Charlton Heston's life as a movie star actor barely scratches the surface of his accomplishments, let alone the hearts he touched deeply. Heston always cherished what was most important-his wife, Lydia Clarke Heston, and their children. At the age of 84, Heston passed away in 2008 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. Out of all the films he played large roles in, Will Penny is his most cherished. Will Penny doesn't have the same pace as the classic Western movie. Rather, it is a revisionist Western portraying the realistic aspects of a cowboy's destiny. When Penny meets a younger woman, played by Joan Hackett, who is heading to California with a young boy (Jon Gries), he falls in love with her. Will Penny is a movie that portrays a different angle on love, and Heston values how Penny is forced to explore love, dependency, sacrifice, and heartbreak. Although Heston contrasts the lead role he played as Will Penny — a character who is afraid to let anyone close to him — the conflicts that Penny has as an aging cowboy reflect similarities to Heston’s turmoil after receiving his Alzheimer's diagnosis.
https://ift.tt/aBsm5kj February 03, 2024 at 10:45PM
