Maximum Feels: Paul Walker send-off
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Has anyone else seen F&F7 or just the ending scene which "retires" Paul Walker's character in the series?
Link (spoiler alert!):
I'll be the first to admit that im a softee and that my optics became moistened. Its quite an emotional reset. Very touching indeed.
As cheesy as the FnF series is for pure and "orthodox" car enthusiasts, the franchise is unavoidably an important piece of modern car-guy culture. Paul Walker being the face of that franchise. For those with a pulse, news of his passing was very saddening. Not only was he a symbol of modern car culture in the movies, but in real life he came across as a genuinely good guy, and was a true car enthusiast.
There is something that irks me though, when you read about Paul, or anyone else being remembered as a "true car enthusiast". On the surface It seems tacky and frivolous as if being placed on the same level as the identifiers "Husband", "father", or "war veteran" etc. for which you can equate certain contributions and sacrifices that might conjure up intensified remorse over their passing.
But to be remembered as "true car enthusiast"...
...cars are frivolous. They are mass-produced machines created for the purpose of moving the masses. For enabling society to function with greater speed and efficiency. They are steel, iron, glass, rubber, plastic, aluminum, and fabric.
Things that rust, corrode, break, fail, and become recycled goods.
Material things...
.....or are they?
The automobile has had a greater impact on the world than any other man-made object, save computers.
To a true enthusiast a car becomes even more:
It is an extension of yourself in which you can express style, help to form an identity, a blank canvas.
It is the mode which takes you places you want to go, and to people you want to see.
It inspires creativity, innovation, passion, desire, and is a starting point for mechanical aptitude from which careers can be based.
It is the genesis for some extraordinary and meaningful friendships, things which last, things that arent weathered by the elements. Things which aren't frivolous at all.
Cars bring us together.
And even if our tastes differ, when we lose a fellow car enthusiast, we lose someone that understands us on a level that the rest of the world doesn't.
Here's to Paul, to car guys, and all the wonderful friends ive made within the automotive community.
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But for real. They nailed the ending perfectly.
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Yeah, I watched the music video for "see you again" and got pretty choked up.
He was more than just a guy who worked on cars, but helped around the world and was a truly selfless person. This is very obvious when you hear any of the F&F crew talk about him.
Wonder if he started wars when he was talking about tuning? -
I am also impressed by how well they handled the moving to convey his parting.
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Ha, I don't really know what started my obsession, but I do remember watching 2 fast 2 furious many times over and loving the Evo. I can probably say that it had a lot to do with starting my interest.
I haven't seen Fast 7 but I have heard that there is a lack of automotive scenes, which is slightly disappointing. -
I was having this discussion over the past weekend with some buddies. We all agreed that these movies definitely didn't kick start our obsession but they definitely helped grow them. As ridiculous as the movies are you need have a suspension of disbelief to enjoy them. These movies gave us a rallying point to discuss cars and told us that it was cool to like cars and sit in a parking lot and talk about cars.
I think Fast and Furious was the last full movie I watched as I am not a huge action movie fan but I will see Fast 7 with some friends.
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Just got back from seeing furious 7 and it was as good as any. They definitely nailed it at the end with the salute and send off of paul. Very well done! He is and will be forever missed as an actor and car enthusiast!
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Billion dollar film already, hard to believe I was only 17 at the time the first was released. I took my brothers 87 Regal, picked up my girl & a few friends and acquired booze & wraps at the liquor store. We then met up with some more friends and headed to Franklin for the drive in double feature (anybody remember that place?), one of the best days/nights/mornings of my life.
The movie didn't introduce me to anything new, I have the GT series to thank for that.
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