Eric Clapton wrote the song Tears from Heaven after his son died falling out window on the 53rd floor in NYC. (It lacked a window guard.)
The Snopes article on this is quite informative:
“The death of Conor Clapton was one of those accidents that seem so preventable with hindsight yet aren’t imaginable until they happen. The housekeeper had just finished cleaning the window and left it open to air the room when Conor ran past him and fell out the 4-by-6 opening.”
“By law, New York City apartments must have window guards installed on every window in all residential buildings with three or more tenants, but a 1984 ruling exempted condominiums from this regulation, placing the onus upon the owners of such units to install such safety devices.”
Here’s the heart breaking story:
The curator of this project stumbled into this video by Kathy Falcicchio who does lots of AMAZING Robin Williams tribute videos. ~ ~ That is what prompted the research on this song, so it seemed fitting to include it here:
WhatDreamsMayCome.org is echoing Robin William’s spiritual legacy to bring MORE kindness to the world.
Beginning on Robin’s 64th birthday we started publishing some of his most inspirational works, tributes or those who are being Robin for someone else.
About the project: Instead of “liking” Robin and all that he stood for, you are being invited to be Robin for someone else. Let’s echo an immense legacy and fill the world with MORE love.
Let’s rise to the occasion and show that all the love Robin has given to us mattered in imagining and creating a better world for us all.
This scene in JUMANJI reminded me of a very funny conclusion in Robin’s stand up performances.
What an amazing soul we were graced with! ~ ~ ~ I’ve learned so much about humanity studying his life. It was time well spent.
~ Don’t think for a second that one person has all the answers…. THEY DON’T. Just get in the car and drive!! It might get a little messy, but sometimes THAT is part of the fun!
Any way that shows compassion for our planet and its people… PLEASE DON’T GIVE UP… even when the doors fall off, the windshield is gone and there are no brakes…. JUST GO!!!
Jumanji… It’s a jungle out there!
Saddle up, we headin’ south to the border!!
WhatDreamsMayCome.org is echoing Robin William’s spiritual legacy to bring MORE kindness to the world.
Beginning on Robin’s 64th birthday we started publishing some of his most inspirational works, tributes or those who are being Robin for someone else.
About the project: Instead of “liking” Robin and all that he stood for, you are being invited to be Robin for someone else. Let’s echo an immense legacy and fill the world with MORE love.
Let’s rise to the occasion and show that all the love Robin has given to us mattered in imagining and creating a better world for us all.
In the film The Fisher King, Robin Williams played a homeless man whose life as an academic was destroyed when his mind snapped after witnessing the brutal murder of his wife.
As a mentally ill homeless man who fancies himself a modern-day knight searching for the Holy Grail, his fervent wish of compassion for the homeless merges clearly merges with his off-screen legacy.
Not only did he raise nearly $70 million with friends for the homeless, but he also testified to Congress on the topic.
To understand the context of the film, The Fisher King, here is a modified trailer/spoiler. The film took a difficult subject and made it delightful and inspiring!
During the making of this film there is one particular scene where Robin was extra-ordinarily passionate. He literally was ripping his heart out to produce this scene below.
The director was having a difficult time consoling him and calming him because his passion was so strong. Read more HERE about the making of this scene above. It will help you better appreciate the video tribute I made and Robin’s tender heart.
PLEASE do see THIS video tribute and Robin’s prayer of compassion for the homeless.
You can learn more about the film in the links below:
This is a clip from the movie, with VERY subtle modifications. I modified the clock in this film from the dance scene at Grand Central Station.
I added two references from other films at 3m36. One is reference to the “no sheep” improv scene from Law and Order SVU The other reference came from Jumanji.
Pursuit of the Holy Grail has been the common thread of his career and his humanity.
You can learn more about the film in the links below:
Dead Poets Society isn’t the only film where Robin made it STUNNINGLY clear that words and ideas can change the world.
The Fisher King is a film that Robin poured all his life energy into and if you look at his life work holistically, you can understand why. Caution. Contains brief graphic violence ~3m11
You can learn more about the film in the links below:
Begins with the king as a boy, having to the spend the night alone
…in the forest to prove his courage, so he can become king.
While he’s spending the night alone…
…he’s visited by a sacred vision.
Out of the fire appears the Holy Grail…
…symbol of God’s divine grace.
And a voice said to said to the boy
“You shall be keeper of the Grail…
…so that it may heal
the hearts of men.”
But the boy was blinded by
greater visions of a life…
…filled with power
and glory and beauty.
And in this state
of radical amazement…
…he felt for a brief moment,
not like a boy…
…but invincible.
Like God.
So he reached in the fire
to take the Grail…
…and the Grail vanished…
…leaving him with his hand
in the fire to be terribly wounded.
Now, as this boy grew older…
…his wound grew deeper.
Until one day…
…life for him lost its reason.
He had no faith in any men,
not even himself.
He couldn’t love…
…or feel loved.
He was sick with experience.
He began to die.
One day, a fool wandered
into the castle and found the king alone.
And being a fool, he was simple-minded.
He didn’t see a king.
He only saw a man alone…
…and in pain.
And he asked the king,
“What ails you, friend?”
And the king replied:
” I’m thirsty. I need some water to cool my throat.”
So the fool took a cup from beside his bed, filled it with water…
…and handed it to the king.
And as the king began to drink…
…he realized his wound was healed.
He looked at his hands and there was the Holy Grail…
…that which he sought all of his life!
He turned to the fool and said with amazement
” How could you find that which my brightest and bravest could not?”
The fool replied:
” I don’t know.
I only knew that you were thirsty.”
PLEASE do see THIS video tribute and Robin’s prayer of compassion for the homeless.
You can learn more about the film in the links below:
This period when the Fisher King was released seems to be some of the happiest moments in his life.
HE WAS SO HILARIOUS… TRULY ON FIRE!
The above is 2 interviews. The first is after Good Morning Vietnam was released. Then starting at 35m is another interview as the Fisher King was being released.
I love his thoughts about the Fisher King. I had automatically created another identity too when I became homeless. My name became Serenity for almost 2 years. No forethought. It just happened. So his description about it fascinated me.
This is one of my favorite interviews. Anyone who deeply enjoys this sweet soul will be quite entertained by this long video.
…And his special laugh was so present during much of this interview. When you hear it, you know you are hearing such a pure joy!
PLEASE do see THIS video tribute and Robin’s prayer of compassion for the homeless.
You can learn more about the film in the links below:
In 1990 Robin Williams and Whoopie Goldberg testified before a Senate panel chaired by Senator Edward Kennedy urged Congress to support the Homelessness Prevention and Community Revitalization Act.
"...to truly prevent homelessness THAT'S where it lies. You can't keep picking people up. You have to stop them from falling."
While he appeared nervous at times during his testimony, he didn’t hesitate to slam anyone who took the crisis lightly. He urged Congress to look beyond such short-term “Band-Aid” efforts and to actually find long-term solutions to end homelessness.
Robin Williams led by example.
Together with Bob Zmuda, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal, the Academy Award-winning actor helped raise more than $70 million for Comic Relief, a nonprofit that donated 100 percent of its proceeds to help homeless people in need throughout the U.S. (Read more here.)
For Robin this was not just a matter of talking about the problem or writing a check. He was personally and directly involved.
Homelessness can happen for some incredible reasons that are painfully unjust. These same people then endure ridicule for their status or are even killed for it. (Let’s change that conversation.)
Homeless people deserve kindness and respect. Robin knew that passionately, because he took the time to understand how someone could end up homeless.
This is Robin’s legacy!
Fast-forward to 2015… Homelessness is a very big conversation. I can speak about many aspects of it because it happened to me when someone destroyed my home while I was physically VERY vulnerable.
I had a successful business and an advanced degree… I am one of many that said “It won’t happen to me” and it did.
I chose to take a situation that nearly killed me and turn it into a gift for thousands of people, by sharing TIPS FROM SURVIVORS. Insider lessons from those who lost their homes, so you can protect your loved ones, your home and life savings.
I hope in doing this, I can honor the legacy he and his friends inspired, and give us ALL the ability to better protect our homes and ability to thrive. YOU ARE INVITED TO BE A PART OF IT TOO.
Every bit of love matters to carry on these very important legacies for future generations!
PLEASE do see THIS video tribute and Robin’s prayer of compassion for the homeless.
You can learn more about the film in the links below:
Robin Williams’ most heartbreaking performance in The Fisher King was shared by the movie’s producer, Terry Gilliam, following Robin’s passing.
In this film Robin Williams played a homeless man whose life as an academic was destroyed when his mind snapped after witnessing the brutal murder of his wife. After becoming a mentally ill homeless man, he fancied himself a modern-day knight searching for the Holy Grail.
Gilliam said “I think his character in ‘The Fisher King’ is in many ways the closest one to Robin, just that range — the madness, the damage, the pain, the sweetness, the outrageousness. That was the role I think that stretched him to the limits.”
Gilliam singled out a scene as being particularly painful to remember in the wake of the actor’s passing. Robin moved from a romantic, blissful state into this more timid, frightened character as he got closer to his dream while fighting off the demon’s of his past.
From a director’s point of view it wasn’t a hard scene to shoot, but it was very hard from an acting point of view. Gilliam reminisced“Robin was tearing his guts out emotionally. The interesting thing about Robin in all of those scenes was that he always wanted to do another take. He felt he had even more anguish and pain to spill out of the character.”
Terry Gilliam had to stop him and say, “Robin, you’ve reached a point here, way beyond what we expected. We’ve got what we needed. Now you’re just hurting yourself.”
Gilliam said “That happened a couple of times while we were shooting this scene. The most worrisome moment for me was after he’s been chased by the Red Knight, when he’s running through the streets, and then he comes to the river, where the teenage punks arrive and knife him. We had to do other things on that night shoot, too, and things were going very slowly. Suddenly, we realized that we had like an hour until the dawn would arrive.”
This is the scene that Terry is referring to:
“The last shot we had to do was Robin running at the end of this scene, in this hysterical state.” Gilliam reminisced “You can even see the light ever so slightly beginning to come on the river in the background.”
Robin was so angry because it was such a crucial moment, and he felt he’d been cheated of his ability to really give this moment his all. Robin was an incredibly strong guy. When he’d worked himself into this state of madness for the part, nobody could approach him. The first assistant, the stunt guy … nobody wanted to get near him. They were terrified.”
So Gilliam said “Robin, what we have here is very good. And if we look at the rushes and it isn’t, I promise you, I will reshoot it.” And Gilliam had to hug him and hold him. He could feel these muscles that were so tense and so strong. “They felt like they could easily rip my head off.”
Here is the very scene that Terry Gilliam is referring to.
The symbolic importance of that scene is WAY BEYOND comprehension for some… but those who get it, REALLY GET IT.
Robin cared deeply for the homeless and vulnerable. As the curator of this website I cannot withhold the anguish I feel for not being able to go back in time to let Robin know how deeply I care for his dear soul and appreciate the feelings he had at that time.
This was a post Terry shared with friends after his passing:
The Snopes article on this is quite informative: 
