Man on Wire

Have you guys already seen Man on Wire? About Phillipe Petit's performance walk across the North & South World Trade Center Towers around this time of year 37 years ago? I bet you have because it's been out a while and won the Oscar in 2008. Well, I finally saw it last night. 


I was amazed at how funny and wonderful it was. Clearly, Petit is a performer in every sense of the word. What lovable losers the American accomplices were. It got me thinking about capers and risks and courage, and of course, New York. And that hole that's still there in our city and it's going to be 10 years next month. I forgot how majestic they were. This will be my first chance to see what construction they've done since I left. 


I love the way the story has reverberated into other media. In Collum McCann's wonderful book, Let The Great World Spin, and even this cartoon about the adventure narrated by one of my personal faves, Jake Gyllenhaal. 


My favorite part is when the movie talks about how all anyone could ask Phillipe was "Why?" "Why?" And what an American question that was... mmm. There is no why.