Sundance Film Festival 2014, part 2

Sad to start this off with the tragic news of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death.  He starred in two films at the festival, God's Pocket and A Most Wanted Man.  I didn't have the opportunity to see either of these films, but as we marched to get coffee one morning, I did have the chance to see him on Main Street, as he did the interview circuit.  It is quite eerie now, to think of what he looked like that day, as he was quite disheveled and breathing very heavily as he walked past.  I think the most shocking part of his death is reading that he was 46.  Never in my life would I have guessed that, seeing him that morning.  He was weathered well beyond his years.  What a sad way to go.  What a sad way to end a brilliant run as one of the most gifted actors of his generation.  His talent was beyond, but clearly his demons were beyond beyond. So tragic. So senseless.

I heard a troubling report from Sundance today.

A reporter who happened upon the same late

night party as Philip Seymour Hoffman started

chatting up an unknown man.  The report casually

asked the man in the hat, 'what do you do?' and

the man removed his hat and said, 'I am a heroin

addict'.  The reporter then recognized the man

as Philip Seymour Hoffman. Cry for help, anyone?

Again, shocked that he was merely 46 years old. 

This picture now feels very somber.  I know 

I will miss him in film, but goodness, his little kids.

Man alive, I don't know how to transition this post, after such sadness.  I can't think of a clever segue into my next bit, so I will leave part 2 as this, and pray that maybe finally people will wake up and quit enabling the people they love and work with to self destruct with drug abuse.

Stand up.  Speak up.