Jaden & Will SmithThey played the new The Karate Kid (2010) movie on my flight this morning, with Will Smith‘s son in it. As I watch little Jaden Smith I felt a rush of emotion and nostalgia: his facial expressions resembled those of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air!!! It was really uncanny! Tom & Colin HanksIt’s the same feeling I got when I saw The Great Buck Howard with Tom Hanks‘s son, Colin Hanks. It was like watching The Money Pit all over again. I am so excited to see that the stars from my childhood are being reborn before my very eyes.
It really feels like the rebirth of an era. The physical comeback of a wonderful period when actors had to earn their place in the spotlight. When celebrities were so beautiful and perfect they transported you to a fantasy world. When fame was something only talented people were worthy of experiencing. I know it’s too much to hope for just because of the fact that child actors remind me of their parents, but I can’t seem to let it go.
Kathleen TurnerAs the stars we have come to know and love grow older and/or sick, we can’t help but attaching ourselves to our memory of them. Michael Douglas, Michael J Fox, Sharon Stone, Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kirstie AlleyKirstie Alley, John Travolta, Kathleen Turner, Dustin Hoffman, and does anybody even remember Dudley Moore? [Deep sigh] Now, obviously there is nothing we can do about actors growing older, nor would we want to. Actors are very capable of reinventing themselves constantly and many manage to Michael Douglas successfully remain current for subsequent generations. I guess my point is that we will never get young and beautiful Kathleen Turner back, or handsome and sexy Michael Douglas, or funny and quirky Kirstie Alley (without the stupid fat jokes embedded in). Gone are the days when these stars graced our screens. We really want to think of them the way they were in their prime, and it’s hard for us to face the reality that their greatness will only live in our memory… and in movies for posterity. So if I can fantasize about their reincarnation by watching their offspring, then, gosh darn it, I will indulge in that pleasure.
Seeing our stars being born again gives me hope that the world of entertainment will not be downgraded and obfuscated by the celebrity of Snooki, Paris Hilton, Heidi Montag, and Flavor Flave. If that is all the “talent” we are harvesting, then what will our children have to look up to?
