Un fils pour l'été

I saw the Broadway play starring Jack Lemmon, and it was very memorable. I saw this film version of it shortly after, and it was awful! Fortunately this movie went away and no one seems to want to view it anymore, and good for that. May it rest in peace.

Jack Lemmon learns he is dying and tries to finally connect with his son (played by Robby Benson), whom he pretty much abandoned when he left his ex-wife, Lee Remick. A man who has no real close relationships, he is loved by many acquaintances because of his outrageousness, his carefree attitude, his one-liners and clownish cut-ups; in short, he is "a crowd-pleaser," as someone in the film calls him. For all his love of life (and women) that comes through to the viewer, this is also one of the most depressing films I have ever seen. I have seen hundreds of films and seen a lot of somber, serious, and/or downbeat movies, and this was painstakingly real in its depiction of loneliness, regret, and in facing death. In fact, that night I dreamed of Jack Lemmon, and I never dream of movie stars. Having said that and also that this film may be flawed, I would watch this again, I think. Jack Lemmon gives another great performance and deservedly received an Oscar nomination for it. There is no real plot save for his trying to connect to Robby, whose character is unusually "old" for a boy his age, and truthfully whose mannerisms reminds me of someone I know. There is an array of supporting characters to lighten up the mood, including Kim Cattrall and an unusual nurse. "Tribute" is a special film about real people who are trying to reach out before it's too late.

"Tribute" is a wonderful tear-jerker about a father and his estranged son. Benson is good, though his character may be a bit over-the-top cynical. But as usual, Jack Lemmon provides a textbook example of acting without seeming like he's acting, the mark of a great performer.

"Tribute" is a film about dying and regrets...much like "Terms of Endearment". I mention this because if you are depressed, you might want to see this film some other time.

When the story begins, Scottie (Jack Lemmon) is in the hospital for tests and learns that he's dying. Instead of remaining at the hospital and receiving treatment to prolong his life, Scottie leaves. After all, he's not good at facing problems and his estranged son is coming for a visit. And, through the course of the story, you see that Scottie is incredibly superficial and immature....and always jokes about everything...even his own imminent demise. Not surprisingly, a lifetime of this sort of behavior by Scottie makes it tough for his son (Robbie Benson) to care. In fact, in many ways the son hates his father.

The acting in this film is exceptional...and it's not surprising Lemmon received an Oscar nomination for playing the lead. What is surprising is that the Hollywood producers actually chose Lemmon for the role, as too often hit Broadway plays are made into films...with an entirely different cast. Here, however, Lemmon plays the role he originated on Broadway and it's nice to see that they didn't recast this lead.

So is it any good? Yes...very good. It's also not particularly pleasant, as you would expect, and might churn up some memories in some viewers who have parents who are similar to Scottie.

I am bias though because He is my uncle Andy!! I loved him and miss him much these days since his passing. He was a great Actor and loved his craft.He was just starting to get noticed when he died. He did a lot for Canadian Television. My Uncle Andy worked with some great Classic Actors like David Niven. He told me once that Acting was one of the greatest freeing of the soul. and that it gave him great joy! He also had a great love for the theater. He said that true actors never want to be a star they just want to be part of the process. A good actor is a en-sable actor. Its the group that make the greats.

Jimmy Burgess