I Blame Dennis Hopper

And Other Stories from a Life Lived in and out of the Movies

By: Illeana Douglas

Narrated by: Illeana Douglas

In 1969, Illeana Douglas' parents saw the film Easy Rider and were transformed. Taking Dennis Hopper's words - "That's what it's all about, man" - to heart, they abandoned their comfortable upper-middle-class life and gave Illeana a childhood filled with hippies, goats, free spirits, and free love. Illeana writes, "Since it was all out of my control, I began to think of my life as a movie, with a Dennis Hopper-like father at the center of it."

I Blame Dennis Hopper is a rollicking, funny, at times tender exploration of the way movies can change our lives. With crackling humor and a full heart, Douglas describes how a good Liza Minnelli impression helped her land her first gig and how Rudy Vallee taught her the meaning of being a show biz trouper. From her first experience being on set with her grandfather and mentor - two-time Academy Award-winning actor Melvyn Douglas - to the moment she was discovered by Martin Scorsese to starring in movies alongside Robert DeNiro, Nicole Kidman, and Ethan Hawke to becoming an award-winning writer, director, and producer in her own right, I Blame Dennis Hopper is an irresistible love letter to movies and filmmaking.

©2015 Illeana Douglas (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The author's warm portraits and disarming honesty infuse the memoir with an endearing sweetness and charm." ( Kirkus)

I LOVE this book!

Wow...what a surprise! I was not sure what to expect when I listened to I Blame Dennis Hopper by Illeana Douglas. I have followed Illeana's career however...I had not known she had written a book. This book is amazing. It is fun, interesting and very entertaining. I was hooked from the prologue. The author tells us up front this is not a memoir. It is a collection of stories from her time in the business starring in some of the best films of the 1990s /2000s. Illeana explains the title in the first chapter...and it only gets better from there. If you love the movies...do yourself a favor and listen to this book.

Enjoyable fun book

Interesting entertaining and fun listen. I highly recommend this if you love movies and history.

Fun Read!

Have learned many things about movies, actors and directors from listening to this delightful book. This woman is much more complex that I would have imagined from watching her movies.

Thoroughly loved this book. A rare gem.

Great stories from an underrated actor

Not a linear memoir, it is a great collection of stories from a viewpoint no one else has. The best parts are when she makes herself laugh during her reading.

Terrific Memoir by a Plucky Character Actress

Great listen. It's interesting to hear a memoir by an actor whose not quite at the very top of her profession. Stories are told with humor and warmth. Movie Buffs will love it. She's a huge film buff. I hope she writes additional memoirs which she hinted at.