Grab a big bag of popcorn and settle in for an adventure ripe with humor, drama and a sprinkle of adolescent spice. Admit One is a memoir beginning with Emmett’s first movie/cinema experience in his hometown of Crydon, South England. From here, Emmett’s life is forever changed and his love of the cinema takes a strong hold. This love, however, does not diminish as he ages, but instead grows stronger. It doesn’t take Emmett long before he decides to takes the leap, hop across “the pond” and forge his way into America and the treasured glimmer of Hollywood. Do not be mistaken, however, it is not an easy road. After several experiences as an extra and a few quite interesting stints, including one particular role which required strapping on false breasts and having his body completely waxed to play a stunt double for a woman wrestler, Emmett finally breaks into the more enjoyable side of acting. After a big break with a small part in Titanic, things open up and Hollywood seems to embrace Emmett a bit more, allowing his dream of acting and involvement in film to grab a more secure and solid hold on his life.

Admit One is not your typical memoir - anything but. Each chapter opens with a particular film title, complete with a bit of background information and then commencing with a time in Emmett’s life that reflects that movie. Humor is a very strong point in the author’s writing, taking the reader through such adolescent high jinx as sibling arguing, digging a large hole in the family garden to find lost treasure, then perhaps a tunnel to China or Australia, that infamous first crush and first date and even a bit of testing out how much a youth can get away with by pocketing a BMX sticker (lets say that Emmett found this to be a very wrong thing to do right from the start).

Though Emmett has told his story in a delightful and fun way, it also holds a profound lesson. The lesson that if you have a passion for something, be sure to do something about it, rather than just let life pass before you and wake up one day regretting all that time that you let go by. Life is what you make it and as long as you pursue your dreams, even if things don’t turn out exactly the way you may have wanted, you will be much better off. Admit One is a wonderful story and one that I would recommend as both a great read and an excellent lesson. ( )

This is actor Emmett James' memoir of his childhood growing up in south London, England and his following career as an actor in Hollywood. The life story is told chronologically but rather than the usual memoir this is very different. James picks movies he has seen during his lifetime and relates them to his life. Sometimes there is a direct revelation from movie to life such as the first movie he remembers going to see, The Jungle Book, when he was about four, showed him how much people are affected by movies as he saw his older brother dancing around singing and acting like an orangutan after the movie. Other times the movie simply brings back memories such as the time he saw Ghostbusters, which was the first time he took a girl to the movies and he tells of his thoughts on his puberty.

The book was not what I had expected. I was thinking it would be more of a group of movies and the author's thoughts of the movies. Instead Emmett James takes that list of movies and tells his life story through how they related to his life. I loved the first half of the book about his childhood in England. The second half tells of his career as a working actor in Hollywood and mostly is opinionated on Hollywood itself and I found it quite egotistical. James takes pride in distinguishing himself as an "actor" rather than a "celebrity". The first half was definitely very enjoyable to read and those who grew up in the '80s will enjoy the tale. ( )

According to the back of the book: "…Admit One details how self-deprecating writer Emmett James escaped from the pains of adolescence by going to the cinema."

I suppose this is a fairly accurate description of the book, but it simply wasn’t how it felt to me. I didn’t feel that there was always a strong connection between the films and James’ life, as I expected there would be. I felt like this was simply a memoir of someone with a rough childhood who happened to go to the movies alot, I didn’t quite buy that movies were something that truly influenced who James was, other than making him want to be an actor.

Even then, this could be a story if James had overcome the odds to make it big. Instead, he dons a pair of rubber breasts for a boxing match scene and photoshops pictures of Nicholas Cage’s wedding. Yes, he finally makes his way into the James Cameron’s “Titanic”, but even there he didn’t exactly have the lead role.

By no means do I think only ‘big’ people should be allowed to write memoirs, but I just didn’t quite see the reason for James’. I thought he made some very bad choices and didn’t come across as a very likeable person. I also thought the book could have used another read through by an editor.

For the full review:
http://www.devourerofbooks.com/2008/0... ( )

Admit One is Emmett James' nostalgic and whimsical memoir of his passion for movies. Marking his personal milestones with cinema favorites, James recounts his childhood in South London, telling stories that many will fondly relate to. In the section titled Coming Attractions, he expounds on his childhood. From his mother's giddy fascination with John Travolta in Grease to his experience with a dodgy Santa, James is always entertaining. Through his introduction to petty crime, and his very own ghost story, James recounts his childhood along with his favorite must-see films. The later section, Feature Presentation, deals with his life as an adult trying to break into the movies. This section really takes off, as he divulges his crashing of the Oscars, his hilarious stint as an extra, the unintentional stalking of a director, and his defining moment: a brief appearance in Titanic. Each of these anecdotes is recounted in conjunction with a movie that shaped him during the experience, making this a colorful and interesting tale. As he moves from watching the movies to actually being a part of the cinema magic, he realizes that his dreams of Hollywood are more encompassing than mere movie appearances.

I found this to be a curious book. James relates a story that is at once universal yet unique. His experiences could have been the everyman's, yet the framework and method of delivery made them distinctive. The sections on his childhood would have seemed common and interchangeable without the inclusion of the movie introspection. It was impressive the way that movies shaped and defined his childhood, and sustained him throughout his later years. The later sections I found to be more entertaining, as James went out of his way to maintain his connection to the silver screen. Many of the incidents were zany and incredible, leaving me hungering for more. I felt that he could have divulged more details of his escapades to win and delight the reader. It was almost as if he withheld the most compelling and forceful part of the narrative by leaving off the more satisfying bits of the story. Another puzzling aspect is that the author seems to have bypassed any emotional reflection throughout the book. He never speaks of his deeper feelings about his family or friends (except for a brief excerpt about his father), or expounds on the feelings he had as a struggling actor making his way in show business. Instead of emotional exposition on his part, he catalogs a list of hardships endured at the time. At one point, while having an unexpected adventure in Mexico, he does seem to make the emotional connection, but it is brief. Most memoirs I have read have captured more fully the experience and viewpoint of the subject, and it was odd that this book didn't seem to have that emotional connection to the reader. His attitude throughout the book seemed to be strangely distant and miffed, as if he wanted to simple tell a story, not share it.

On the other hand, his passion for movies and movie making was clearly communicated in such a way as to be infectious. I wanted to go back and re-watch the movies to experience the awe and excitement that James had found, to be shaped by what was on the screen in undefinable ways. Though most people love movies, James took his passion for cinema and channelled it into a life appreciating and being surrounded by the art.

This book had its ups and downs. I loved the anecdotal way in which the stories were described, and found that the book was very clever and witty. James' tone was descriptive and engaging, which gave the book a light and conversational feel, yet I wished that I could have been privy to more of his feelings and insights. I laughed and discovered the joy of film with him, but in the end, felt like I really didn't know him. He was clever in describing the movies and how they made him feel, but that's where it ended. It seemed as though if an emotion wasn't related to a movie, it wasn't worth delving into. A bit of an uneven book, yet diverting and amusing nonetheless. ( )

This book starts with a fun premise: Emmett James' life has revolved around the movies, so he tells his stories in the context of the movies. From his first family outings to the cinema for Jungle Book to his appearance in a soft-core porn film, he manages to tie his significant life experiences to the movies. This idea works best when there is some tie-in to the actual film, whether it's one he watched or one he appeared in (talking about his junior high ezcema in the chapter on The Elephant Man was a bit of a stretch). James was quite the little juvenile delinquent and his family stories aren't always happy, but he isn't bitter or trolling for sympathy. Some of his stories about his early days in Hollywood - especially the stories about crashing Oscar-night parties - are hilarious. He has a very straightforward style, whether he's talking about wetting his pants (literally) watching The Wizard of Oz, the filthy streets of South London or using his tuxedo as a blanket, sleeping in an unfurnished Hollywood apartment. I found it refreshing. There's a bit of British slang; not enough to make it difficult, just a bit of flavor.

The book could have used a bit more editing. As a former proofreader, it pains me to read "doing the thing they new best", which is not the only grammatical error that's been overlooked. (This may have been addressed in the final version.) This review copy came to me autographed by the author, a very nice touch, and I enjoyed reading it. ( )