I Blame Dennis Hopper

2015 | Biography

In 1969, Illeana Douglas' parents saw the film Easy Rider. Like many folks of that generation, the groundbreaking film transformed them. Taking Dennis Hopper's words, "That's what it's all about man", to heart, they abandoned what Illeana had hoped would be her comfortable upper middle class life for 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. Years later I would work with Dennis Hopper on the film Search and Destroy. I couldn't wait to meet him, so I could blame him for everything that had ever happened to me. Instead had the same transformational experience. How did I get here? "What's it all about man?" I would soon learn from Dennis Hopper himself. A love letter to movies and filmmaking, Douglas recounts with her infectious voice and crackling humor the ins and outs of a life lived in the blinding glare of the limelight, and the often heartbreaking realities when the cameras stop filming.

Funny and poignant, I Blame Dennis Hopper is a testament to the power of art, the tenacity of passion and a portrait of a fascinating life, all with Dennis Hopper to blame for every glorious moment.

Illeana Douglas (Author)