Free Online Games: Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi

On the 14th September 2009 Patrick Swayze, star of such movies as “Red Dawn”, “Ghost” and of course “Dirty Dancing” sadly lost his long, public battle of pancreatic cancer, taken from us one of Hollywood’s most under-rated yet popular actors. Just a few weeks before he was to lose his battle, Patrick Swayze along with his wife Lisa Niemi completed the biographical “The Time of My Life” and in doing so showed the grit and determination which lead him to be one very special actor.

It was back at the start of 2008 when Patrick Swayze who at the time thought he was suffering from a simple stomach bug was informed that he was in advanced stages on pancreatic cancer and as you would expect “The Time of My Life” goes into some detail on this, that initial shocking diagnosis, treatments and his resolve to beat the cancer by surviving till a cure was found. Unfortunately he never won that battle but it didn’t stop him fighting it all the way as you would expect from someone who had to fight to establish himself as an actor.

But “The Time of My Life” is not just Swayze telling us about his battle with cancer; it’s his memoirs as he goes into detail on his life, his passion, those battles to become a star and also with injury as well as battles with drink and depression and to be honest a lot more.

Born on the 18th August 1952 in Houston, Texas Patrick Swayze would from a young age become interested in dance, attending his mother’s dance school where he would meet his future wife, Lisa. But whilst a keen dancer, Swayze was also a keen sports man, playing American Football until he suffered a major knee injury which would curtail his sporting ambitions not only on the field but also in the gymnasium. This injury would continue to plague him as he focussed on becoming a professional ballet dancer and would eventually lead him to a career in movies.

As you would expect a fair amount of “The Time of My Life” works through Swayze’s career both on the big screen and small screen covering such movies as “Red Dawn” and “Dirty Dancing” as well as TV shows such as “North and South” and “The Beast”. What is so good about “The Time of My Life” is you never get a sense of Swayze being the ‘Big I am’. He is open about what he felt of certain movies he appeared in, performances he gave and the working relationships he had with various stars such as Jennifer Grey. And it’s also nice to see through his words the love he had for his wife Lisa as he reveals the work they did together behind the scenes on various movies.

Something which also comes across is the battle he had to be taken seriously as an actor rather than just a pretty boy dancer who wanted to act. You can see how it got to him when producers and directors didn’t give him a chance but you also get a glimpse at that grit and determination he possessed as he set about proving those doubters wrong and it’s fair to say with such popular movies as “Ghost” and “Dirty Dancing” he did this.

In between all the accounts of his work on movie Swayze is also very open about his relationships with his family and the ups and downs that this marriage went through. As with his openness about various movies Swayze doesn’t shy away from that same openness about his private life and in some revealing moments he allows the readers into various problems in his personal life. One such problem is his battle with drink and depression when his father, a man he clearly loved and idolized, passed away. The fact that Swayze’s appears so willing to share and show that he although a movie star he was human makes it easy to relate to him. As does the fact that whilst he acknowledges we worked hard to get his career he was also fortunate and he appreciated that fact.

As with many movie star’s memoirs there are those revelations, details on other stars which he enjoyed working with and sometimes didn’t as well as those personal problems. But it just feels like Swayze is being honest and open, rather including these revelations to be sensationalist. Although as with any memoir, these moments where he shares something unexpected does add something a little extra to what otherwise could have ended up an honest but dry memoir.

Swayze finishes “The Time of My Life” with a chapter which goes into detail on the TV show “The Beast” which he made whilst receiving treatment and battling the cancer. In this final chapter you really get a sense that he never gave up fighting and loved life to the full which makes it quite hard going in the knowledge that he sadly passed away shortly after finishing the book.

All in all “The Time of My Life” is a very good memoir thanks to Swayze’s openness when it comes to his career and problems. But it is also very touching as well as inspiring as you get a real sense that whilst Swayze did make it as a star he was also a very normal person with the same issues that most people face, except he was a fighter and never gave up fighting right till the end.