I saw The Fast and the Furious 7 today, even though I haven't seen 2 - 6. It was the first Paul Walker movie I've seen since his death. The theater was quiet as the end credits rolled. Afterwards, as I was driving home, I caught a glimpse of Heaven . . .
A picture is never as good as the real thing, but I still had to pull over to snap a few shots. The afternoon had been sunny, until the clouds rolled in, which was shortly after the movie.
I have to commend the filmmakers, and the Walker family, on persevering during that difficult time. As a writer, I have far less worries than a movie director. I could continue to write in the case of an untimely death, and I've, in fact, done so. Losing the lead cast member is another story. Caleb and Cody Walker did a wonderful thing stepping up to help them complete filming. I thought they all did a great job, and made a beautiful tribute to Paul.
I have to wonder how the original script played out. I noticed that Paul wasn't in many scenes in the beginning; therefore, I'm assuming those were the unfinished scenes that they had to modify. I really couldn't tell which scenes had his brothers, but I think it was those where he didn't have much or any lines. The only time I was aware of CGI enhancement was a closeup. He looked almost otherworldly, but I thought it was a fitting scene for it. I'm hoping they'll reveal more about the revisions in the DVD extras.
I've heard many people complain about how people react when a celebrity dies or has an accident, but no one cares when a commercial airliner crashes, taking 150 lives. Of course people care! The thing that divides a celebrity from the main stream is people know who they are. There's a recognizable face to the statistic, many times bringing with it public awareness. What's more, a celebrity can touch many lives. Not only by their work, but by their charitable efforts. They not only donate to their choice charities, but they form charities, and also get their fans involved. I've provided a link to Paul's charity Reach Out WorldWide.
In closing, I recently read someplace that the most coveted role Paul Walker auditioned for but didn't get was Anakin Skywalker. I don't know if I could have ever seen him in that dark of a role. For me, he was the light shining through those dark clouds.
#ForPaul
Veronica
