Does Barry Manilow know you raid his wardrobe? A Eulogy
Ya know...it's not often I put people on pedestals. I have met some awesome and famous people in my time. I met Jim Kelly once at a party for a company I was working for. I introduced myself as "Hi Mr. Kelly, I'm Will Benson...Systems Admin. I'll be making sure everything is running technologically sound. Is there anything you need?" To which he replied "No Lou, thanks Lou, Good to meet you Lou."
Jim Kelly thought my name was Lou and repeated it three times to make sure he remembered it.
And people wonder why I'm a Dolphins Fan.
Another time I met Kelly Ripa on the streets of New York. This is BEFORE she was with Regis and just some soap actor I thought my Mom would dig me getting a picture with. We got the picture and she was very kind and nice...and dug the Marvin the Martian slippers I had just bought at Warner Brothers. I was jonesed for the pic because NOONE would believe this happened. My Roommate TOOK the picture...
It didn't come out.
I still to this day have to convince people this happened.
I also know other famous types. A grammy award winning artist ACTUALLY attends our church (a BIG NAME...one you'd recognize no matter where you are in the US but for sure if you're from Rochester). I had dinner one night with him as he was dining with some friends of ours, and for the first time I found myself thinking "Oh my GOD! I'm sitting next to. Bee COOOOOL WILLLLLLLL"
I'm sure I was some sort of dork.
I bring these up because a great filmmaker has died. With all the famous peeps I've met in my life...this is one guy who I always hoped my path would cross with. His work 20 years ago was something to behold. He captured the essence of what it was to live in that time. To know the pain of being an outsider even if you're surrounded by people on every side.
I speak of John Hughes. He died yesterday and I think an american genre died with him.
You may hear a lot about him over the coming weeks. Many memories of people watching the Breakfast Club and seeing themselves in one of the 7 archetypes he created (the jock, princess, basketcase, brain, criminal. There were two other archetypes in there as well. The successful adult with little to show for his life, and the failure who sees everything and quietly enjoys his pride at believing he's above it all. ), and how that movie STILL resonates today. You may hear how Sixteen Candles; while on the surface seems shallow and meidocre at best; has an AMAZING heart to it. How Planes Trains and Automobiles was his LAST GREAT work. How it's not 'Thanksgiving" without watching that movie at that time of year (I agree).
I agree with all of the above. I saw myself in Breakfast Club as the nerdy kid who NOONE got. Who had a lot of 'secret' friends, but who couldn't get invited to the party. I thought Sixteen Candles WAS a masterpiece...but like fine art...one you had to look at a certain way to discover and once you did you may not be able to convince others. I think Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a COMEDY classic. John Candy at his finest and the last REALLY GOOD Steve Martin movie. (Not counting Parenthood...though he wasn't good IN it...still got a soft spot for that movie). It's the kind of movie you find yourself quoting when travelling. National Lampoon's Vacation is another movie I just saw a few weeks ago and rediscovered. I was incredibly surprised to find he actually WROTE that movie. Even at 13 when my parents and I drove from Rochester to California in a Ford Tempo (believe me...while fun still wish we had a van.)...I started our first day as we pulled away from Grandma's saying to Dad "Hey Dad...Say Goodbye to Gram's We're off to Wally World."
He peed himself laughing (not really...but still he joked about that the rest of the way). (Interesting Post Script...we ended up not going to Disney that trip BUT Six Flags Magic Mountain which was the SET for Wally World).
John Hughes was responsible for that. He defined good movies for an entire generation. Many have tried to recapture his lightning in a bottle...and some have gotten close (10 Things I Hate About You, even American Pie to a degree has the same kind of HEART to it), but noone has been able to effectively define a generation like he has.
I find myself surprised. I'm a fan of John Hughes...but last night as I was getting ready to sleep, I surprised myself. I've never watched one of his fabled 'high school trilogies'. It's the one CONSPICUOUSLY absent from this. I've heard about it and seen bits and pieces...but to be honest I've never seen "Pretty In Pink".
Maybe this weekend I'll see if Redbox or Netflix has it.
John Hughes was just a guy. He used his skills to craft beautiful works of art that will survive generations. Do I think in 20 years kids will know who he is? No. His works are something for MY generation to have. Some later generations will grow to appreciate it...but I can't imagine that with the way our world keeps changing that these little movies will be looked on as anything other than Saturday Afternoon flicks on Fox before NASCAR comes on. It's my hope I'm wrong...but I just felt this morning like writing about a guy who I wished I coulda met, and didn't get to.
Thank you Mr. Hughes for many afternoons of laughter, and at times a bit of sadness. I pray your family knows what effect you had on the world.
Thanks for Reading.
Jim Kelly thought my name was Lou and repeated it three times to make sure he remembered it.
And people wonder why I'm a Dolphins Fan.
Another time I met Kelly Ripa on the streets of New York. This is BEFORE she was with Regis and just some soap actor I thought my Mom would dig me getting a picture with. We got the picture and she was very kind and nice...and dug the Marvin the Martian slippers I had just bought at Warner Brothers. I was jonesed for the pic because NOONE would believe this happened. My Roommate TOOK the picture...
It didn't come out.
I still to this day have to convince people this happened.
I also know other famous types. A grammy award winning artist ACTUALLY attends our church (a BIG NAME...one you'd recognize no matter where you are in the US but for sure if you're from Rochester). I had dinner one night with him as he was dining with some friends of ours, and for the first time I found myself thinking "Oh my GOD! I'm sitting next to
I'm sure I was some sort of dork.
I bring these up because a great filmmaker has died. With all the famous peeps I've met in my life...this is one guy who I always hoped my path would cross with. His work 20 years ago was something to behold. He captured the essence of what it was to live in that time. To know the pain of being an outsider even if you're surrounded by people on every side.
I speak of John Hughes. He died yesterday and I think an american genre died with him.
You may hear a lot about him over the coming weeks. Many memories of people watching the Breakfast Club and seeing themselves in one of the 7 archetypes he created (the jock, princess, basketcase, brain, criminal. There were two other archetypes in there as well. The successful adult with little to show for his life, and the failure who sees everything and quietly enjoys his pride at believing he's above it all. ), and how that movie STILL resonates today. You may hear how Sixteen Candles; while on the surface seems shallow and meidocre at best; has an AMAZING heart to it. How Planes Trains and Automobiles was his LAST GREAT work. How it's not 'Thanksgiving" without watching that movie at that time of year (I agree).
I agree with all of the above. I saw myself in Breakfast Club as the nerdy kid who NOONE got. Who had a lot of 'secret' friends, but who couldn't get invited to the party. I thought Sixteen Candles WAS a masterpiece...but like fine art...one you had to look at a certain way to discover and once you did you may not be able to convince others. I think Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a COMEDY classic. John Candy at his finest and the last REALLY GOOD Steve Martin movie. (Not counting Parenthood...though he wasn't good IN it...still got a soft spot for that movie). It's the kind of movie you find yourself quoting when travelling. National Lampoon's Vacation is another movie I just saw a few weeks ago and rediscovered. I was incredibly surprised to find he actually WROTE that movie. Even at 13 when my parents and I drove from Rochester to California in a Ford Tempo (believe me...while fun still wish we had a van.)...I started our first day as we pulled away from Grandma's saying to Dad "Hey Dad...Say Goodbye to Gram's We're off to Wally World."
He peed himself laughing (not really...but still he joked about that the rest of the way). (Interesting Post Script...we ended up not going to Disney that trip BUT Six Flags Magic Mountain which was the SET for Wally World).
John Hughes was responsible for that. He defined good movies for an entire generation. Many have tried to recapture his lightning in a bottle...and some have gotten close (10 Things I Hate About You, even American Pie to a degree has the same kind of HEART to it), but noone has been able to effectively define a generation like he has.
I find myself surprised. I'm a fan of John Hughes...but last night as I was getting ready to sleep, I surprised myself. I've never watched one of his fabled 'high school trilogies'. It's the one CONSPICUOUSLY absent from this. I've heard about it and seen bits and pieces...but to be honest I've never seen "Pretty In Pink".
Maybe this weekend I'll see if Redbox or Netflix has it.
John Hughes was just a guy. He used his skills to craft beautiful works of art that will survive generations. Do I think in 20 years kids will know who he is? No. His works are something for MY generation to have. Some later generations will grow to appreciate it...but I can't imagine that with the way our world keeps changing that these little movies will be looked on as anything other than Saturday Afternoon flicks on Fox before NASCAR comes on. It's my hope I'm wrong...but I just felt this morning like writing about a guy who I wished I coulda met, and didn't get to.
Thank you Mr. Hughes for many afternoons of laughter, and at times a bit of sadness. I pray your family knows what effect you had on the world.
Thanks for Reading.
Comments