R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

It is with sadness we learned of the passing with Patrick Swayze from pancreatic cancer. It's not just sad that he had cancer, of course, but 57 is still so young. It's a shame and a loss.

Here in BackseatDirectorLand, I like to reflect on loss by sharing a few memories I have of the deceased. With Patrick Swayze, I remember as a child, loving his dance moves in Dirty Dancing, though not quite getting what the movie was about. I remember him singing "She's Like the Wind" on the now-considered-seminal soundtrack as we drove to some vacation or other. I remember the threesome between himself, Demi Moore, and some clay in Ghost, one of the first sex scenes I ever saw. I remember seeing the trailer for To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, and thinking "What an ugly woman." I now remember I still haven't seen Point Break all the way through.

What I also remember is his less-known, later work. If you didn't catch his small, but noticeable turn as a motivational speaker in the cult classic Donnie Darko, you're missing some of his finest work. His last major project was a T.V. show called The Beast, where he looked noticeably haggard, because he was already sick. This will be added to my Netflix queue. He reportedly worked without pain meds, and since cancer is not known as a warm, cuddly disease, this is an accomplishment which, to me, wipes out everything I've mentioned before. Bravery and graciousness in the face of mortality is rarely found, and I think Swayze made it look easy.

That's what I'll remember him for, too.