This is a letter that I wrote to Roger Ebert which he then posted on his website:
check it out on rogerebert.com
My letter on rogerebert.com
Here is a copy of it here for you. In case you don’t know this about me: I am a big movie buff!!
I saw “Into The Wild” last night and loved it. But the point of this email is to tell you how this film affected me in a very special way.
I sang at the House Of Blues Chicago tonight. It was a typical night. The house was packed with middle aged white males (some convention in town) and so I figured they’d relate to the song “Me & Bobby McGee” because of its era. Anyway I have always loved the tune ’cause of the love story and my affinity to the wanderlust of the hippie thing.
I have always sung the hell out of the tune but tonight I had a take on it like never before, because I had seen “Into the Wild.” Lyrics by Kris Kristoferson: “From the Kentucky coal mines to the California sun… ” It’s about two hippie drifters who are lovers who separate as the one lover (Bobby McGee) goes on to “search for that home and I hope he finds it.”
But tonight I had that extra insight into the search and the “dropping out” because of Sean Penn’s wonderful film and the journey he let us in on. So I sang it with both the lover’s take and that “other thing” (the journey and adventure that I understood from “Into the Wild”).
I finished the tune and got a standing O. It was beautiful. I’ve sung that song so many times but never quite like this. This is the beauty of film. I tried to share this experience with my friends and their eyes kinda glazed over. But I feel like you will understand what I am talking about. if you ever talk to Mr. Penn, please share this with him. I think it might be a unique compliment of his work.
Gosh, I love the movies!
