"Tribute" is a film about dying and regrets...much like "Terms of Endearment". I mention this because if you are depressed, you might want to see this film some other time.
When the story begins, Scottie (Jack Lemmon) is in the hospital for tests and learns that he's dying. Instead of remaining at the hospital and receiving treatment to prolong his life, Scottie leaves. After all, he's not good at facing problems and his estranged son is coming for a visit. And, through the course of the story, you see that Scottie is incredibly superficial and immature....and always jokes about everything...even his own imminent demise. Not surprisingly, a lifetime of this sort of behavior by Scottie makes it tough for his son (Robbie Benson) to care. In fact, in many ways the son hates his father.
The acting in this film is exceptional...and it's not surprising Lemmon received an Oscar nomination for playing the lead. What is surprising is that the Hollywood producers actually chose Lemmon for the role, as too often hit Broadway plays are made into films...with an entirely different cast. Here, however, Lemmon plays the role he originated on Broadway and it's nice to see that they didn't recast this lead.
So is it any good? Yes...very good. It's also not particularly pleasant, as you would expect, and might churn up some memories in some viewers who have parents who are similar to Scottie.
