The first film that I saw Heath Ledger in was 10 Things I Hate About You. It was not his first film, but it was really the first film that a widespread North American audience would see him in. I remember the scene where he sings 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' to Julia Stiles as she is in the middle of a soccer game. A security guard begins to chase after him and somehow he gets behind the guard, pats him on the butt and runs off. What a funny start to such a short Hollywood film career and life. The next film that I saw Heath in was The Patriot, where he played Mel Gibson's idealist son, who against his father's wishes signs up to fight in the Revolutionary war against the British. Although the film was not really historically accurate; the British did not kill wounded American soldiers (as my friend Mike tells me; I should really know anyway because I took American History in high school), the movie I think was very good...in a guilty please kind of way. Next, Ledger had a small part as Billy Bob Thorton's son in Monster's Ball; his part was small but he did very well with it. Ledger was also in A Knight's Tale (my wife has it but I have not seen it yet), and remakes of both The Four Feathers and Ned Kelly (I missed those too, but will probably see them sometime in the near future). The next time that I came upon Heath, was in The Order; a religious thriller about sin-eating. As for religious thrillers go, it is one of the better ones; I would recommend it over Stigmata, which is not terrible or anything. In Lords of Dogtown, he played a surfer/entrepreneur who was a big part of the beginnings of skateboarding in the 70s. He was very convincing and commited to his performance for this film, but I think he was always committed to his work. He played a grimm brother in The Brothers Grimm, which was a comedy with some dark grimm fairy tale elements added to it; not great but entertaining and worth seeing. Brokeback Mountain was that last film that I saw him in and was upset that he did not win an oscar for his performance. The last films that he did are the following; Casanova, Candy, I'm Not There, The Dark Knight and the still in production The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. I know that I will be seeing his last completed performance this summer; The Dark Knight.
The following are the ten reasons why Heath Ledger being dead makes me sad;
1. His Family - By family, I mean his parents (obviously), his ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams, his baby daughter Matilda and his close Hollywood friends (i.e. Jake Gyllenhaal). I feel sad for their loss because I know he meant a lot to them because my family means a lot to me.
2. He Never Won An Oscar - There are a few actors that I believe will eventually win an oscar, such as Ryan Gosling, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Walberg, Mark Ruffalo and of course Heath Ledger. Heath was an amazing actor and he shown his talent in all his performances, whether or not they were great, emtionally deep movies or not. I know that he will be missed in the films of Hollywood.
3. Sad Watching His Films - With Ledger dead, I cannot help but feel sad whenever I will watch one of his films, knowing that he is dead and that I will never see him in another film that has not already been shot. I cannot imagine what performances he might have put out in the future and sadly none of those performances will ever happen.
4. My Wife Is Sad - My wife was watching 2 1/2 Men on dvd, when I found out on imdb.com that Ledger was found dead in his apartment. I told her that I had bad news and she stopped the dvd and I told her the news. My wife was really sad about Ledger being dead because she was and is a big fan of his and it is hard enough to get through the cold winter with the cold and the lack of sun that celebrities that you like dying does not make getting through the winter any easier.
5. Jack Nicholson Saying Stupid Things - I read on imdb that Nicholson said that he either warned against or warned Ledger about the rigours of playing such a dark and demented character; The Joker in The Dark Knight. Upon Ledger's death, Nicholson was asked what he though about Ledger's death and Nicholson said, "I told him so". How insensitive is that? That really helps his family and everyone else who is mourning him, to know that Jack Nicholson warned him about playing The Joker; that really brings him back doesn't it. I hate it when celebrities bad mouth or say insensitive things about other celebrities; why can't we all just get along? Jack Nicholson should shut his mouth because he did so many drugs in the 60s and 70s that he should probably be dead (see also Margot Kidder, Martin Scorsese, Karen Black and others, see book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls). FYI, Nicholson is a product of incest; he thought his mom was his sister and his grandfather was really his father; that is why he is crazy.
6. I Will Never Get To Meet Him - I have not really met many celebrities (Matthew Good, Nicholas Lea, Richard Kiel [Jaws], Shawn Ashmore), but I hope to live a long life which will included meeting at least a few celebrities. I would have liked to meet him and tell him that I thought that his work was great and that I respected him.
7. His Death Will Hang Over TDK - His untimely death will forever hang over The Dark Knight when it comes out and will be known as his last entirely filmed performance. I am sure that he is going to be great it the film but it will add a sadness and seriousness to the film that will make my wife and I cry.
8. His Death Overshadows Brad Renfro's Suicide - My wife was really big fan of Brad Renfro and a week before Heath Ledger died, Brad Renfro died of a drug overdose; it is not known whether this was suicide or an accidentally overdose. With Ledger dying a week after Renfro and Ledger being a more popular actor, his death overshadows Renfro's. It is just all so unfortunate; that both of them died and that Ledger died so close to when Renfro did that all the media attention is going to Ledger and his death. I am looking foward to seeing Brad Renfro's last performance in this summer's The Informers (see my blog on book adaptations).
9. His Life Was Incomplete - Ledger died at 28 (my sister is 28 and my wife is close to 28); so young, too young. He likely had goals and aspirations that are left undone because of his death. He likely wanted to progress professionally, as well as improve in his abilities as a dad, with his baby daugher Matilda. Sadly, she will grow up with little or no recollection of her father and will only know him through family and the media.
10. Will Not Get To See Him In Any New Films - Ledger's resume is now finite; with his death, obviously his resume will cease to grow. Once I have rented or bought all the outstanding films of his that I have missed, I will have nothing left to see him in. I will have a bunch of films to enjoy him in, but a limited number and that will be it.
Sadly, the rest that he could not get in his last few weeks alive, he has now achieved and finally he will not be plaqued by the darkness of his last completed performance.
I hope that upon ready this you will go seek out one of his films and be able to apprecite Heath Ledger's immense talent and remember that he will live on in his films.
Your Truly,
Fanboy Dave
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