sovay | Here's one thing I learned from the movies

My laptop was open on the table behind me as I hugged

derspatchel, who therefore saw the first page of the Guardian before I did and said in shock, "Debbie Reynolds died!"

I had heard about her possible stroke on the way home. I was hoping it would be the kind she could recover from. No parent should have to lose a child, no matter what age, but no child should have to lose parent and grandparent in the same two days. Without the death of Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds could have died tonight and we would all have said, "2016, you suck, but she was eighty-four, people have the right to start dropping dead at eighty-four, everybody cue up Singin' in the Rain, dammit." With the death of Carrie Fisher, I am left hoping most of all that Billie Lourd has serious support around her, because it's one thing for the fans, but it's another for the family. And I already wanted one of the arthouses in this town to run a print of I Love Melvin (1953) because of Donald O'Connor's rollerskating dance; in memoriam of Reynolds was not the kind of encouragement I was looking for.

I assume we shall just take it as read that Lifetime Achievement at the Oscars this year is going to Death.

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They'll both miss their loved ones for ages. In terms of stress levels, my immediate thought was that Todd will not only have to plan two funerals (including arranging for police to cope with mob scenes outside), he'll presumably need to deal with two estates and all that bureaucracy. Billie is in her early 20s, and without knowing either of them at all, just knowing loving uncles, I expect he'll try to take the responsibilities off her shoulders so she can simply grieve. Most adult children (or siblings) have similar problems, but the timing and the fame will make it so much harder for him.

Here's one thing I learned from the movies

Todd and Billie