A moving and provocative exploration of male friendship and loneliness by New York Times bestselling author, filmmaker, and actor Andrew McCarthy as he crisscrosses country in an effort to reconnect with friends from the past.
"You don't really have any friends, do you, Dad?"
A seemingly innocuous, if direct, question from Andrew McCarthy's son left him reeling. McCarthy did have friends, but like so many other men, the necessities of modern adult life had forced his friendships to the background. At one point his friends had been instrumental in broadening his horizons, bolstering his courage, providing safe harbor. Now, McCarthy found himself questioning what had happened to his friendships, whether he needed them, what he valued, and what he had to offer. A simple question had become a moment that demanded a reckoning.
WHO NEEDS FRIENDS charts McCarthy's journey for nearly ten thousand miles, following him on often-unexpected travels through Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, the Chihuahuan Desert, and the Rocky Mountains with one driving purpose: to see his friends. Along the way he talks to countless men about their male friendships, from cowboys and blues musicians to preachers and rootless teens. What began as a simple desire to catch up with a few friends turned into a deep exploration of the challenges and rewards that men experience in forming bonds with each other. In McCarthy's own words, "It turns out that guys have a difficult time with friendship." But the good news is, that's not the way it needs to be. Andrew McCarthy is the author of four books, Walking With Sam, Brat: An '80s Story, Just Fly Away, and The Longest Way Home - all New York Times best sellers. He is an award winning travel writer and served for a dozen years as an editor-at-larger at National Geographic Traveler magazine. Andrew has directed scores of television shows, his recent documentary, BRATS, debuted at #1 on Hulu. He is perhaps best known as an actor for the past four decades, appearing is such iconic films as Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero. He lives in New York.
