On the passing of Heath Ledger...

It's always a very sad thing whenever a person's life is ended prematurely, amidst high hopes of his/her success in later life. The same with children, and promising young people.

A bit of disclosure. I like movies. All kinds of movies. Classics, comedy, drama, romance, suspense/thriller, documentary, family/kids. I watch them all. Even my husband has problems pinpointing what kinds of movies are my favorite. I like good movies, regardless of genre (except the gay/lesbian category). Movies like To Kill A Mocking Bird from the 1950s, which is such a classic that is superb all round in directing, production, cinematography, music score, acting, casting, and more, are such a delight.

And I don't chase "stars," ie. movie stars. Still, if the actors/actresses are good, I would seek out their movies. I did not seek out Heath Ledger. I normally avoid those "heart throbs," reserving them for teenagers to fancy. I've seen a few of his earlier ones, even Brother Grimm, and it didn't leave much impression on me. That's until I saw A Knight's Tale. It's an odd-ball, like LadyHawk from the 1980s, to use rock music for period drama. But Ledger stood out in his performance, and he's only 21. Neither was he afraid to test himself in a variety of roles. I thought, if he can command the screen at 21, he'll have a very bright future...provided he does self-destruct.

Thus, I was quite shocked when I read the headlines last night, that Heath Ledger died. Initial details say there's only no illegal drugs. If he's trouble sleeping, and got himself killed by too many sleeping pills, that's really sad and unfortunate. I had hoped that he would deliver more movies with substance. I guess that's not to be.