The Oscar, for Their Role as a Person with Diabetes…..Hmmmmm. Fantasy???

oscarAs I watched the Oscars tonight, I am sure I was not the only one who was struck boldly by the winners of Best Actor and Best Actress.  It might be that I am so linked to the diabetes community but I had two distinct feelings.

Fabulous.  And; when will see diabetes?

In case you did not know, Eddie Redmayne won his Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Stephen Hawkins in The Theory of Everything depicting his decline in health due to ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  Julianne Moore followed up with a Best Actress Oscar in Still Alice; a revealing look at a woman’s battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Very compelling performances, both.  Two devastating diseases highlighted and recognized.    Wow!

What would the movie be like, of a parent or an individual battling T1?  How would a movie maker proceed to show a side that no one knows; in a compelling and complete story-telling presentation?  It cannot just be a film that resonates with us, but with the general public as well.  What do you think?  Could it be done?

The real problem with film making is that it may seem like it is important to some people but it MUST be presented in such a manner that resonates with the public as a whole.  How can that be done?

Before you answer, you need to remember the many sides when diabetes is presented.
Online initiatives and commercials are many times met with opposing view points.  Too rough for our children to see, my kids should not see the complications, and we need to protective our kids so they do not to see ‘this’; are just some comments that have come forward—I am NOT stating if they are right or wrong, that is up to each individual.  But I am asking to now imagine an entire movie dedicated to this disease.  Would we as a community embrace it?

It’s a question that came to my mind as I pondered the possibilities.  How would we react to a film that told the brutal truth to this disease; would we be willing to let people see the truths we deal with on a daily basis?  Could we as a community…….’put it out there’?  They say, in Hollywood, to be impactful it all has to be out there on a limb.

I could not answer that as I thought about it and I am interested to hear what you have to say about it.

Find a way to make a film both truthful and where the diabetes community would embrace it, knowing that it would be a rough film to make compelling enough that 2 people who have no connection to diabetes would pay $23 dollars to see it on a Friday night….think it can be done?

Let me know your thoughts and should we find agreement, we can move to……lights, camera…………………….action.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

 

Batman Ben: Let’s Hang Him in the Batcave Before He Even Sees a Script…..Seriously??????

Ben Affleck BatemanBen Affleck is the new Batman.

It was announced yesterday that Ben will play the cape crusader in the new Man of Steel Superman film.

And oh how the comments roared:
–way to destroy a franchise
–move over George Clooney .. you are not officially the worst Batman anymore !!!
–is this an April Fool’s Joke?
–Ben Affleck is cute, but he is not Batman

As someone who respects and loves the entertainment industry, I always smile at the reviews given by people before they ever see the person they are criticizing in the actual role.  If I have learned anything about this lightening fast and razor focused connection of the internet is that there are never a shortage of opinions.  

But I offer this, remember these-type comments:
–You’ve got to be kidding…
–this is totally bull. I do not at all like this choice
–Well hell while their at it why not cast Ben Stiller as the riddler, Julia Stiles or Rachael Leigh Cook as Poison Ivy, Paul Walker as two face, Matthew Lillard as Mr. Freez and Will Ferrell as Bane….

These were all said of Heath Ledger when it was announced that he would be cast as the Joker; which one him an Oscar.  And even if you are THAT cynical that you believe he only won the Oscar because he had passed away; there was just no denying what he added to the role.  He raised the bar of how the Joker character would be defined forever more.

Our initial thoughts are not always a ‘fair chance’, are they?  My take away here is a reminder how my friend Tara and I went to see (or should I say laugh) at a performance of Farah Fawcett in a theatrical production of Extremities years ago in New York City.  To say that we were not left with our mouths hanging wide open at the amount of torture this woman went through every night in this role would be a understatment.  Ms. Fawcett was nothing shy of brilliant.

It’s a quick reminder that because; we didn’t think about it first; it was not our idea; it sounds stupid; we would never DO THAT; I don’t agree with you-that-it-whatever; that perhaps we should take a step back and let whoever is doing something attempt it first before we shoot them out of the sky.  That goes for the diabetes world, the entertainment world, and life in general.

One’s opinion is nothing compared to another’s actions.  I admire those that do what no one attempted before; or attempts what no one thinks they can do.

Achievement is in the doing; no one ever wrote a book about someone who was going-to-do something.

Food for thought.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.