A Twist of Lemmon: A Tribute to My Father

By Christopher Lemmon

Book Overview

Jack Lemmon was one of our most beloved movie stars. A two-time Academy Award winner, he appeared in dozens of memorable films, including such classics as Some Like It Hot, Mister Roberts, The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men, Missing, The Apartment, and The China Syndrome . On-screen, he came across as a kind of "everyman"--audiences loved him because they felt they knew him, because he was on of them. In A Twist of Lemmon , Chris Lemmon shares family tales, intimate father-son conversations, and anecdotes from and about his dad. The result is a vivid and enchanting portrait of a less-than-perfect father who in some ways assumed a greater reality for his fans than he did for his son. Chris writes about the difficulty of growing up in a broken home, the treasured time spent with his father, and the friendship that evolved as they came to share their passions for both music and golf. This very personal portrait provides new insight into a man who charmed millions with his rascal's smile and his very human vulnerability. When Jack Lemmon died in 2001, the world lost one of its favorite actors, but Chris Lemmon lost the man he had admired above all others. A Twist of Lemmon is his warm and moving and often very funny celebration of his larger-than-life father. Joining Chris in his tribute are a number of the people who worked with Jack Lemmon over thy years, including actor Kevin Spacey. In his foreword, Spacey writes, "He was a credit to his profession because he was a man whose humanity was bigger than his talent. And when you think for a moment about the size and depth of that talent, then you begin to understand how seriously he took his role as a human being." In this first book of its kind written about Jack Lemmon, that "human being" comes fully alive--as an actor, a father, and a best friend. It is a heartwarming and discerning look at a true American legend.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1565124804
• ISBN13: 9781565124806
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
• Length: 193 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Hilarious and loving

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

Loving tribute to a dad

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!

IT TOUCHED MY HEART

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!

A family love story

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.)

A Touching "Twist"

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.