The night before the tragic, sad, untimely and heartbreaking death of giant superstar entertainer, Robin Williams...the cable television network FLIX ran one of my favorite motion pictures...Dead Poets Society. If you've never seen the movie...first of all, you should. Robin extraordinarily portrays Mr. John Keating...an English teacher at an elite, private prep school. Ironically... part of the story includes the suicide death of one of Mr. Keating's senior students...wonderfully played by Robert Sean Leonard...who defies his father's orders...to quit the lead role in a play at school. Mr. Keating had mentored the student and had earlier advised the boy to talk to his parent and try to make him understand that he wants to be an actor. When the dad discovers that his son is performing in the play anyway...he arrives at the theater...and after a curtain call with standing ovations...takes his son home and tells him that he is enrolling him in to military school...as preparation for college and a career in medicine. But the teenager had no desire to be a doctor...and unable to cope with his future...the young man kills himself.The title of the film...Dead Poets Society...not only refers to the dead poets of great literary works...but the death of a new poet...that being the young student actor...who commits suicide...by using his father's loaded gun. The title also applies to the poet of education...Robin Williams' character, Mr. Keating...whose death comes not to his body...but to his job...when the headmaster of the school fires Mr. Keating...because he believes the student's suicide...was the result of poor and inappropriate advice given to the teenager...by his teacher.
As I noted above...it's ironic that I watched Dead Poets Society...the night before Robin Williams ends up taking his own life. Of course not I...nor anybody else viewing Robin's outstanding performance in this phenomenal film...would have ever predicted...that the life of the genius that was Robin Williams...would be ending...less than 24 hours later.
My words today...are not going to discuss the actual cause of Robin Williams' death...the suspected reason or reasons for his passing...or anything in particular that the mainstream media has already covered. Instead...I don't only want to mourn his parting...but to celebrate and pay tribute...to a life who personally gave me...and many millions of other people across the country and around the world...tremendous pleasure by his creative comedy craftsmanship and dramatic brilliance. Robin Williams deserves no less.
Nobody knows what I'm about to reveal...as I've never spoken of it to anyone...or written about it until this very moment. But...in 1995...when I was diagnosed with and battled prostate cancer...I would watch videos of Robin Williams' sidesplitting stand-up comedy routines...as well as comedy movies such as Mrs. Doubtfire and Good Morning, Vietnam...to bring me laughter...during a tearful time in my life. And in 2012...when I was diagnosed with cancer again - this time cancer of my left kidney - and I was upset and worried that I was going through cancer for a second time...I needed more cheering up...by the spectacular Robin Williams. My family and friends did not know this...and don't know it until now...but I went back to the Robin Williams tapes...to get me through another bout with the "Big C." This time...in addition to the two films named above...laughter came to me...in the form of The Birdcage. Plus...I would watch Patch Adams...where Robin perfectly performs the part of a medical student...who is soon to be a doctor...and who makes children - as well as some adults - who are afflicted with cancer and other serious illnesses...feel good while going through their treatments. Patch Adams was an emotional rollercoaster of laughter and tears...but in a way that aided me through my own pain and suffering. Of course I'm not the only one who forgot about troubles as a result of Robin Williams' laugh-making abilities. His dear friend...the late Christopher Reeve - who we all know became a quadriplegic... after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition - would talk of laughing so hard when Robin would visit him that he was lucky not to fall out of his wheelchair. And Inside The Actors Studio host and executive producer James Lipton tells a story about director Steven Spielberg...calling Robin Williams every night after Steven spent a day filming Schindler's List... and Steven asking Robin to..."make me laugh." Robin Williams gave us characters who are full of warmth and life. Thank you, Robin...for all the magnificent moments you made me happy...when I was sad.
I have always been a tremendous fan of Robin Williams, but quite frankly, until I tuned in to some of the television news broadcasts on Monday, August 11th, 2014 - the day Robin had passed away at the age of 63 - and other newscasts on Tuesday, August 12th...I hadn't consciously realized how many of Robin's blockbuster movies were truly my favorites. Good Will Hunting...for which Robin won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar...and the aforementioned Dead Poets Society... Mrs. Doubtfire...The Birdcage...Patch Adams...and Good Morning, Vietnam... just to name a few. And I can never forget Robin's breakout role as the hilarious alien, Mork...first in television's Happy Days... and then in his own series, Mork & Mindy...which was watched weekly by some 60 million people.
Robin Williams has left us too soon. There was nobody like him. Whether he tickled our funny bones or touched our hearts throughout his legendary career...nobody could captivate an audience better. Robin Williams was born to entertain us. But this kindhearted soul will forever be remembered not only for his enormous and boundless talents as a performer, but for the depth of his philanthropy and altruism. Robin was generous with his time, his masterful skills and his money. He raised millions of dollars for numerous charities...especially for foundations that helped sick children...the homeless...and for research to help fight AIDS. Robin also gave of himself by entertaining America's military troops all around the world.
It's so sad to think that with all the laughter Robin Williams gave his fans...to help us overcome our troubles...Robin struggled with his own demons...and unfortunately he apparently had nobody to lift his spirits and make him happy. Robin Williams could always make me smile. Too bad I...and the many millions of others who loved him as a performer...couldn't return the favor. It is such a shame that somebody who brought so much laughter to so many people...was inside...filled with sadness and tears. How much pain must Robin Williams have been in? To take his own life is a mystery to me...when he had to know what pain his death would bring to his wife...his three children...his entire family...his friends...and his fans. No person should ever feel so alone. No person should feel unloved. There is always someone to help you. As Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society told his students..."The poetry...beauty...romance...love - these are what we stay alive for." Why couldn't Robin remember that on Sunday night, August 10th?
I'm sorry for Robin Williams. I'm sorry that someone who made so many people...so happy...was himself...so sad. Robin Williams made us laugh...and Robin Williams made us cry. Today we cry. But with films still yet to be released...Robin isn't finished making us laugh. But then...he never will be.
America and the entire world is a lot less funny without Robin Williams. I will miss Robin Williams. We will all miss him. But, Robin...I won't say goodbye. Instead...I will combine two lines from two of your most famous projects - Dead Poets Society and Mork & Mindy. "O Captain! My Captain... Nanu Nanu."And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
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That was great Gary. Thanks! "and yet when I came to die, discovered I have not lived" W.W.
ReplyDelete-Bryant
Thank you, Bryant. I do appreciate! GBD
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