Posted on 02/22/2009 8:02:11 PM PST by EdnaMode
HOLLYWOOD: Heath Ledger's posthumous Oscar underscored the tragedy of the actor's death, which in the words of director Christopher Nolan "ripped
a hole in the future of cinema."
By the time of his death in 2008 at the age of 28 after accidentally taking a lethal combination of prescription drugs, Ledger had already earned comparisons with Marlon Brando following his heart-wrenching Oscar-nominated performance in Ang Lee's gay cowboy romance "Brokeback Mountain."
Yet it was as Batman's cackling arch-enemy the Joker in "The Dark Knight," his final film role, that Ledger received an Academy Award, becoming the first actor to win a posthumous Oscar since fellow Australian Peter Finch in 1976.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesofindia.indiatimes.com ...
“... which in the words of director Christopher Nolan “ripped a hole in the future of cinema.”
That will get somebody a drama queen award right there.
>> ripped a hole...
Speaking of “ripping a hole”, I never actually saw Brokeback Mountain. “Some say” it was a good movie, though. “Others say”, not so much.
Heh heh.
> What a shame he couldn’t be there to enjoy it.
He was a druggie so I doubt he would be sober enough to accept it. But then again, he deserved it, hands down. Only Robert Downey would be acceptable to me if Ledger lost.
Dark Knight should have swept the Oscars...not Slumdog. Heath’s family were eloquent, intelligent, sensitive, and very poignant. There loss was visible tonight, but their words moved and touched the heart. May their permanent grief be a little less tonight.
Glad to see him honored with an Oscar. He died far too young.
Would have sucked if one of the Olsen Twins accepted the award for him.
>> Joe Rogan on Brokeback Mountain
Thanks! Now I know everything I need to know about that thing, and no more!
See, this is the part I hate about FR. This narrow-minded point of view about films where they're all classified as a bunch of hate-America propaganda and everyone here pines for the days of old black-and-white shoot-em-ups. Have any of you folks seen Brokeback Mountain? No but I bet if the movie was about lesbianism you guys would have watched it several times and this thread would be full of the actresses pics.
Only if they were hot.
:-D )))
Exactly.
LOL! That statement is so true.
You're finally making sense.
I have to admit that I am guilty of pining for the old movies to some extent. However, I'm not one to say that there are no movies of any value today. I see maybe 4 or 5 a year. I would never go see Brokeback just because I wouldn't want to spoil other movie viewers experience with my losing my lunch.
While I agree that Ledger was a very good actor, and I am sorry for the loss to his family, let us all take a moment and reflect on the fact that the reason he died so young was because of his own stupidity.
His Mother and Father have lost a son.
His daughter has lost a Father.
And all by his own stupidity.
To say that the man was the epitome of the Joker and there should never be another (his familys’ view) shows just how lost his family is.
The ‘hero’ worship aspect, I’m sorry to say, is really getting to me.
The man - and that’s all he was - died stupid.
Just my opinion.
Heath Ledger overdosed, had a drug habit, and died, leaving his Wife and kids.
Robert Downey Jr.? Drug habit. Served time.
Rush Limbaugh?
Well, because it's Limbaugh, he just needs to go to prison and get (insert torturous form of punishment here).
It's the double standard that gets to me about it all.
When they showed the clip about Hollywood types that died in 2008 why wasn’t ledger one of the ones mentioned?
In all honesty, it wasn’t horrible, but it certainly wasn’t a great film. Its politics is what got it a nomination for best picture.
Why? Because he already got his tribute...with the Oscar.
Make no mistake: His death ASSURED his Oscar win.
Well, I never saw Bareback Mountain myself. heh heh heh
Death is a good career move in Hollywood.
He died before last year’s telecast and was in that clip.
He died before last year’s Oscars, so they honored him then.
I saw Brokeback Mountain. I thought it was good, but sad.
That is funny!
Lets see, he’s known for being an actor in a piece of propoganda tripe called Brokeback Mountain, and for being the actor who was finally given a script for the character of the Joker that respected the original source material.
Obviously he may have gone on to do great things, but we’ll never know because of his death, but he could just as easily wound up being a footnote. The world will never know.
He was amazing in the Dark Knight and deserved the win. The only other actor who won a posthumous Oscar was Peter Finch 32 years ago.
It was propganda tripe.. had the story been of a married man and married woman having an affair no one would have cared, the movie was another piece of Goebellesque propoganda out of Hollywood.
Was it the worst movie ever written, directed or acted? No, but nothing about it was oscar worthy.
I know, it was like everyone in the Kodak theater and some of my friends who I was watching with started crying a little. Ironically, my sister and I were just watching 10 Things I Hate About You this weekend. I’ve seen it multiple times, which is impressive considering normally I avoid watching chick flicks at all costs and prefer movies with spaceships or superheroes and explosions and little or no romantic subplot. It was a tragedy... I know what people on here are saying about drug habits, but when you’re on anything strong enough for a ‘controlled substance’ label it’s incredibly easy to overdose or mix things up or forget what you’ve taken and take something else, I’ve come so close to doing both multiple times before that by now I have to write down what I took and when with a magic marker on my arm.
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