The American Spectator

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(Page 8 of 17)

br> -- Arnold Ahlert br> Boca Raton, Florida /p> p> BALANCING LEDGER br> Re: Sean Higgins's Ledger's Final Balance : /p>

Heath Ledger may have not been Sir Laurence Olivier, but he was a pretty good young actor. And while the author may think he's being glib, actually he is being a tad mean-spirited in his efforts. He acts as though Ledger was supposed to be a fully formed actor at 28, when many great actors don't become great until later in life. And while his movies may not have been to your liking, that is no reflection on the quality of his work in them. You may think The Patriot stank or that Brokeback Mountain was over hyped, but that doesn't mean that his performances weren't strong. To take shots at his work because you don't like the scripts is nonsensical; you can have very strong acting in some very weak films.

And if you have a problem with how his death is being reported, don't make it about the deceased. he had no say in how the media covered his life, and he definitely has no say on how his death is being covered. It is understandable that the Hollywood press and his home press would react this way, since for the former he was an up and coming young star and for the latter he was one of their own. If you want to criticize the press, go ahead...but to somehow Ledger into that criticism seems unwarranted. You can criticize the press without criticizing their subjects. I know, I've seen it done!

p>And oh yeah, Brad Renfro played the lead in the film adaptation of John Grisham's The Client, and he was another young man in Hollywood who died way too young. Just so you know, smart aleck. br> -- Eric Edwards

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