PEACE. LOVE. LUNGES.

More pics after the jump…

by Sam Page, CFT

I’m torn about seeing “The Dark Knight” this weekend, mostly because I still miss Heath Ledger. This photo of Heath’s mate, Adam Sutton, reminded me again just how much. The more I read about 32-year-old Adam, I realized: there’s a silver lining to the story.

Adam lives in Australia and was dubbed “the real gay cowboy” by the Sydney Morning Herald. His new book, “Say It Out Loud: Journey of a Real Cowboy” is published by Random House and getting good reviews…

When Heath Ledger finished reading the script for Brokeback Mountain — a film about a love affair between two American cowboys – he thought of his friend Adam Sutton, and told him, ‘I’ve just read this script and it sounds a lot like you.’ He was right: Adam’s own life was reflected in many of the film’s themes.

Brokeback Mountain went on to establish itself as a cultural landmark and its impact was felt far beyond the cinema: it was a human story, not a gay story, and audiences of every type responded around the world. Similarly, when Adam Sutton’s story appeared on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald, the response was immediate and extraordinary. ‘Meet Heath’s mate, the real gay cowboy,’ the headline ran, and thousands did—setting a five-year sales record for the paper, and prompting the TV programme Australian Story to devote an episode to Adam’s story.

By nature Adam was a masculine daredevil who survived on the strength of his boisterous character. He was ‘the crazy bastard’ — the maddest, bravest bloke in the room — who had faced tragedy, a prison stint, and five long years on the road that took him from one side of Australia to the other, but who could not face himself. His extraordinary and unlikely journey from the world of cowboys, rodeos and stereotypes, to Hollywood and, finally, to self-acceptance, is a powerful reminder that sometimes truth is even stranger than Hollywood fiction.

In April, Adam completed “The Great Walk to Beijing” with actress Olivia Newton-John to help raise money for cancer research and treatment. Along the trek, he blogged, revealing a personal side to his newfound celebrity.

Great work, mate!

© 2008 SAM PAGE | about