Milestone Ahead ...

What we experience through the years continues to "create" us as we go through life. Parts of this creation, parts of ourselves are often rearranged, sometimes effaced, for the integrity and growth of the whole.

As Jake Gyllenhaal (born 19th December 1980) crosses another milestone on the 19th, we who have been inspired by his work are watching that creation unfold.

The process of maturing as an artist is a partnership of discovery by both the artist and the audience. Art, especially the interpretation of characters on stage and screen, is communicative and the total experience is created by the giver and the recepients together. Jake Gyllenhaal has had a growing presence as an actor for over 10 years, a strong presence in his fans' minds and hearts.



Some have watched his artistic evolution in real time, whereas a large number of us took in the whole range of experience when Brokeback Mountain brought him face to face with us. It's through tapping into the subtleties, the shades, the uncharted areas within himself while exploring the ones without, that Jake Gyllenhaal has brought to life on screen, the incredible range of characters that he has "been" for us in his movies through the years. What makes his performances stand out is the mindfulness with which he absorbs the nuances of the character he informs, and reflects them back to his audience. He pays attention and he makes the viewer pay attention.

We haven't had a new release from Jake since Rendition and there are several in the pipeline covering an unexpected range. Kim in her comment on the "Consolidation Launched" post has spoken about the kind of movies he takes on, ones that "examine the subtleties of war, fear, and love, and point us toward doors which can open us up to the realization that there is an Ennis, an Anwar, a Douglas in all of us." There are many paths through which these subtleties can be examined and they can be the unexpected pathways through comedy, fantasy and sometimes movies that appear shallow but could be an invitation to the audience to explore new metaphors.

Gar in his comment, regrets that heroes like Douglas Freeman are fictional and speaks of the courage and humanity that Douglas found deep inside himself. Douglas, through that discovery destroyed parts of himself to create himself anew. That process of change was a focal theme of our Rendition feature. Kim has hoped that the doors to realization will open up faster, in us and in all of our cultures, than those which threaten to close because of prejudice, suspicion, and misunderstanding. On the eve of Jake's birthday let's raise a toast to the birth, the rebirth of courage and humanity around the globe.

Incognita