Mel Gibson, Braveheart Poster in Julie's Office
Destination: Scotland
Movie: Braveheart
Chasing Mel
A Guest Post by Julie Sturgeon
My husband is the one who chose to see the newly opened movie Braveheart that weekend in May 1995, and I went along knowing absolutely nothing about the story other than it was a Mel Gibson film. With looks like that, he could read legal proceedings and I’d sit there counting it money well spent.
I walked out 3 hours later with a new obsession.
I couldn’t get enough information about this William Wallace and his Scotland. I expressed it in the usual ways: saw Braveheart 5 times in the theater, bought the letterbox version of the movie, snagged the cutout stand from a local video store, custom framed the full-sized movie poster in my office. And then I joined a Braveheart discussion board and virtually met people from around the world who counted themselves as “big fans” to say the least.
One of the couples living in Scotland decided to host a convention in 2000, complete with an historian who would lead the group to Wallace historical sites, a private showing of the movie, and a feast with dancing at Stirling Castle. The same day I learned the dates, my mailbox spit out an ad for an Indiana University alumni travel trip to Stirling, Scotland over those same dates. Translation: awesome travel package price.
When God hits me on the head with a hammer that hard, I usually get the message .
I told my husband to enjoy studying for his master’s degree, grabbed my passport and spent three days devoting every waking moment to Braveheart. The IU Scotland group, of course, had a daily agenda like all group travel plans. I simply didn’t show up for their program. .
Instead, I walked through the church where they believe Wallace lived as a child, and stood at the well outside Glasgow where he was likely betrayed. We climbed every one of those winding staircase steps to the top of the Wallace Monument. I danced with cast members James Robinson II (young William Wallace) and Andrew Weir (young Hamish), now teenagers, in a medieval costume to the sounds of a Scottish pipe band. A Paramount film crew captured much of it on tape, with excerpts shown on The Discovery Channel.
I wound up my travel weekend at a private showing of Braveheart, in an audience that included John Murtaugh, whose mug as Lochlan was larger than life on the screen in front of us. We had a nice conversation over lunch, although to be honest, I was so starstruck, I don’t remember a word of it.
My only regret is that Mel Gibson didn’t drop in as a surprise guest. I had my camera ready, even if I doubt I could have found the words to ask for a photo.
Julie Sturgeon
Julie Sturgeon is a 25-year journalist who is now putting her research skills to work as a travel agent finding vacation deals. When she is not chasing Mel Gibson,er-ah, William Wallace, you can also find her blogging at Curing Cold Feet.
PDF Tags: Braveheart, guest post, Mel Gibson, movie location, Scotland, William Wallace
Vera, no that’s not a particular Clan plaid. It’s a “I was on sale” plaid suit I bought back when I was wearing a size 4. Currently, it’s a “I wish someone could wear me” plaid suit hanging in the back of my closet.
I do, however, have the Wallace clan pattern in a wool blanket spread out in the bay window of my office where my Hard Rock Cafe bear collection sits. That was my big souvenir from the trip, after I learned I couldn’t afford the hand-made custom kilt I’d hoped to buy.
.-= Julie´s last blog ..Trials of a Night Owl =-.
This post not only makes me want to visit Scotland, but I even kinda like Mel Gibson again now! (Kinda…)