| Genre: Memoir Main characters: Emmet James Summary: As the title says, the book is about a journey. A journey into film but also a journey into life. We get to see pieces of the author’s life, each matched to a movie that the author has found relevant for that time. The book is structured in two parts, the first one narrating the author’s childhood in London, while the second shows him as a young actor trying to make it big in Tinseltown. |
So, how did I feel towards the character Emmett James? I liked him a lot. Of course that I have disagreed with some of his choices (with hindsight he does too with some of them), but you know, I really could understand why he made most of them (such as forging a photo for a tabloid as he really needed the money). As for the author Emmet James, I was captivated by his raw honesty, his humor, and, most of all, for hardly complaining about anything. You can see life hasn’t always been easy on him (at the beginning of his acting career to name but a moment), but he chose not to focus on his hardships and disappointments — and I really like him too :)
I must say I fell in love with this book at the very beginning, when three-years old Emmett went for the first time at the cinema, with his whole family, in order to see The Jungle Book. He fell asleep at the beginning and slept throughout the movie, but despite that (and despite his young age) he noticed the power movies have:
“I wanted to share this thing that could transform people, I wanted his movements, now quick and bold and sure and light. Everything about [my brother] flushed with gaiety and energy, and erupted in short Tourette-like bouts of rapturous Disney song.”
Another moment I was really amused by was when the young Emmett gets so inspired after watching one of the Indiana Jones movies that he embarks immediately on his career as an archaeologist, by … digging a hole in the ground (OMG I did that too as a kid!! — wanted to start early as an archaeologist I mean). After few days he deems the hole useless for archeology but with a great potential for family trips: could be extended to reach to China! (OMG I did that too as a kid — trying to dig a hole to China, as silly as that seems now). And then Friday came and young Emmett gave up digging. :P
The book ends with a chapter named after the movie It’s a Wonderful Life (unsurprisingly enough, one of my favorites). I have totally loved it, as a sign that Emmett looks back at his life with joy and gratitude. After all, this book is a book about pursuing a dream. It looks to me like Emmett did succeed — he may not be a great A-list actor, but he works in the field he loves (and hey, who’s to say what the future holds :) )
After finishing reading the book (even before actually) I felt the need to watch Titanic once again, just to notice Emmett in it. Well, I know I could watch other movies of his (Lap Dancing? :D ) but Titanic is a movie I know quite well and to my shame I have to say I have never noticed any of the stewards and such — would really like to do so now though :)
As a fun bit I am fairly certain (99.9%) that Joe Macher in the book is actually Joel Schumacher, as not only he is the one who directed Batman Forever but he is also mentioned as having recently finished a movie where an ordinary person goes nuts and starts shooting people and the movie Falling Down was the first one popping into my head.
What I liked most: The way every chapter/story is associated to a movie :) (and the way each movie title has a short description just in case :) ).
What I liked least: I don’t know whether everything in the book is actually true. The ghost story comes to mind. Or the one with the picture of Nicholas Cage and Lisa Marie’s wedding picture — that sounded believable enough but I have found no such wedding pic online (with Cage wearing sunglasses), instead I have found more than one wedding pictures of theirs, all seemingly legit (well, at least she has the same dress in all of them :P )(you can find one of them here, see, no sunglasses and no bouquet :P).
LATER UPDATE: Hey, look at the picture GeekGirl has found, do you think this might be it (thus making the above story true)?
Recommend it? Yes, I loved it. I bet every movie buff will fall in love with it too (not that it is in any way restricted to movie buffs :P ).
PS You can find an interview with Emmett here :)
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