The Substance of Fire

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

A chronicle of the destruction of a family at the hands of a rigid, autocratic patriarch. Tyrannical publisher Isaac Geldhart (Rifkin) is so obsessed with literary merit that he refuses to publish Rising Tide, dismissing the novel as “slicko hipster fiction,” even though the book would likely save his company from bankruptcy. He is similarly severe with his children, Aaron (Goldwyn), Martin (Hutton) and Sarah (Parker), all victims of their domineering father. Fed up with his contempt and out for revenge, they take over the family business and publish the book. A thoughtful meditation on family values.