Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood [Kindle Edition]

Teri Garr's "Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood" is a breezy, self-deprecating, and extremely entertaining look at the life of an actress who has to overcome more than her share of obstacles. Her father, Eddie Garr, was an itinerant and alcoholic vaudevillian who liked to gamble, and Teri's mother was always moving the kids from one part of the country to another in an attempt to keep the family together.

As a youngster, Garr took ballet lessons and had her heart set on becoming a prima ballerina. Although dance was her entrée into performing, she eventually progressed to acting in movies, television commercials, and sitcoms. Work didn't always come easily, but Garr inherited her mother's persistence and stubbornness. She aggressively lobbied for roles and, over the years, appeared in films directed by such luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Sidney Pollack, Mel Brooks, and Martin Scorsese.

"Speedbumps," which Garr wrote with Henriette Mantel, is a delightful look at a life filled with humor. Teri Garr does not take herself seriously, and when she name drops, she does so naturally and without arrogance. She tells a number of witty anecdotes about her friendships with Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Dustin Hoffman, and Francois Truffaut. I find it refreshing that she discusses her flops as well as her successes with equal charm and enthusiasm. Rather than becoming bitter about the "speedbumps" she has encountered, Garr believes that facing adversity has been a source of personal growth.

The most poignant aspect of this book is Garr's description of her long battle with multiple sclerosis. She had alarming symptoms for many years before her disease was diagnosed, and it took her a long time to find a doctor who could help her. Today, Garr speaks to people across the country about MS and she is the national chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Women Against MS program. Her courage and positive attitude have been an inspiration to many other people battling this debilitating condition. It is heartwarming to read that Garr has not given up on life. In fact, she is now even more grateful for her many blessings, including her daughter, her friendships, the work that she does, and the love, pleasure, and laughter that each day brings.

I just finished Miss Garr's book, "Speedbumps; Flooring it Through Hollywood", an apt title, for Teri has had the complete Hollywood tour. One of the great comedians of the screen. A fixture on late night TV. Teri always comes across as, 'your sister's friend, who you always had a crush on'. Her book,so very personable, like herself. Funny and wise. An individual who rose up, from dancing in Elvis movies, to working with every famous director in film. Teri's world changed when her body chemistry changed. She relates her experiences with MS, her tribulations with physicians and how it affected her career. A very moving, always charming experience. Just what you would expect from Miss Garr. God bless her.

Picked up Teri Garr's semi-autobiography (written with Henriette Mantel - and, hey, let's give these co-writers and ghost-writers a hand as well, as they do a lot of work and rarely get the credit they deserve) last week and breezed through it quickly. That is not to say that it was a fast read, but rather as a demonstration of how much I enjoyed it.

Although I became a big fan of Teri in the 1980s after seeing her several times on the old LATE NIGHT program, I found in reading her book that I had memories of her leading back years before that. From watching her every week on SONNY & CHER to seeing her in my first "adult" movie at the theaters in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, that one episode of STAR TREK and onward, I always enjoyed seeing her light up the screen. Heck, I was even such a fan that I once tried to send her a photo to autograph (although I never got it back ... and hoping now that my teenage-years' gushy, fanboy note with the photo never got to her in the first place).

One element that is sometimes a disappointment to fans reading a bio about their favorite performer is that the stars sometimes forget that an autobiography needs to have a personal almost interactive feel to it. Some believe they have to dismiss topics that the fans are curious to know about their background in life and in their profession, thriving for a superior tone to prove how important their life's work is or was. Ultimately, however an autobiography should engage a reader as if the writer was in the room with them and having a conversation. If the reader finds themselves identifying with the writer and wanting to converse back, then an autobiography is successful. If the reader feels bored or slighted by the content being dispensed, then everyone's time is wasted in the endeavor.

Fortunately, Garr comes across as someone who had never let the cliché of fame and fortune get the better of her and she comes across as someone you would be happy to talk to at a party or get to know on a friendly level. Her many stories are not only funny, but self-reflective, allowing Garr to re-evaluate when her actions were for the best and worst for her in life (in particular with her later physical problems that occurred). Thus, even when stories lead to events that would be traumatic to many, Garr finds the right light touch to show that nothing should keep one from finding the humor in anything, and thus finding the life in ... well, life.

Best of all, as one would hope for anyone such a Garr, the book ends with her finding happiness with those around her and in life itself. That is not giving away the ending, however, as one could only hope for such an ending in any autobiography. Still, I left the book happy for Teri and for those who share her life. I would certainly recommend this book to fans of Garr and to anyone else that may be struggling and wanting to know if perseverance is worth all the hassle. Garr certainly proves it can come true and I am happy for her.

Even if she never did sign that photo I sent. Grumble, grumble.