SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Farrah Fawcett, the Burning Bed Fighter
Jun 26, 2009
Farrah and Ryan came to visit me about a month ago.
Her spirit and passion and intelligence were as sharp as ever.
The deep connection between Farrah and Ryan stronger then ever, with the teasing and humor in full throttle.
But her body was being destroyed by the cancer. And it showed. Painfully.
Farrah is an amazing fighter and she was in full fight mode. With Ryan right beside her.
And I remember so well the months we spent together as we prepared for The Burning Bed.
I was directing her for the first time and her fearless commitment to going to the darkest places emotionally never wavered. She never hesitated when I took her to battered women's shelters. To interview women with painful stories.
And she never flinched when I described how we needed to take away her wonderful beauty and life force to make the film and role authentic.
And in the rehearsals as I staged the brutal assaults, her physical guts and strength were a shining example for the whole cast.
And her work ethic supreme as we spent months delving, digging, creating.
And then afterwords, the awards, the response, and always our running joke about her getting pregnant during The Burning Bed.
And now, the fighter is gone. Her contribution with The Burning Bed served to not only to help change laws around the country, but inspired other actress's to "find their burning bed."
She will be missed. A true original.
Robert Greenwald was the Director of the 1984 film, The Burning Bed, starring Farrah Fawcett.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Robert Greenwald
Robert Greenwald is a producer, director, political activist, and Brave New Films founder and president. His is currently focused on the ReThink Afghanistan (2009, RethinkAfghanistan.com) documentary and campaign which addresses the misguided U.S. policy in Afghanistan. He has also produced and distributed short viral videos and campaigns like Sick For Profit (SickForProfit.com), Fox Attacks videos (FoxAttacks.com) and The Real McCain (TheRealMcCain.com), which were seen by almost a million people in a matter of days.
Farrah and Ryan came to visit me about a month ago.
Her spirit and passion and intelligence were as sharp as ever.
The deep connection between Farrah and Ryan stronger then ever, with the teasing and humor in full throttle.
But her body was being destroyed by the cancer. And it showed. Painfully.
Farrah is an amazing fighter and she was in full fight mode. With Ryan right beside her.
And I remember so well the months we spent together as we prepared for The Burning Bed.
I was directing her for the first time and her fearless commitment to going to the darkest places emotionally never wavered. She never hesitated when I took her to battered women's shelters. To interview women with painful stories.
And she never flinched when I described how we needed to take away her wonderful beauty and life force to make the film and role authentic.
And in the rehearsals as I staged the brutal assaults, her physical guts and strength were a shining example for the whole cast.
And her work ethic supreme as we spent months delving, digging, creating.
And then afterwords, the awards, the response, and always our running joke about her getting pregnant during The Burning Bed.
And now, the fighter is gone. Her contribution with The Burning Bed served to not only to help change laws around the country, but inspired other actress's to "find their burning bed."
She will be missed. A true original.
Robert Greenwald was the Director of the 1984 film, The Burning Bed, starring Farrah Fawcett.
Robert Greenwald
Robert Greenwald is a producer, director, political activist, and Brave New Films founder and president. His is currently focused on the ReThink Afghanistan (2009, RethinkAfghanistan.com) documentary and campaign which addresses the misguided U.S. policy in Afghanistan. He has also produced and distributed short viral videos and campaigns like Sick For Profit (SickForProfit.com), Fox Attacks videos (FoxAttacks.com) and The Real McCain (TheRealMcCain.com), which were seen by almost a million people in a matter of days.
Farrah and Ryan came to visit me about a month ago.
Her spirit and passion and intelligence were as sharp as ever.
The deep connection between Farrah and Ryan stronger then ever, with the teasing and humor in full throttle.
But her body was being destroyed by the cancer. And it showed. Painfully.
Farrah is an amazing fighter and she was in full fight mode. With Ryan right beside her.
And I remember so well the months we spent together as we prepared for The Burning Bed.
I was directing her for the first time and her fearless commitment to going to the darkest places emotionally never wavered. She never hesitated when I took her to battered women's shelters. To interview women with painful stories.
And she never flinched when I described how we needed to take away her wonderful beauty and life force to make the film and role authentic.
And in the rehearsals as I staged the brutal assaults, her physical guts and strength were a shining example for the whole cast.
And her work ethic supreme as we spent months delving, digging, creating.
And then afterwords, the awards, the response, and always our running joke about her getting pregnant during The Burning Bed.
And now, the fighter is gone. Her contribution with The Burning Bed served to not only to help change laws around the country, but inspired other actress's to "find their burning bed."
She will be missed. A true original.
Robert Greenwald was the Director of the 1984 film, The Burning Bed, starring Farrah Fawcett.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy