Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Goodbye to a Legend

   Ask anyone I know and they will tell you, "Chandra watches too many movies." And they'd be right. I am a huge movie buff. I love everything from The Godfather Trilogy to Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Every movie has it's place in Hollywood, as every actor/actress has a special place in our hearts.
   Most of us will remember Lindsey Lohan for her shinanagins, drinking, drugs...stealing. Most won't remember the characters she played in Freaky Friday or Georgia Rule. Just as most people remember Elizabeth Taylor for her friendship with Michael Jackson or her failed marriages or substance abuse.
   But there is a difference between me and other people...I remember her for her what she was, a legend, a face so lovely that graced the silverscreen and promised an award winning performance regardless of the role.
   The first movie of hers I can remember watching was A Place in the Sun (1951) with Montgomery Cliff. I remember thinking how elegant she was, how carefree her character seemed. She was so beautiful, poised and screamed of Hollywood Royalty.
   I can still remember her commercials for White Diamonds, which my mother always used to wear, until she developed an allergy to perfume. Most of all, I remember her humanitarian work and the battle she waged in the fight against AIDS. When so many were afraid, wouldn't touch the subject, she forged ahead, forcing others to take another look and do something to make a difference. She raised millions for her AIDS foundations and made a difference, made it matter.
   She died today, in Los Angeles with her family by her side.
   I pray for her family as they mourn her loss and as the world loses one more legend, I hope we come to realize it's not the bad they did, but the good. It's not the failed relationships or the substance abuse, it's the way every young girl looked up to her and how she used her talents to make the world a better place...if only for a few precious hours.

Rest in Peace Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932-March 23, 2011).

No comments:

Post a Comment