I have only recently discovered the fun of watching movies on Netflix. I have been watching De Sica's old movies and have spent most nights with Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni - they are just so cute together!
And for some reason, I put the 2001 film "Brian's Song" in my instant queue. I have not seen this film nor the original 1971 film before but I have always heard of the movie and how really sad it was. I first learned about it more than two decades ago when I first read Doris Lund's heartbreaking book about her son's valiant fight against cancer. That book called "Eric" is one of my all time favorites. I have read it many times over the years and I always end up like a baby crying uncontrollably while leafing through the last pages of the book.
Some reviews that accompany that book's jacket have compared Eric's story with that of Brian Piccolo whose own tragic demise at a very young age was the subject of a huge tearjerker that made all of America cry in early '70s. Since then, I have always wanted to watch it but I just couldn't get a copy.
And finally there was Netflix.
So, there I was tonight, feeling unsure of what to do after having the entire day working on some "work-related" stuff. Game 5 of the NBA Finals was over and the shows on TV were mostly a bore. So i switched on my blu-ray and decided to watch a movie before I go to bed. I wanted to finish "Grace of Monaco", the Nicole Kidman film that I started watching two nights before but just couldn't finish (It was boring, yes) but for some strange reason I decided to watch "Brian's Song." I selected the 2001 version because it was first in my queue.
And I was a wreck! I am the type who really likes tearjerkers when the story and the storytelling are done right. And this one just shattered me. It was not that the story surprised me, I knew all along how it will end, but I I still couldn't help myself but be won over by the powerful story of the friendship between Brian and Gale Sayers and Brian's beaming personality - his courage and candidness and sense of humor were effective in bringing out the dramatic theme of the film. The performances by leads Mekhi Pfifer as Gale and Sean Maher as Brian were both impressive and it made the movie even much sadder.
As soon as the movie ended, I quickly searched for the 1971 version starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams and I decided to watch it too. Both movies are identical except for the cast and a few iterations on the dialogues and a few added scenes in the 2001 version.
After watching both films, I was still not over with Brian Piccolo. I decided to google him and get to know him more and the disease that he had. Now comes the strangest part of my story. As i was reading through the Wikipedia entry on his life, I discovered that his death anniversary is in 2 days from today. On June 16th, he would be gone for 45 years now. I had goosebumps.
I know it's just a coincidence and I don't want to think that something, someone, some spirit had been nudging me to watch the film.
But here's another strange thing. Because i get obsessed with the movies and the actors that I like, I googled Sean Maher, the actor who excellently portrayed Brian in the 2001 film and I wouldn't have been able to guess what I would find out. Sean and I share the same birthday! April 16! He's a year older than me but I just find that's just so strange.
So here I am, blogging after midnight when I should have been already in bed.
To Brian, on your 45th death anniversary, I would like to offer my prayers for you and to thank you for the gift that your life's story has been to us -- you may have died very young but your memory and the legacy of your very short life shall outlive all of us. May the Lord bless your soul always. Good night.
XXX
Raymond
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