Only the good die young?

This entry calls for somewhat of a preface/warning label: While the following entry is my response to the unfortunate death of actor Heath Ledger, it is not a gushy "In Loving Memory" praising everything about Heath's life.

It's always sad to hear of a person dying young, especially when they're well known. Regardless of whether or not Heath Ledger's death was a suicide (at the moment, all that's being said is that it may be related to a drug overdose), it's a shocking and sobering piece of news. Of course, as soon as I heard from a person in my film class that he was dead, I subconsciously went into the first state of grief: denial. No way, he's like thirty-something, he can't be dead.

Yes, he is, in fact, dead. And he wasn't thirty-something, he was 28. I didn't know that. 28, he was only 8 years older than me. He was my age when he made "10 Things I Hate About You." This information, by the way, coming from his mini-bio on imdb.com, which also gave me sad news. He has a daughter, Matilda, something I'm sure I read as a headline on the "National Enquirer" or "US Weekly" in a grocery store line at one time, but she's only 2. The mother, "Brokeback Mountain" co-star Michelle Williams, was set to marry Heath up until a few months ago, when he called off the engagement, but the real thing I'm getting at is that their daughter is 2 years old. Two, plus a few months. And I can't even describe the amount of sorrow and empathy I feel for this little girl, because as the daughter of two A-list actors, she's probably going to be hounded by the paparazzi for most of her life. But more than that, does she even understand what's happening here? At the age of 2, does she understand the vast concept of death, and that it means she will never see her Daddy again?

My uncle died when I was 4. I barely knew him, but being that he was my uncle, I was still sad when he died. But I really don't know that I completely understood what was happening, or the levels of grief my parents, aunts, and cousins were going through. I remember being mad that my parents wouldn't take me to Cincinnati for the funeral, but in hindsight, if I had gone, I think rather than being sad, I would have been scared out of my wits. Does a toddler understand the forces of this world that take loved ones from us, and leave us with emotions strong enough to make the most composed of adults break down and cry their eyes out in the middle of a crowded room? To a toddler, that's scary.

And what about everyone else close to this situation? 3 or 4 months ago, Michelle Williams thought she was going to marry the father of her daughter, and then he called off the wedding, and now that man is on a slab at the morgue. It sounds cold and heartless, but it's the truth. I can't even begin to imagine how she has got to be feeling tonight and over the next few days. She loved this man enough to commit her life to him (I will disregard the facts that most celebrity marriages don't work because every once in a while there is one that does), and I imagine that even if they were having enough of a falling-out, or whatever you want to call it, to call off an engagement, they were still close enough emotionally and physically at one point to consider taking vows to one another. If I were in her position, it would be a miracle if i got out of bed tomorrow morning.

And friends? Jake Gyllenhaal, another "Brokeback" co-star and Matilda's godfather, has to live knowing that the man he shared the screen with in one of the more controversial movies (to date) of the 21st century is gone forever. They were more than just friends, they were very close co-workers and artists.

I don't think I know a single person who hasn't seen a movie that Heath Ledger has been a part of, from "10 Things I Hate About You" back in high school to "Brokeback Mountain" more recently, and everything in between. While 'Brokeback Mountain" was something of a groundbreaking film, most of his movies are far from being considered great films of our time. However, he has created some lovable, memorable characters that have earned him a strong fan-base and made a lasting legacy for his name.

This summer will see the last piece of Heath's work, in another ground-breaker (in a sense), as he appears on-screen in "The Dark Knight" as the first non-American to play The Joker in a Batman movie or TV show. The turnout and support for this movie, regardless of the opinions on the aging Batman franchise, will be one of Heath Ledger's lasting, and last, legacies.

R.I.P. Heath Ledger, April 4, 1979-Jan. 22, 2008. Beloved father, friend, and actor, you will be missed.