalism.