Tuesdays with Morrie **** (1999, Jack Lemmon, Hank Azaria, Wendy Moniz) – Classic Movie Review 7093

In one of his last roles, the great Jack Lemmon touches the heart in a clever, intense, intimate performance as the old Morrie Schwartz, who is dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease, in director Mick Jackson’s expert, beautifully written 1999 tearjerker Tuesdays with Morrie.

Hank Azaria co-stars in a showier, but no less successful performance as the author of the film’s source book, Mitch Albom, a sportscaster, sport commentator and journalist who sees his old sociology professor Morrie on TV giving an interview saying that he is dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease, and starts a series of visits with him on Tuesdays.

Get a large box of tissues at the ready.

It is the winner of four Primetime Emmy awards: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (Lemmon), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (Azaria), Outstanding Made for Television Movie, and Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Carol Littleton). Lemmon also won the 2000 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries.

Also in the cast are Wendy Moniz, Caroline Aaron, Bonnie Bartlett, Aaron Lustig, Bruce Nozick, Ivo Cutzarida, John Carroll Lynch, Dan Thiel, Kyle Sullivan, Christian J Meoli and Joe Whyte.

Tuesdays with Morrie is directed by Mick Jackson, runs 95 minutes, is made by Carlton America and Harpo, is released by ABC TV, is written by Thomas Rickman, based on the book by Mitch Albom, is shot by Theo van de Sande, is produced by Oprah Winfrey (executive producer), Kate Forte (executive producer), Jennifer Ogden (supervising producer) and Susan Heyer, is scored by Marco Beltrami and is designed by J Michael Riva.

Jack Lemmon (1925–2001). It is actually Lemmon’s last performance, apart from his uncredited work as narrator and cameo as Old Hardy Greaves in The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7093

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com