Customer Reviews

A Twist of Lemmon: A Tribute to My Father

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Director Billy Wilder once said in his inimitable style of his favorite actor, "Lemmon, I would describe him as a ham, a fine ham, and with ham you have to trim a little fat." That may be quite true, but it was indeed grade-A ham whether he was hiking his skirt in "Some Like It Hot" or destroying a greenhouse in a drunken rage in "Days of Wine and Roses" or twirling his moustache in "The Great Race" or looking desperately for his son in "Missing" or begging to make another sale in "Glengarry Glen Ross". He was sometimes excessive with his nervous mannerisms but genuinely likeable, even in rare villainous roles, and always masterful. His son, former actor Chris Lemmon, has written a loving though rather melancholy tribute to his late father that appears consistent with the everyman persona the elder Lemmon most often portrayed onscreen. Not close to the embittered tell-alls from the children of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, this memoir reminds me more of Sean Ferrer's similarly glowing tribute to his mother, Audrey Hepburn.

As a child of divorce, the author chronicles his experiences of shuttling between households, but he admits leading a privileged existence with amicable parents who moved on quickly with their lives (his mother married Cliff Robertson for a short time, his father married actress Felicia Farr). Lemmon's time with his father was limited but precious, and rather than a standard chronological order, he organizes his memories thematically into distinct sections in the book - the annual fishing trips to Alaska, the numerous accidents in which his father basically destroyed his collection of classic cars, and most amusingly, the father-son golf games, in particular, the annual Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament in which the elder Lemmon was desperate to make the cut to the next round. What the author also talks about are the times when an absentee father presented challenges for his own journey toward an independent identity. After all, he followed in his father's footsteps and became an actor but met only limited success.

Chris Lemmon's accounts are not completely rose-colored as he is honest about the remote relationship he has had with his stepmother, a situation that has not changed since his father's death in 2001. There are also hints of tension and misunderstandings between father and son, but the younger Lemmon remains mainly close-lipped about them. While I applaud him for not besmirching his father's legacy unnecessarily, I think he could have probed a little further into the career obsession that marked Jack Lemmon as one of the most acclaimed and awarded actors of his generation. While the breadth of his roles is still startling to comprehend, it is clear it was done with some expense to his family. The author seems quite understanding in hindsight, but I imagine there must have been some impact to his psyche. Regardless, the author knows how well loved his father is and most poignantly, how much of a good father he wanted to be. What comes across clearly is the true bond that occurred between them through their mutual love of music and golf. This is not the most insightful celebrity biography I have read, but it is certainly one of the most sincere.

In this moving and nostalgic memoir, Chris Lemmon, (son of Jack Lemmon), gives us a personal, loving, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny look back at his life and times with his superstar father. But this foray into the world of a Hollywood "Star's Kid" is much different than those we've seen in the past - indeed there are no wire coat hangers in this tale. Instead Lemmon chooses to "raise the bar, just as my father did" bringing us a tale of a man who's dignity and emotional generosity made him one of the most beloved stars of all times, on-screen and off.

That being said, this book is no cop-out either. Lemmon digs deep into his relationship with his father exposing all the bumps in his road, from the Hollywood divorce that robbed him of that father figure he yearned for in his adolescence, to the difficulty of estrangement by his father's second wife, or his father's battle with alcoholism - a battle he nobly and publicly won.

This is the story of a young man's quest to find his own path, while emerging from his father's iconic shadow - a story of coming to terms with his unique yet universal father/son relationship - and a story of the impact of the enormous loss he felt when, in June of 2001, he lost his father, his best friend, to cancer. Lemmon reminds us to cherish the ones we love, and heal any wounds that may exist; because life is temporal, and those loved ones could be gone tomorrow.

He not only captures his father's voice - who, it seems, was even funnier off-screen than on - but also their loving, yet hilarious relationship: From heartfelt father/son moments, to father and son running for their lives from irate Alaskan brown bears, this book covers the gamut of the emotional spectrum.

A must read for fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, or anyone interested in a good laugh - followed by a good cry.

This is actually a love story between a (famous) father and his son, who early in life realized that his father's fame was no big deal, as his father never did. He quickly realized that was one of the many things that made his father so special, as was the simple fact that Jack Lemmon was never above showing love for his children. He didn't make a show of it, letting the cameras know what a 'good parent' he was. He just let his kids know they were loved.

When he took his kids fishing, there were no cameras around. It was just them. No fanfare. He didn't do things like that for accolades.

Lemmon was immensely proud of his children and their successes, although he would have preferred to have been the one to have made the cut at Pebble Beach. ;-) Still, he was Chris' biggest fan.

This book will make you laugh, appreciate Jack Lemmon even more, if that is possible, and cry a little. But if it DOES make you cry, they will be tears of joy.

I've been looking a long time for the right book regarding Jack Lemmon, and the best biography is about thirty years old. This more than fills the gap. Thank you, Chris Lemmon, for telling us such SUPER stories! (And I would have love the sequel to THE GREAT RACE.)

Chris takes us lovingly through life with his dad, warts and all. As I finished the book, with his dad dying in his arms I was taken back to my dad's death in 2001. He wouldn't allow me to be with him at the end because he knew I wouldn't survive seeing him in such pain. Thanks to Chris I am at peace with it at last. Thank you Chris!

As a fan I'd like to thank Chris Lemmon for sharing these memories of his beloved father with all of us. Jack Lemmon was an amazing actor with an incredible range of characters he presented to us in his long career. This book gives a wonderful glimpse of the delightful (and, yes, flawed) human being behind the characters. One warning: there are numerous laugh-out-loud moments in the book and, for many, the chapter on the legends of the Hillcrest Country Club will require Depends.

Recommended: A Twist of Lemmon: a Tribute to My Father, by Chris Lemmon

Chris Lemmon writes as though chatting with a friend, about the father he loved. I was drawn in by the humanity of the man and the honesty of his son, the author. According to Chris, Jack Lemmon was like an ornery little boy, a little like my own father. Both father and son were aware of Jack's strengths and shortcomings (drinking, a temper, over-dedication to his career). I think Jack Lemmon is probably recognizable in some person in everyone's life. STAR is not the picture drawn here.

There is some language that a few sensitive folks may find offensive; I did say he was ornery didn't I? However,I believe if those folks read on, they will be glad they did. There's nothing really vulgar, but some humor is pretty worldly. Chris says that one of his father's favorite lines to the nurses, even near the end, was "Wanna take a peek at Stiffy?" Alternating from hospital room to scenes from Jack's life Chris Lemmon creates a complete picture of the man without ever going Hollywood neon.

+++++

This well-written book is a collection of memories and stories from the shared lives of the late two-time Oscar winning actor Jack Lemmon (born: 1925) and his eldest son, writer and actor Chris Lemmon (born: 1954).

This book is not so much a biography as it is an act of memory. It is built around Chris' experiences and emotions as he comes to grips with his father's death from cancer in June 2001.

The stories Chris tells--some Jack's, some his, most theirs together--are emotionally touching and often hilarious. The stories revolve around dad at work, dad and son fishing, dad and son playing the piano, dad driving (badly), and dad and son golfing (neither was very good).

Throughout the pages of this book, the names of other prominent people are mentioned such as Walter Matthau, George Burns, James Coburn, and Clint Eastwood.

In this book, you'll learn about such things as "The Everyman," the "Lemmon Legacy," "Lilac Lemmon," "object-instead-of- person," and "magic time."

The last chapter contains written tributes from nine of Jack Lemmon's "friends and colleagues." Some of these people include Neil Simon, Blake Edwards, Andy Garcia, and Peter Gallagher.

Finally, some of the chapters are introduced with a black-and-white photograph. My favorite has the caption "One of my last pictures with Pop." As well, there are more than fifteen glossy black and white photos found in the middle of the book. My favorite has the caption "Two happy golfing amateurs and our last gig together."

In conclusion, this is a thoughtful and sometimes hilarious read that will satisfy both fans of Jack Lemmon and those who simply want to enjoy a good book!!

(first published 2006; forward by Kevin Spacey; preface; acknowledgments; 21 chapters; main narrative 195 pages)

+++++

From the beautifully written foreword by Kevin Spacey-to the heartwarming remembrances,from his friends and colleagues,at the end-this book is a real page turner! Chris Lemmon has given us his most treasured memories of his father,to add to our own. This book is a wonderful journey and extremely well written. Bravo Chris! I have been a fan of Jack Lemmon's since as long as I can remember and I am truly impressed. My only regret is not having met him. I was deeply touched and moved throughout it's entirety. This book will make you laugh out loud and bring tears of joy to your eyes. This book is a must read for anyone! Yet,it truly must be shared by ALL fathers' and sons'. My only disappointment...the story had to end. I wanted more. Keep writing Chris! You have a magical gift for bringing words to life!

Chris Lemmon writes a wonderful tribute to his father. It is funny and sweet and sad. Chris Lemmon should write more books.

Chris Lemmon has written a sweet and touching remembrance of his relationship to his famous father that can be appreciated on a number of levels. For fans of Jack Lemmon's films there is plenty of biographical anecdotal material.

His dad is portrayed as exactly the type of guy you'd have expected based on his film persona - easy going, funny and extremely likable.