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 ...
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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