Michael Keatonfirst gained film stardom in the 1980s as a fast-talking, manic comedic actor in the comedy filmsGung Ho,Night Shift, andMr. Mom. However, Keaton’s career experienced a stark transformation in the late 1980s, beginning withhis performance as a drug addictin the 1988 drama filmClean and Sober. WhileClean and Soberwas a box-office failure, Keaton’s acclaimed performance led tohis casting as Batmanin the eponymous blockbuster 1989 film.
The success ofBatmanbrokeKeaton’s comedic typecastingand enabled him to play a wide variety of roles throughout the 1990s. After reprising the role of Batman in the 1992Batmansequel,Batman Returns, he gave a powerful performance in the 1993 drama filmMy Life, in which he plays Bob Jones, a man who discovers that he has terminal cancer, just as his wife is pregnant with their first child, a son whom Bob might never live to see.
Instead of dwelling on Bob’s tragic circumstance,My Life, as its title suggests, develops a bittersweet and ultimately celebratory tone, as Bob devotes his remaining time to leaving a legacy for his unborn son while learning to overcome his fear of letting go of life. As Bob, Keaton infuses his character with the same intelligence and unbridled energy that defined his 1980s comedic persona. Moreover, the affecting performance transcends what we expect from thetear-jerking melodrama formulaand enablesMy Lifeto become a deeply moving story of acceptance, forgiveness, and love.
Michael Keaton Plays a Dying Man Who Creates Video Messages for His Unborn Son
My Lifeis a film that compels audiences toconfront their own mortality, in question how we would react when confronted with imminent death. This is embodied by Michael Keaton’s character, Bob Jones, who has experienced the best news of his life, in terms of his wife’s pregnancy, just as he’sdiagnosed with terminal cancerand given less than six months to live. After an initial period of anger and shock, Bob, realizing that he’s not expected to live to see the birth of his son, sets out to establish a relationship with his unborn son in absentia by creating video messages, in which he provides various life lessons, like how to cook and drive and shave, for the ultimate purpose of giving his unborn son a clear sense of who Bob was.
The video messages become much more personal after Bob defies the odds and lives to see his wife, Gail, played by Nicole Kidman, give birth to their son, who is named Brian.Some of the most touching moments inMy Lifeinvolve the precious remaining time that Bob gets to spend staring into the eyes of his baby son, having brought this new life into the world, just as his own life is set to end.
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My Life Showcases Keaton’s Depth and Emotional Vulnerability
In a feature film career that’s now spanned over 40 years, Michael Keaton has proven himself adept in virtually every genre, as evidenced most recently by how effortlessly he returned to the role of the titular demonic prankster in theBeetlejuicesequelBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. Despite the fact that theblockbuster success ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuicehas brought renewed focus to Keaton’s career, primarily going back to the 1988 release ofBeetlejuice, many people under the age of 40 are doubtlessly unaware of how fully and successfullyKeaton has graduated from straight comedic actor to serious dramatic actor over the past 35 years.
With the possible exception ofKeaton’s Oscar-nominated performancein the 2014 comedy-drama filmBirdman,My Lifefeatures Keaton’s most impressive and layered performance. WhileMy Lifeprovides Keaton with several big dramatic scenes, like a scene in which Bob, angrily berates the doctor who denies him the possibility of hope with a grim diagnosis, his performance inMy Lifeis most effective through the subtlety of his acting, as a dying man whose life serves as a lesson of how someone can die in peace and with dignity.
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My Life Has One of the Saddest Happy Endings Ever
Michael Keaton’s impassioned performance inMy Lifemakes it virtually impossible not to become emotionally involved in his character’s predicament. Not only is Bob forced to endure significant physical pain, buthe is also haunted by his prolonged estrangement from his parents. He shunned the Ukranian-born pair because of his embarrassment toward his ethnic origin, as evidenced by the fact that Bob abandoned his birth name, Robert Ivanovich, in favor of Bob Jones.
Even at the point of death, Bob struggles to reconcile his relationship with his parents, whom he blames for neglecting him as a child.This estrangement from his family and struggle to come to terms with his impending death are embodied by Bob’s childhood fear of riding a roller coaster, which becomes a metaphor for his fear of letting go of life, as seen when a dying Bob rides a fearsome roller coaster and is unable to let go of its railing on the descent.
However, as Bob, in his weakening state, increasingly listens to his heart,he finally makes peace with his parents, culminating in a beautiful scene in which his father gently shaves him for the last time. This follows a scene in which Bob tells his sleeping son that he loves him. Having come to terms with his life, he is finally ready to let go of life, as seen when he lets go of the railing of a metaphysical roller coaster while riding toward a shining light.
In these scenes and others,My Girlbecomes adeeply moving viewing experience, which has the power to reduce even the most cynical, hardened viewers to tears while also inspiring contemplation regarding the importance and temporariness of life. Moreover, in the context of Keaton’s overall career,My Life, which received mixed reviews at the time of its release, features one of Keaton’s best and most overlooked performances.
