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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

A beautiful film. Mind you it's a simple film, but a beautiful one and it introduces us to some of Jack Lemmon's best work. By this time, Lemmon was a Hollywood legend. He'd been playing young romantic leads and comic goofs, now was time when he truly started challenging himself and his craft. His Oscar nomination, I would imagine came about because of the end of the film. As Scottie Tempelton slowly walks onto the stage, after a battle with sickness and possible death, he looks on into the audience to find his son and it's one of the most touching moments I have ever experienced. When he yells his son's name and he says that wonderful line "Give me a kiss...right here!" And taps his cheek slowly. As the son goes in to kiss his cheek, Scottie quickly turns and it becomes a kiss on the lips. The moment is so lovely that it's hard to put into words the feelings I have. It was a very special moment for me. Lemmon's performance in this film is very special to me.

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 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

Jack Lemmon recreates his Tony-nominated stage role playing a Broadway press agent who has always shied away from adult responsibilities, treating everyone--from doormen to movie stars--like the life of the party. This devil-may-care approach to living has naturally alienated Lemmon's tightly-wound son, a begrudging twenty-year-old who doesn't share his father's sense of humor. Bernard Slade adapted his play for the screen, and he's positively shameless while decorating the narrative with pure-hearted friends and doctors, a gold-plated prostitute (who receives her own tribute from a lifetime of johns at Joe Allen!), an adoring ex-wife, and Kim Cattrall as a frisky young thing who flits from father to son as if she's in the running for the prostitute's job. None of this makes much emotional or logical sense--and little of it amounts to anything substantial by the end--although Lemmon's manic, zinger-filled performance gooses the movie and brings it to a near-boil. As the embittered son, Robby Benson tries hard to bring off a dim role; his occasional success here is miraculous considering Slade never gives him a strong line of dialogue. Lemmon is reunited with his "Days of Wine and Roses" co-star Lee Remick, and they have a built-in rapport that is wonderful to see...however Jack is really the whole picture. Slade has manufactured the proceedings to slant completely in the star's favor, showing off his sass and pathos, and as a one-man vehicle for the talented actor it obviously has some worth. **1/2 from ****