"Sr"

Books | Film | Vesuvio

4 Ianuarius 2023

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Robert Downey, Jr's got a film out on Netflix about his dad, who was a filmmaker himself and gave young Robert his start on both acting and drugs. Still, Sr was Jr's dad. Just like my dad was my dad. My dad cut me out of his last healthy years, but I got to be there with him near the end. Jr grew up in front of a camera like many of us America children. My first experience being on film was given to me by my uncle, who interestingly shares the name Robert Downey, Sr was born with - Robert Elias. My dad soon got a video camera and I loved being on film and eventually the stage. Through high school I made my own sketch comedy films with my firends and carried on the tradition with my own kids, even before YouTube. And then for a few years my family hijinks were watched by millions before the window closed us artsy amateurs. My twins still made movies into their twenties, but divorce changes many things. If they make movies they certainly don't make them public. But I have so many memories captured out there from happier times. My dad stopped making home movies at some point, but as is obvious from this blog I haven't yet. They aren't that funny anymore though. Or really have a purpose other that self reflection or to capture a place or an event I want to remember. A few weeks before he died I shot one last video with my dad. Watching "Sr" tonight I teared up watching RDJ going through something similar with his dad. Supposedly my grandpa once shot video of my dad, his sisters, and cousins sledding down the hill as children. Grandpa would run the video backwards to make the kids laugh at the ridiculousness or themselves flying up the hill. Strange thing how this medium lets us travel through time while we still must live our lives forward.