Tribute (1980)

Great Film overall

Best movie of this year hands down!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

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.

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

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

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.