Barry Levinson, one of the most bankable of directors with credits like "Rain Man" and "Good Morning, Vietnam," says filmmakers' power over the world outside Hollywood is overrated. "I don't think filmmakers can influence or affect anything," he said during a recent interview while promoting his newest movie, "Avalon." "I think sometimes we can make a ripple," Levinson said, "but, I mean, we're just a teaspoon in the ocean." Levinson got his break in Hollywood writing comedy scripts for "The Tim Conway Show" and "The Carol Burnett Show" 20 years ago. He takes a rather dim view of television, but says it's hard to overstate its influence. "I don't think it's the culprit; it's not the only thing that's wrong with our society," he said. "But if you had to ask me what was one of the (main) things that has been influential over the last half of the 20th century, I'd have to say it's television. I don't think we know its ramifications - psychologically, sociologically - but it's frightening."
DIRECTOR DEMURS ON INFLUENCE
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