This Is It

With my Thursday night unexpectedly free, and a sitter already booked for the baby, I decided to take son Ty to see Michael Jackson’s film, This Is It.  Ty has been wanting to go ever since we heard they were making the film and tonight we finally had the chance and it was wonderful.  Better than I imagined. 

Heartbreaking, too, though.

Michael’s talent was all there, still there, and it was so bittersweet watching the footage from the final rehearsals, to see his artistry, his craft, his perfectionism…it was like having a front row seat for something very special.  For me, there was magic in the film.  Michael was  still an incredible dancer and his voice was powerful.  Those 50 London concerts would have been sensational.    

I’ve only ever owned one Michael Jackson album–and it was Thriller.  I was a freshman at UCLA and I did morning aerobics to Beat It and Billie Jean (as well as to Olivia Newton-John’s Let’s Get Physical but that might be too much information…).   I’ve never been a die-hard MJ fan.  But the movie reminded me that he was so much more than a curiosity…so much more than fodder for tabloid magazines.   He was a bonafide star.  He shaped music.  Changed dance.  Influenced a generation of musicians, artists, and fans.

I’m so glad I went tonight and saw the movie.  So glad to see those feet move.  

Have you seen the film?  Would you see it?  Have you ever owned a Michael Jackson album?