For those of you who didn’t watch the Oscars, Graham Moore who is the screenwriter for the film “The Imitation Game” said “Stay Weird, Stay Different” when he accepted his Oscar. Don’t worry, I’ll get to that whole Hot Mess (The Oscars) in a separate blog post but I wanted to touch base on what Graham said. Here’s the gist of it:
“In this brief time here what I want to use it to do is to say this: when I was 16 years old I tried to kill myself because I felt weird and I felt different and I felt like I did not belong. And now I am standing here, and I would like this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she’s weird or she’s different or she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Yes, you do. I promise you do.
Stay weird, stay different, and then when it’s your turn and you are standing on this stage, please pass the same message to the next person who comes along.”
His whole speech I could really relate to; these words meant a lot because I too tried to take my life when I was 15. It was a really difficult time for me. I was confused, out of control and a Rebel without a Clue. It was hard to fit in when you felt like you’re not like others. I wasn’t a Jock, or a Brain or any of these other cool kids. 
I was a tall, skinny dork, not the handsome, dashing suave guy that you all know and love. lol For me, it was awkward asking out girls because I didn’t have a whole lot of experience and luck. That eventually changed but I still get a little tongue tied when talking to a woman on the phone asking them for a date now almost 40 years later (yes, I’m dating and I’m 50. Deal with it! lol) It’s a lot of pressure on a guy because we don’t want rejection. For the women, it’s much easier because women have multiple choices as there’s probably more than one guy that she may choose from. But I digress…
Being a teenage was a relatively short time but a lot of those experiences helped to forge who I was. Also a stint in the Marines was a huge advantage. But I experienced some things that made me fell isolated and longing to belong. I won’t go into the details but you know what I’m talking about if you were someone who didn’t fit in in High School. Or you’ve seen TBC. I remember seeing it for the first time, it was actually at a Drive-In Theatre in Orange County and I was dating a young lady who said that I had to see this movie. It was a double feature with St. Elmo’s Fire. Cool huh? I remember that she was very beautiful and it was raining. Other than that, the windows got a little fogged up so that’s all I remember. lol
Like always, Movies have been a big part of my life. Making films is a passion that really gives me purpose and meaning in my life. For me, I would love to do this full time and give up my day job. It would be something that I could do for the rest of my life and have the best time. It’s for the love of story-telling. I love The Silver Screen and I want to add back to the world some of the same magic that I’ve taken from the works of others. I feel like I’m doing something important. I only wish that I had pursed this earlier in my life. I’m not saying that I can’t do it now but I would have liked to have started sooner so that I’d be further along in my Film Career.
While I haven’t seen “The Imitation Game” yet, it sounds like a great film. I hope that someday I can perhaps work on a film that enjoys success and the accolades that has gotten. Maybe next time…
Casualty Films 