THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE PART ONE

All you need to learn in life you can learn from watching "A Bronx Tale."

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.

I know this is a music blog, but on a couple of occasions (HERE and HERE), I have participated in blogfests listing my favorite movies.

One movie that always makes the cut is 1993’s A Bronx Tale, starring Robert DeNiro in his directorial debut and featuring/written by Chazz Palminteri.

This excellent film opens with the sounds of romance in the Bronx (“Marie! Get in the f#&king car!”). There are a few violent scenes, but mostly the story is about a boy who is drawn to the local gangster against the wishes of his bus-driver father.

I also love the film because of all the important life lessons contained within. You may think I say this in jest, but all you need to know in life, you can learn from watching this film.

And I am going to prove it. To do so, I will have to stray from the main theme of this blog (music), and I hope you will indulge me.

Today begins a series of posts describing the valuable  lessons contained in the film.

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever.”

Lesson 1: The importance of family

Calogero (“C”),  Lorenzo’s son in the movie, doesn't listen to his father and you can't hold that against him; we all have to make mistakes.

The movie is about C being torn between his father and Sonny.

Deep down, C knows that what his father tells him is in his best interests.

It is hard for C to ignore what Sonny offers-especially when his friends in the neighborhood are Sonny-wannabees.

Sonny wears the flashy clothes, gets the good seats at the fight, has everyone looking up to him. Lorenzo drives a bus. For a young kid hanging out on the stoop, those are polarized role models.

Through everything C has to go through in the film, Lorenzo was always there to support him.

And the values that Lorenzo taught him kept him from being killed before he was old enough to shave.

You only get one family.

You only get one father.

Never forget how important they are.