Man On Wire

If you grew up in New York City in the '70s and '80s like I did, you know about the guy - the crazy French guy - who walked on a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center. Even though he did it in 1974, it was still an active topic of conversation for New Yorkers years later. In one way, Philippe Petit's unbelievable act fit perfectly with the emotional landscape of the time: an insane act for an insane town. But in another way, his daring feat was a testament to the possibility of the impossible and, along with that, a message of hope to a city that had gone a bit astray.

I noticed that the documentary Man On Wire showed on the Sundance Channel last week. I saw the film in the theatre with my husband (another native) and it blew me away for a number of reasons: the simplicity of its story-telling, the chance to hear Mr. Petit describe his triumph in his own words and the love for this town that bathed every frame. Because even though we all know the true end to the story, like any recollection of lost a love, the film focused on the good times and thoroughly respected our memory of them.

If you've never seen footage and you have an extra two minutes and ten seconds, click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAVj2IVC9ko&feature=related

And if you have room for an extra movie in your queue, here's a link to add Man On Wire, if you haven't seen it: https://www.netflix.com/Login