Miles Calman

Miles Calman is a Hollywood director who commands a high level of respect in the industry. The narrator explains that he "was the only director on the lot who did not work under a supervisor and was responsible to the money men alone." The films he directs are those he considers worthy of his artistic vision, and he is known for being uncompromising. Still, he is depicted as having problems and frailties: He has been carrying on a lengthy affair with another woman (after cheating on his first wife with Stella); he is "tall, nervous, with a desperate humor and the unhappiest eyes Joel ever saw," and "one could not be with him long without realizing that he was not a well man."

For all his success in his career, Miles is basically insecure. He is jealous of Stella to the point of being hypocritical. He makes...