Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know who George
Takei is. But you may only know him as
Sulu from “Star Trek”. Or as Hiro’s
father in “Heroes”. Or as that guy on Facebook that posts outrageously funny
stuff all the time. And he’s all of those things. But did you know he lived for years in a
Japanese American internment camp? Or
that he was on the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit
District--who helped initiate the Los Angeles subway system? Or that he’s become an indelible part of "The
Howard Stern Show"?
Well, it’s all true.
And more. And more is what you
get in “To Be Takei”, the fun and fascinating new documentary about the irrepressible
Mr. Takei and his life: a life that provides lessons in bravery, optimism, humor
and heart. Director Jennifer M. Kroot
and co-director and editor Bill Werner have put together a swift, witty and extraordinarily
well-wrought film that reveals the admirable eloquence and diplomacy as well as
the outrageous and bawdy audacity that is George Takei.
The film’s center is George’s life with his husband Brad,
both at home and on the road, since Brad takes on the role of manager, personal
assistant and wrangler. The two have been
together for decades and the strength of their bond is clear from the start. They have shared in the joy of their long-awaited
wedding, the grief of the loss of their mothers as well as countless other life
experiences that virtually all couples face throughout their journey on earth.
But surrounding this is the wondrous whirlwind of change
that has pushed Takei through his life and, at times, caused Takei to push back with
an indomitable force all his own. His
childhood years in internment camps may have prepared him for facing producers
who saw his race as a cliché and bigots who saw his orientation as a blight. His years in the civic world may have helped
prepare him to be the great diplomat he has become, speaking for civil rights. And who knows what honed his wicked sense of
humor that he skillfully and regularly uses to amuse and lambast on Facebook
and elsewhere.
One brilliant example
of the later came when he offered his name up during a recent proposed law to
make saying the word “gay” in public schools a crime. (Mr. Takei proposed that,
if they couldn’t say “gay”, they could “Just say ‘Takei”.) But it’s
clear that “To Be Takei” is to be so much more:
it is to be fearless, to be optimistic, to do what you can, to be truthful
and—above all else—to be fabulous! And the
film “To Be Takei” is, much like the man, all of those things.
More about the movie: http://tobetakei.com/
More about George Takei: www.georgetakei.com/
