Tribute

I'm a big fan of Jack Lemmon's dramatic roles but not this one. The movie is about Lemmon and his estranged son played by Robby Benson, who has a deep hatred for his father. After learning Lemmon is dying, Benson tries to make thing right with his father. 125 minutes of Benson talking about how bad of a father Lemmon was, combined with Lemmon's corny jokes, does not not equal a good movie

Jack Lemmon played the part of Scottie Templeton in 1978 on Broadway for 212 performances. I was lucky to be there and be part of a remarkable performance. The audience was actually part of the tribute as guests and I think maybe some of that was lost in the film. All were in tears at the end and became friends of Lemmon. I also think some of the "Broadway" acting transferred to the screen and may have made it look robotic. I enjoyed the film but it may have been because I was I was a part of that private party years earlier. There were many surprises in the play that were lost in the film. There were 2 memorable moments for me. As I was sitting in the 3rd row, Lemmon recognized his nurse's voice as a former stripper, and verified it when she ripped open her uniform to reveal her memorable breasts. I often use the line "You say potato and I say potato" (no difference in the pronunciation) which Lemmon delivered hilariously.

Harry

"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.

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.

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