Parents with gay children should watch 'Rocketman' so they can see what possible damage they can do to their children if they continue to not love their children unconditionally.
I think it was brave for Elton John to say in this movie that his parents - both father and mother - never really loved him.
Not in the unconditional way parents should love their children.
I love how the script portrays Elton's parents as "I will love you only if........" and you can really feel Taron's pain as he shows his acting chops to navigate this minefield (Elton John is the executive producer of this movie).
There's this particularly heartbreaking scene where he meets his father (he is already world famous and very rich at this time) and yet his father did not even give him a hug - while at the same time, hugging and carrying his younger half-brothers. That broke my heart. Even with his immense wealth and popularity, he could not even buy his father's hug.
There's also this amazing scene towards the end of the movie, where already as an adult, he says to his parents "I will not permit you to talk about me like that in front of me anymore." (Or something like that)
This movie is also a lot of help to my current work.
Since 90% of my writing work nowadays is about music I appreciate 'Rocketman' in so many levels because #1 it has answered some niggling questions I've had about Elton John's musical style and #2 it has made me appreciate how fantastic Bernie Taupin is as a songwriter after seeing so much trashy songs today - with today's songwriters lacking in imagination and elegance in songwriting.
I have a few Elton John albums and if you listen closely to them you will notice that he has many songs arranged in a 'black' way or in an R&B manner - which as a young person before - I found a bit strange - because he is white and there are no black people in the production team that I see in the albums' sleeves.
I found the answer in the movie. Kaya pala, he can arrange his songs in that manner because as a young musician, he's had extensive experience playing with black performers. That is the only feasible explanation I can think of because the influence is unmistakable.
I have many favorite scenes in the movie and I am already sure Taron Egerton will get that Oscar Best Actor nomination. However, I also feel the lovely Jamie Bell should get a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
Any straight man who can say "I love you man" with so much feeling and with no malice - should get an Oscar! And he does it in two scenes in this movie. I just want to give Jamie Bell a hug after watching him here. Now, my respect for him has really gone deep! Btw, he plays Bernie Taupin, Elton John's long-time lyricist - and he's straight.
My favorite scene in the movie is when Taron sings 'Tiny Dancer'. I have my own interpretation of that scene and I did cry a bit because it struck me personally.
