I Love You Phillip Morris: A True Story of Life, Love, & Prison Breaks

I Love You Phillip Morris #1

by Steve McVicker

To escape from a Texas jail or prison once is unusual. To do it four times is incredible. To do it four times in five years and always on a Friday the 13th is the stuff of legend. Welcome to the world of Steven Russell. Con artist. Thief. Swindler. Embezzler. Hopeless romantic.A husband and father, Russell was a church organist, prosperous businessman, and onetime Boca Raton cop before turning to his life of crime. Arrested for a string of felonies, with a specialty in fraud, his real expertise turned out to be his uncanny ability to escape from jail. Between 1993 and 1998, he orchestrated a string of prison breaks that were as audacious as they were ingenious. Using whatever unlikely materials were at handa Magic Marker, a pay phone, a walkie-talkie, a pair of stolen bright red women's stretch pantsalong with an innate talent for analytical thinking and boundless quantities of sheer nerve, Russell again and again arranged his own "early releases" from jail. Unfortunately, for Russell, staying out of jail is another matter entirely.

Over the years, it became increasingly clear that Russell's talent for escape is matched only by his knack for getting arrested. One thing always seems to trump Steven Russell's careful planning, cool head, and instinct for self-preservationlove. Russell cannot resist the urge to try and spring the great love of his lifea fellow inmate named Phillip Morris.

In I Love You Phillip Morris, journalist Steve McVicker goes right to the heart of this improbable-but-true story of crime, punishment, and passion. Thanks to unprecedented and exclusive access to Russell, his family, and his friends, he retraces Russell's journey from small-town businessman to flamboyant white-collar criminal and jailhouse Houdini. It's the darkly comic tale of a man with a spectacular ability to manipulate almost everyone he meets, yet who is himself helpless in the face of love.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Biography, Crime, LGBT, Romance, Biography Memoir

246 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 2003

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't hold my interest. It is about a con-artist who escapes prison 4 times in 5 years and he is very smart and wily. He is in love with a man named Phillip Morris. He executes various schemes and swindles in order to make and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. But, I just couldn't bring myself to care.
...

Also, as a side note: The book states at one point, when Russell marries a woman, "...they both lost their virginity." I completely disagree with this. He wasn't a virgin - he'd been having sex with dozens of men for years. Are you a virgin until you've had vaginal-penile sex? No. Are all gay men who haven't had vaginal sex virgins? Um, don't make me laugh. Are lesbians who have never had vaginal-penile sex virgins? Of course not.

I'd be offended, but the idea is so ludicrous and laughable that I am only left feeling baffled. This should be completely obvious to people, and is one of the many reasons I think the whole concept of "virginity" is complete bullcrap. It's on par with religious girls telling me that they are virgins when they regularly engage in oral and anal sex, and women who tell me they are virgins even though they use dildos, and men getting angry when their wives aren't 'virgins' because they've used a sex toy and therefore have no hymen, or whatever etc. etc. ad nauseam.

I mean, the whole concept that such a creature as "a virgin" exists is just ridiculous. We need to wipe this whole way of thinking from our planet. Especially since its basic function is to humiliate or fetishize people who are more sexually inexperienced.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

After seeing the film, I really wanted to read the true story behind the "improbable but true" claim. For once, the filmmakers did not exaggerate greatly. Steven Russell is a highly interesting character and a mastermind of escape. The book is written by an investigative reporter and reads as such; the story is straight-forward, but I did not mind that. It was nice to get the facts with no frills. I find Mr. Russell particularly fascinating considering the fact that he was able to make all of his escapes in the past couple of technologically-advanced decades. Curses! Foiled again! Three solid stars for the charming and disarming sociopath.

[Punk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trueish Crime. An uncharismatic and plodding account of a con man who escapes from prison four times in five years. I wanted the movie, but all my library had was the book, which is nothing but a dry list of facts with the occasional pause for awkward dialogue.

Two stars because some of the jail break sequences were interesting.

[ERIC PECHINOT · Rating 2 out of 5]

Today, it shouldn’t be Goodreads but Goodflicks, because, quite frankly, the film by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa is so much better than the book it’s based on. More than a rom‑com, it’s a con‑rom, given how the main character, Steven Jay Russell, is a master swindler. He’s a crook with a sometimes twisted mind, yet you can’t help feeling for him—he’s such a hopeless romantic (hence the title, obviously), though never a softie. Still, he certainly didn’t deserve to spend the rest of his life behind bars. After all, he never killed anyone, and yes, I’ve taken to him. I too have fallen under the spell.

As for the book, in my opinion it reads like a badly written draft. I suppose some stories need the screen to become what the page couldn’t. So the rating would be five stars on Goodflicks.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

After starting this read, I was surprised to find out that this is being made into a motion picture starring Jim Carrey. I am curious as to how it will translate to the big screen. Movies are just never as good, are they?

This book was my next selection in trying to read literature that is not "pop fiction". I am getting a lot of good suggestions from this website and my crew at the WPL!

"I Love You Phillip Morris" was excellent. Very interesting story. I found myself on edge with the anticipation of each escape and subsequent capture. The writer, Steve McVicker, is a journalist and much of the novel reads like a newspaper story to me, but the storyline is strong enough to carry it all.

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The whole story of Steven Russell is utterly crazy. The man is on par with Frank Abignale for sheer chutzpah! Brilliant. Now I want to see the movie, even if it does play a little fast and loose with the timing of what happened in which order.

[Bonnie Morse · Rating 3 out of 5]

It might be unfair to say the movie is better, but it's how I feel. The book is detailed, and at 245 pages, not overlong, but since it's detailing white collar crime, sale of stolen goods, and the most simplistic, although admittedly clever, prison escapes possible, it still feels tedious. Almost no one involved beyond Steven Russell, his ex-wife, his former lover's mother, and Phillip Morris agreed to be interviewed so the book is just Russell's descriptions of his crimes. He's not much of a storyteller and neither is the author.

The movie leaves out a lot of crimes--almost everything produced related, most of the CFO schemes, and the first time Russell escaped from prison by pretending to have AIDS--but Jim Carey and Ewan McGregor put on a lively show and are a lot of fun to watch. The missing details can be found on Wikipedia. That said, I still give it 3 stars because I went to some trouble to acquire a copy and it was worth reading.

[Dana]

First off this is not a fictional story like I originally thought. Its a non-fiction novel by a journalist, therefore it reads like a newspaper article. This however, is a fascinating tale about a very smart and witty con artist. I would have loved if the writer was able to strip away his journalistic writing and simply became the character. I felt a lot of facts were being thrown at me instead of a story. I was able to get a feel for the characters but it none of them stayed with me.The main problem was the lack of story, the lack of detail to the characters and there environment. It was funny at times but it quaickly became boring with the constant escapes and alluding police. If I can compare it to anything it would be Public Enemies. By the end of the book, its not a pleasent expericance but a draing one. You keep wishing and thinking something aside from escape plans are going to happen but sadly nothing ever arises. It would be interesting to see how this is pulled off when the film version with Jim Carrey and Ewan Mcgregor is released. Hopefully they take more chances then this book did.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is told straightforwardly-- not overcrowded with detail. It's like a long version of a McVicker article in the alternative weekly the Houston Press, such an article almost certainly being the genesis of this tome. For all of Russell's truly amazing feats as a jail breaker and a con man. that his cynical thievery is punctuated by and contrasts with his apparent real love for his boyfriend, Russell is two-dimensional. He doesn't seem to speak to any deeper meaning. If you don't need that, this book is first-rate.

[notgettingenough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saw the movie last night and although it was a 'true' story - sigh - and set in a prison, which I try to avoid, still thoroughly enjoyable.

I expect either the book or the film would be sufficient.

I suspect the book happens before the end. The protagonist is no more than a conman, steals money, pretends to be a lawyer, escapes from gaol a bunch of times. At the end of the film they tell us that after his last escape he was sentenced to LIFE imprisonment with 23 hour/day lockdown. Wow. I keep wondering how he is going to get out of that.

[Medina]

I have seen the trailer to the movie for this movie on and off for over a year. I decided that it was never going to come to a theater near me so it was safe to go ahead and read it. I was pleasantly surprised by it. I was intrigued by the story the way it was told and the chast of characters that this man surrounded himself with. All of our lives are so fragile and bad decisions lead to worse decisions and I think Stevens life is an example of this.

[Snuffles]

I can't bring myself to go on let alone finish this book. I don't find myself intrigued by the story and the style doesn't keep my attention at all. I thought this would be more like a story with a plot, since that can be done even if it's a real story that was told to the writer by the people in it. He still could have structured it differently, e.g. chronologically and make it more interesting that way.

[Kate Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many others, I checked this book out of the library after watching the movie. For once, the filmmakers didn't exaggerate much. I do wish the writing had been just a little less dry--it's very journalistic, which I suppose makes sense since it was written by a journalist. Definitely a fascinating story, though, and Steven Russell is difficult not to like. I'll be keeping an eye out for his inevitable next escape!

[Ad Astra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great, simple, somewhat shocking read. The book follows Steven Russel's, a real life convict who managed to escape prison 3 times, embezzled collectively millions of dollars, and passed himself off as a doctor, lawyer, and countless other public figures. It's a pretty interesting read, but it keeps it light as well. I read this to and from Orlando on the airplane, which made for a much better activity than sleeping and waking up with an odd crick in my neck.

[Ashley Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

After seeing I Love You Phillip Morris, the movie that starred Jim Carey as Steven Russell, I just had to read the book. I'm glad I did. Russell is a guy who can convince anyone of just about anything. It just goes to show you how far superior people-skills will get you in the world. And, how far true love will drive you, even if it's behind bars.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love it, but the truth is, it was just okay.

In fairness to Mr. McVicker, I should not have read the reviews first. I think they caused me to read this book with an overly-critical eye.

It is rare that a movie eclipses the book from which it was made, but I am hoping to see the film soon and like it better than this novel.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

After watching the "I Almost Got Away With It" episode about Steven Russel, I thought the book might have a more expanded point of view and details about his life. While it was a good read, it wasn't amazing. I followed up the book with the Jim Carey movie of the same name, which was severely disappointing.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about this book on the Don Imus show. This guy was a con artist and escaped from the Texas Penal System on three occasions. It was fascinating to see the extents to which he planned his escapes, two of which occurred on a Friday the 13th. A short read, but very interesting.

[Bela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the account of one of the world's best con-artists, Steven Russell, who escaped from jail (including my own Harris County jail) numerous times! The book could've been longer but all in all a good read. Soon to be a movie, I hear.

[Derrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and compelling story about a con man and his beloved. The book itself isn't particularly well written but the engagement stems from the antics of the protagonist. Picked this up in lieu of the inevitable movie coming out with Jim Carrey and Ewan MacGregor. It's worth a look see.

[Sharmayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rare book that is not better than the movie, due to the lack of story telling ability of the author. A newspaper writer and it shows. The book reads like a long news story in the paper. Still it is a fascinating story and similar to Catch Me If You Can.

[Coen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steven Russell is crazy awesome. I first saw the movie without knowing it was based on a true story. I immediately took it as a work of fiction. No one could possibly be crazy enough to pull the stunts Jim Carrey pulled in the movie. It would be impossible!

But it all happened. It really did.

[Kori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one day. Occasionally I got lost because there's a lot of abbreviations and technical terms and people and chases and stuff but I was smiling the entire way through. It was really fun to read. I also loved the movie so I'm glad they match up.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd been wanting to read this ever since I saw the movie, so I could barely contain a little dance of joy when I saw it in the library. A very quick read. Steven Russell is quite the interesting person and I can't help but wish that his story is not quite over yet... :)

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Love You Phillip Morris presents the facts of Steven Russell’s incredible career as a criminal without any adornment or analysis. The nonlinear chronology is disorienting, but the story’s worth it—although the film is worth it even more…

[Vikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adds a lot of details to the movie as well as a little more depth to Steve Russell as a person. He was a smart man who loved someone too much, which is always where the mistakes get made in breaking the law. A fast, fun read.

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was… okay. It was a very fast read, more or less enjoyable, and I think I just needed something that didn’t require a lot of thought or time. I could sit down, have fun with it, and be done in a weekend.

[Marzena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a biography, not a usual crime story. It's more like a long article by a journalist impressed with a man who's a talented crook. Judging by the book, I can't imagine the movie to be good.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a hilarious love-story. Steven Russell is a brilliant, hopeless romantic, and I could feel his love for Phillip Morris :) An excellent, fun read!

[Chantay · Rating 2 out of 5]

The movie is a bit more entertaining than the book. It reads slightly more like an elongated interview.