Short Synopsis
In this compelling memoir, award-winning actress Illeana Douglas writes about learning to survive in Hollywood while staying true to her quirky vision of the world.

Full Synopsis
In 1969 Illeana Douglas's 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 Valley 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.

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

"For those who enjoy whimsical insights into movie personalities and productions, and an easygoing memoir style." ---Library Journal

"I Blame Dennis Hopper is a delightful, endearing and star-studded memoir no film buff will want to miss." ---Self Awareness