Pat Morita: More Than an Actor to Me

Okay, you all know I am an 80's child. And you can't see how much Pat's death has hit someone until you go into the mind of a person brought up in the 1980's. To some, Pat was just an actor but he was more than that to me. I was a little girl when Karate Kid came out in 1984. I was too young to understand the entire movie but still I enjoyed it. Course I've seen it a thousand times since then so I understand it all now.

What made that movie so famous and special was how a boy who had no friends and felt he belonged nowhere found more love from an older gentleman than he could find anywhere else. It was the bond between Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) that made fans come alive for appreciation of this movie. I used to see Karate Kid and say, " Why are they showing this again? " Because we all know they showed it every week. But now I will be sad and probably won't be able to watch it because now that Pat's dead I am only going to be reminded of how long ago my childhood was, and how much I miss the 80's. Some people may see Karate Kid as just a film that spawned sequels but it was more than that.

You think the talk over Titanic was huge, it wasn't anything compared to the popularity of The Karate Kid. That film still lives on in the hearts of many adults and reminds them how it was to be a child of the 80's. The effect this film has on the 80's generation is amazing. You won't find anyone in the world who hasn't heard of or seen this movie at least once. Joining the ranks of action films like Rocky, Star Wars and Rambo, it can't be forgotten and it will never be replaced. Even films like Titanic won't ever duplicate the emotional foundation The Karate Kid has on generations.

When the film came out there was a video game, lunch kits, cartoon series, books, clothes, dolls…anything you could imagine that could be made for a movie was made. The Karate Kid is a film that could never be replaced and though I sometimes get sick of watching it, I will never get sick of seeing the bond between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. Why? Because it was a true friendship, a friendship that anyone would be lucky to have. A friendship that people only dream of. A friendship that can move mountains, enabling anything to happen.

I will miss Pat very much. By the way, I am crying right now.