This Is It

Upon the recommendation of my friend Mari, I watched the movie This Is It. If you are not familiar with this movie, it's a kind of documentary of the rehearsals for what were supposed to be Michael Jackson's last series of concerts. While the concerts would never happen, watching this movie gave me a good idea of what they would be like. Using film, pyrotechnics, lights, fog, dancers, musicians, and a cherry picker, it is evident that this would have been a heck of a show. More than a concert, it would have been a total entertainment experience.
I kept looking to spot some sign that Michael was drugged out or too weak to perform. There is no hint of it. He moves and dances and sings like he is on top of his game. There is no behind the scenes drama in which Jackson throws tantrums or can't move forward with the rehearsal because he's emotionally or physically distraught. Instead, we see Michael the perfectionist. He is concerned about the smallest details of the music and the choreography. He is backed by amazing singers and dancers who feel honored just to be in his presence.
Watching this movie reminded me again of so many good memories I have of listening to Michael Jackson music. I remember watching the world premier of Thriller when I was in high school. I went to a friend's house who had cable and it was quite a gathering. It was truly amazing to see it. Coming of age in the 1980's meant that love it or hate it, Michael Jackson's music was a part of the sound track of life.
I know that in many ways he was a messed up man. I know that he lived with a lot of pain. I can never excuse his inappropriate relationships with children. I also cannot begin to understand how someone who said he was concerned about the environment lived such a life of excess.
Yet, what I realized again by watching This Is It is that Michael Jackson was an artistic genius. He wrote and performed songs that are a part of our cultural lexicon. He danced to his own beat. He was a showman and a keen businessman. He tried to make the world a better place in his own way even though often he ended up causing himself and those he claimed to love a world of pain.
I am glad I watched this movie. It brought back memories. It reminded me again of how fragile life is. It also drove home the point that we human beings are sinful and broken and talented and gifted and selfish and joyful and loving and hateful and wise and foolish and simple and complex all at the same time.
I hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!