NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
I had a friend tell me that she liked Michael, but felt as if something was missing in the film. I admit, I went to the theater with eyes that surveyed the film looking for that something she mentioned, anything that may have felt out of place, or looking for something that should have been added.
Yes, there was more music to be played, and some of the best songs were just snippets, but as a fan, I left Michael surprised that I was in my feelings. Not in a bad way. What I mean is that I walked out with a sense of pride. And it wasn’t even the music. It was about the person.
No matter how many may feel about Michael Jackson regarding what he looked like, what he may have been into in his personal time, I set all that to the side and traveled back in time for 2 hours. I became that kid who wanted to dance and sing like him. That’s what the film did for me—made me feel like I could achieve anything.
Michael Jackson was bigger than music. It’s like the world was The Matrix and Michael was Neo. He was the 1. Yes, older people can look back and say Smokey Robinson or even Elvis Presley was just as huge. And in their own case, they may have been for a short period. But Michael, yeah, he was something else.
He touched more than just people who looked like him. Michael was the first global icon. I remember Michael at the beginning of his solo career, but what the movie did was remind me of the person, his struggle, and his vision.
He was a great person to many. He was tormented as he reached for something he could never have, which was his father’s love and his youth. They were gone for good. But from that pain, a legendary drive was created. He wanted to be the biggest artist in the world, and with one album, he changed the face of music.
But the negativity that’s following this film is not about his music. Naysayers are angry that the film did not touch on the supposed downfall of Michael, centered around the allegations and financial troubles. Why should the film have? That was not the purpose. It was a celebration. But they wanted to see the celebration and death all in one sitting.
And then you have the others. Not to knock the younger generation at all, but they went to see Michael the film, I went to see Michael Jackson. I wanted a trip down memory lane. I was around when the allegations hit. I was around when his facial structure and skin changed. I was around when the world turned its back on him, but I was also around when he changed the world.
What these youngsters are seeing on YouTube, our generation actually lived it. Look at the audience, and how many people stayed when the credits rolled. It felt like a Marvel movie. It was dancing in the theaters; it was not about any Oscar buzz. We weren’t concerned about what the media was saying about him before his death or even after. This film gave us a chance to celebrate and remember the icon.
