The incredible story of the unbelievable tale; a man risen to the heights of celebrity and sizzle sexy muscle-heavy but heart open, Andy Whitfield. Having done plenty of Australian TV, and a movie under his belt, he captured the eyes of millions, acting in the titular role of Starz Originals "Spartacus", a sensual, sensational retelling of the historical figure, with over-the-top, muscle and hustle version of the sand and sword epic. Andy's portrayal of Spartacus as the man, always driven by love even whist deadly in the arena, as calculated as a general, more cunning than the Romans, man-turned-slave-turned-Gladiator set sparks into the stratosphere through his first season. When he learned he was ill with cancer, he chose to document his fight in the real world, on an all-too-human canvas: his own will to live and fight for life is heartbreaking to watch now, but also lifts one's spirits and puts belief into the words 'being present' in each moment. This documentary is not widely represented or distributed, but should be seen on the largest screen one can beg, borrow or steal; to watch Andy's love of his wife and son, and his commitment to his determination to recover, and showcasing one of the warmest, most generous, confident, open-hearted men in the history of cinema, and a damned fine actor to boot, is inspiration in its most elemental forms. Andy believed that not only could he recover, but could become a better man, and dedicated, quite literally, his life to those ideas. His life and his love, as seen via the lens of "Be Here Now, are honest, and unflinching, and raw - you feel each moment, each struggle, each test result, each resolve. They are powerful and expose the quickening of all that makes us alive, the lightening of the human heart; that undefinable spark that - if harnessed - could change the world.
His celebrity friends lend their voices and time to his cause, and give tale of a real gentleman, and one who they believed could beat the odds. Filmed at a time when the world wad still abuses with fever from Season One of 'Spartacus', and looking toward the time when everyone was thinking how season two would break the frames of our TVs with more gladiatorial awe, and moving into the next phase of Spartacus' story, the documentarry catches the moments where Andy and his friends, and his employer all learn of his illness. Can the show go on? Should the show go on, or go on hiatus while Andy fought, giving heed to what Andy, himself, believed would be a fight, but one he would win. Should the show...recast? All delicate but real-world decisions, and the following of each of Andy's choices and how it rippled not only within his world, but in ours, in a very real sense: Season Two was...
While we may now know of Andy's passing, it is still worth the time and attention to bear witness to the legacy he wanted to leave behind, and one he fought to see made, while fighting his more personal battle. He believed there could be a cure, that mankind would unlock the prison cell of 'the 'C' word', and heal him and those others who may be sick with the same or other cancers. He believed that we would never give up, and always keep fighting, and giving to research, and exploring every option to heal each ache there was on earth due to a cancer-related loss or ease the fear of any future disagnosis. He believed the sheer will of his heart his belief and the earnestness with which he faced and fought his disease could and would inspire others to fight their own battles upon their own grounds, on their own terms, and ultimately, would prevail, and perhaps make his fans take stock of their own lives...and pockets.. and move, motivate, donate, and eradicate. The unfiltered view accorded here, in this documentary, is a testament, to not only 'Andy Whitfield, ACTOR', or ,'Andy Whitfield, LOVING FATHER AND HUSBAND', or 'Andy Whitfield, 'BLOKE WHO IS FIGHTING FOR CLARITY, GRACE, AND A CHANCE', but to a genuinely nice fellow, who you'd really like to know, and hang out with, or talk to, or anything.
The world is full of 'if only' and 'I wish'. 'Be Here Now" is a film about one man, and one moment, at a time.
