And so it's come to this. This is the last entry in The Boron Identity,"" and, as luck would have it, the last time my name and adorable likeness will grace The Daily Cardinal.
As I thought about my last column, one phrase kept echoing through my brain. It's a quote from Sidney Lumet, a man who has given as much to film as anyone, as he received his Oscar for Lifetime Achievement Lumet said, ""I want to thank the movies."" I couldn't have said it any better myself if I tried.
You see, I too have a great deal to thank the movies for. It's not just for the endless hours of entertainment that every DVD, video and screening has provided me, although it is for that, too.
I thank the movies for providing me with an outlet to write about: Film has always been the proverbial carrot on the stick that's kept me writing and expressing in ways I never thought I was capable of. When I started at The Daily Cardinal, I had no idea which section I wanted to be a part of, but four years and (almost) a journalism degree later, I can't imagine my Cardinal career at any section other than Arts.
I thank the movies for opening my eyes to the bigger world around me, from films like ""An Inconvenient Truth,"" and ""No End in Sight."" There are films that explore the darkest places in humanity's heart, and films that make you believe in nothing but human kindness.
I thank the movies for connecting me to a network of people as enthused as I was to talk about anything cinematic. Every time I get a letter responding to one of my columns or asking me a question about something I wrote, I understand how vast this network is. Your endless support has meant so much to me, and I've felt a real connection to the film lovers in Madison and beyond.
I thank the movies for showing me to believe that anything is possible. Superman can fly and Indiana Jones did find the Ark of the Covenant and James Bond can survive anything. You can pull Marshall McLuhan from out of nowhere to correct an idiot blabbering in line behind you. Watching ""Iron Man"" this weekend, I realized once again how much power there is in the imagination of film.
I want to thank the movies for giving me a lexicon. Not a day goes by that I don't drop a line of film dialogue into daily conversation. But, because of the close ties that film creates, not a day goes by where that reference isn't caught by someone who is listening.
And I want to thank movies for giving me moments I will remember forever. Not just in the movies themselves, because there are too many to name, but times like going to the theater with family members who have since passed away. My mom's parents took me to my first R-rated movie, and most of my summers are remembered fondly as my dad's father took me to numerous action movies my grandmother wouldn't sit through. Movies gave me these moments as well.
So I want to thank you for reading, writing and making me feel like an appreciated and welcomed part of your Wednesdays. I want to thank my friends and family who never stopped believing that I could do anything: I still have a few surprises up my sleeves.
But more than anything, I want to thank those without whom, none of this would be possible: I want to thank the movies.
To give Brad your best or just keep in touch, send him and e-mail at boron@wisc.edu.
