Larger Than Life
The first time I saw Patrick Swayze, he was saving a man from a beating. It was
pretty heroic stuff. See, this one really bad guy was about to lay into this
other defenseless, gentle soul with a whip, when Swayze came up from behind and
grabbed the bad guy's arm just as he was swinging it forward.
Harsh words were exchanged, but eventually the whip ended up in Swayze's hand,
and the bad guy cowered off into the darkness. Then the director yelled: "Cut!"
OK, yeah. It was on a movie set. Actually, it was on a South Carolina
plantation that was serving as a location for the production of the TV
miniseries "North And South."
But even though the dialogue was scripted, and the dramatic confrontation had
been meticulously staged ("Grab his arm with your left hand, Patrick, that'll
keep you more open to the camera"), Swayze seemed... I don't know... heroic,
courageous, bold, larger than life.
That impression was solidified later that evening, when the visiting television
critics, of which I was one, were invited to a social function with the
production cast and crew. I attended many such functions during my six years as
a television critic, and they were always a little awkward.
Not being a drinker, I didn't really fit in with those who were partying
noisily at the bar. And being one of the newest critics on the press tour, I
didn't have a lot of friends with whom I could amiably chat. So I spent the
first part of the evening sitting alone at a table toward the back of the bar,
sipping soda, nibbling crackers and cheese, and watching the intriguing
interaction of media and Hollywood in a strained, surreal social environment.
Swayze was a little late to the event. This was during his pre-"Dirty Dancing,"
pre-"Ghost" days, so he wasn't exactly what you would call a major Hollywood
figure. I hadn't seen his earlier films - "Red Dawn," "The Outsiders" - so I
was only vaguely familiar with him, upon seeing him I remembered him from an
episode of "MASH," in which he played a soldier who is diagnosed with cancer,
so my first impression of him was the scene we had watched being shot earlier
in the day. And like I said, that first impression was favorable.
When he arrived at the social gathering, he made his way around the room,
greeting cast-mates and meeting the media members. He was charming and affable,
smiling easily and conversing comfortably. Eventually he stopped by my table,
introduced himself, and we made small talk for a couple of minutes. Then the
show's producers hurried him off to spend some time with critics from
newspapers much more important and influential than mine.
What a nice guy, I thought as I turned my attention to another one of the
show's stars, who was moving quickly into a full state of inebriation and
making a little commotion at the bar. After a while, I felt someone pull up a
chair at my table.
"May I join you?"
It was Swayze, who smiled graciously as he slid into the chair across from me.
"I noticed that you're not drinking," he said. "Do you mind if I ask why?"
I explained that it is a tenet of my faith not to drink, and he smiled
knowingly.
"I thought maybe that was the reason," he said. "Do you mind talking about it?"
I didn't. For the next 15 minutes or so, we spoke about religion. His questions
were not the questions of a doubter, who wanted to debate; they were the
questions of a seeker, who was looking for answers to life's questions. Several
times during our conversation, the producers tried to hustle him away. Each
time, he rebuffed them, politely, but firmly.
"There's more to life than making movies," he said. And when he said it, you
knew that he really believed it.
I bumped into him at least two more times during my years as a critic. Although
our subsequent conversations were brief, it was clear that he was still
searching. Through the years, I have read stories suggesting that his quest for
truth continued well beyond the period of my brief association with him, which
is why I find myself smiling as I read the news of his passing. His search is
over.
He has experienced for himself the ultimate truth that we all will eventually
experience as we come face-to-face with eternity. At the very least, he knows
that he was right about one thing: there really is more to life than making
movies, even when you do so heroically, courageously, boldly, larger than life.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
Access the Recipes And More list archives at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/
Visit the group home page at:
http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
