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To Be Takei
Jul. 4th, 2015 01:01 pmJosh and I watched To Be Takei last night, and it was absolutely delightful.
I was struck by several things: George and his partner are so adorable together. Their love (and the weight of the years they've spent together) are so evident in their gestures and the way they tease each other and the way they anticipate each other's reactions. George himself is so ebullient and genuinely happy, and despite the terrible events of his childhood and much of his life spent closeted, he is so full of gratitude and joy. One of my friends keeps a gratitude journal; she believes that an appropriate focus on gratitude is the way to forgive wrongs, the way to rise above injustices, the way to keep yourself from wallowing in what's wrong and instead bask in what's right. I think she's right, but living that kind of gratitude-filled life is very hard. George embodies it, and it's humbling and infectious to watch.
I think at this point his political activism in a variety of arenas is commonly known, but I admire so deeply his decision to work to make the world a better place. At one point in the documentary, Walter Koenig says (with what seems to me a sort of regret, perhaps, about his own life) that George has done great things, has done something important with his life and that he hopes George knows the good he's done.
I am one of those people who wants to believe the cast of her favorite shows are BFF off-set; this is one of the reasons why I don't delve too deeply into actors' lives. It's so disappointing to discover that the main couple of the show actually hates each other or that the lead is really an asshole. I was so disillusioned when I found out that Shatner is a jerk, and he's true to form in this documentary. What heartened me was seeing the continued and clearly real friendship among George, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter. I realize that no actor wants to be typecast, but I have always appreciated the way that most of the Trek actors are appreciative of their fans and cognizant of how important the show is and has been to so many fans; I'm glad those three feel that way about their tenure on Star Trek.
Finally, I got a little choked up at how old they all are. We've lost so many of those fine actors, and I will be deeply sad when we say goodbye to the remaining crew members of the Starship Enterprise. Even Bill.
I was struck by several things: George and his partner are so adorable together. Their love (and the weight of the years they've spent together) are so evident in their gestures and the way they tease each other and the way they anticipate each other's reactions. George himself is so ebullient and genuinely happy, and despite the terrible events of his childhood and much of his life spent closeted, he is so full of gratitude and joy. One of my friends keeps a gratitude journal; she believes that an appropriate focus on gratitude is the way to forgive wrongs, the way to rise above injustices, the way to keep yourself from wallowing in what's wrong and instead bask in what's right. I think she's right, but living that kind of gratitude-filled life is very hard. George embodies it, and it's humbling and infectious to watch.
I think at this point his political activism in a variety of arenas is commonly known, but I admire so deeply his decision to work to make the world a better place. At one point in the documentary, Walter Koenig says (with what seems to me a sort of regret, perhaps, about his own life) that George has done great things, has done something important with his life and that he hopes George knows the good he's done.
I am one of those people who wants to believe the cast of her favorite shows are BFF off-set; this is one of the reasons why I don't delve too deeply into actors' lives. It's so disappointing to discover that the main couple of the show actually hates each other or that the lead is really an asshole. I was so disillusioned when I found out that Shatner is a jerk, and he's true to form in this documentary. What heartened me was seeing the continued and clearly real friendship among George, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter. I realize that no actor wants to be typecast, but I have always appreciated the way that most of the Trek actors are appreciative of their fans and cognizant of how important the show is and has been to so many fans; I'm glad those three feel that way about their tenure on Star Trek.
Finally, I got a little choked up at how old they all are. We've lost so many of those fine actors, and I will be deeply sad when we say goodbye to the remaining crew members of the Starship Enterprise. Even Bill.
