Labor of love. Passion, persistence, focus, vigor and purpose. These are all words and a concept we’ve been told for decades, centuries etc. etc. They sound great in a blog, in a movie, in a book, in a poem or a speech…but what are they really like…in the truth of life?The Dallas Buyers Club, that’s what they are, in the truth of life. No, I don’t mean the story upon which the movie is based and I don’t mean the movie itself albeit both are tremendous. I’m referring to the damn JOURNEY of getting the film made. How much can it matter to someone, what are you prepared to do, how much do you believe and how long can you go…in your belief? You wanna know how much more difficult Hollywood has gotten over the years…look no further than this movie’s nominations, awards and reality.
At the time Platoon was released, in December of 1986, Oliver Stone’s journey of 10 years to get that movie made…was the story of Hollywood. His persistence, strife, effort and flat out unwillingness…to let it go, knowing that he had an absolute HIT…in his grasps. Well ironically it was only a little while into 1987 that the Dallas Buyers Club became a story. But in todays Hollywood by the time an entire screenplay had been written things had changed and they would only get worse.
Dallas Buyers Club spent 20 years and was turned down 87 times to be funded and made into a movie. But the folks involved, did not let it go, and as the old Calvin Coolidge famous quote states: they pressed on. Onward onward onward, in the face of ever diminishing returns, odds and the likelihood that this story would ever see…the big screen. So when you see the movie, and you learn about the man, his story, and also just the entertainment value and the appreciation of the talent on screen remember that it took 20 years and 87 no’s to get there.
This doesn’t mean, once again as I always say, that if you don’t have this type of commitment or strong will, that it makes you bad or weak. Not at all or in any way. BUT, I’m am sharing with you that some things, some situations, some goals, some dreams take a LOT longer than other to appear or come to fruition and that is just the way it is. The only question that exists for you, is what are you prepared to do, to see it through. If you know what you know, and you truly believe in your dream…see it through.
See it through all of the doubters, haters, false friends, mocking family members…the odds, the percentages and the facts and realities that I present to you all of the time. Screw them all, believe in you, believe in your dream…but also don’t give up…don’t ever give up, because sometimes on the 88th try…you just might crest the hill of the valley of your dreams…below.
Always on your side, @theKevinE