He does not make any excuses and does not try to blame it on a mental condition (although I might be inclined to believe it was a factor). He didn't use any phrases like "I made some bad choices" or attempt to argue that he should be released. He came across in the film as sincere.
--
They're justified and ancient and they know what time is love.
[deleted]
[deleted]
I found Gator to be a somewhat sympathic character. He was a teen/young man caught up in the glamor of stardom and wasn't given the proper guidance (like many young celebs.). This in addition to his unbalanced mental state and alcohol addled brain, is ultimately a recipe for disaster. I am certainly not condoning what he did, but there were certainly extinuating circumstances leading up to the murder. I believe he turned to God because he believed he had nowhere else to turn (celebrity is full of false friends) and this perhaps wasn't the correct choice for such an unstable point in his life. He had swung one way on the pendulum in his glory days and now swung wildly back in the other direction. Gator is now 37 years old, and can feel true remorse for his heinous crime, even if he never has before. As a teen of the eighties myself, I can certainly say I am not the same person I was when I was 23.
Or perhaps I am just waxing nostalgic(I, like Gator was raised in San Diego on a skateboard).
I totally agree. It seems that he was going through a rough time. Being 21 myself, I can see how that type of sudden sucess and failure, along with other cirumstances, could get a hold of the best of us. I have never been a fan of skateboarding, but this movie touched me.
shareWether or not he is sincere is irrelevant, he can't erase or change the fact that he violently killed someone.
shareEveryone makes some good points on this thread, however, consider this counter-point:
Gator was a self-obsessed, self-centered dick. He was bi-polar and his whole world was about nothing but "Gator".
Consider this too, where was his remorse and morality while he was beating that girl with the steering wheel club? Where was his conscience when he was raping her? Do you think he was thinking about her? About her family? Hell no. Gator was all about Gator.
If he's so "Christian"-remember he found god BEFORE the crime- what did he think gave him the right to take another persons life? Isn't that God's job?
All in all, it was a great but sad movie. But in my opinion, no one should be giving that guy any sympathy at all.
That's the impression I got as well. Frankly Brandi seemed like a stuck up b*tch herself. Rich white kids with an over inflated sense of importance.
--
"Surrender Dorothy!"
The majority of the professional skatebaording community from that era who were friends with him feel the same way, and I don't blame them. Jason Jesse said it right when he said that girl's dad should spend everyday of his life making sure Gator stays in prison.
shareExactly. I grew up in So. Cal. and a bunch of my friends knew him from being on the circuit back then, and all agree that while he was an awesome skater, he was an arrogant jerk. They also said Brandi was a gold digger, they didn't like her at ALL.
But, it does go to show what a positive home life does for you! Tony Hawk is the success that he is because he had parents that really looked out for him and supported him. Mark could've had all of that, had it not been for his deep-seeded anger issues. I think he's exactly where he needs to be. The sad thing is, Jessica had the misfortune of looking like Brandi, so I believe he was "killing" Brandi, not Jessica in his warped mind.
It's just a huge tragedy, because kids back then really looked up to him as a role model.
"You're such a pillow case!"-Heathers
If he had gotten the help he needed, instead of turning to all that bible stuff, he might have been okay. I do kinda feel sorry for him. I mean, by al accounts he was a dickweed, but what do you expect? When young boys make craploads of cash, they often go off the rails.
shareIt wasn't just Tony's home life that grounded him, but also Stacy Peralta, which is what was hinted at several times in the movie: That lots of teams didn't have anyone guiding the young teamriders.
Stacy was part owner of Powell Peralta, but also the team manager and guidance counselor (having come from being a young pro himself). All the original Bones Brigade members talk about how much Stacy looked out for them.
Yeah, and what he did was way beyond screwed up. The fact he raped her and then beat her head into a bloody pulp, and then buried her in the boonies is serial killer kind of stuff. I'll be amazed if he ever gets out to be honest.
shareGator is 37? He was born in 1966. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0737393/
He is 39 and will be eligible for parole next year when he is 43 according to the following article: http://pw1.netcom.com/~coryjohn/gator.html
Well, either way, I wouldn't count on him getting out of prison anytime soon. I believe someone can be remorseful for what they do, but I think he's going to have a seriously hard time getting out. Keep in mind that he did some pretty extreme things to that girl, and then buried her out in the middle of nowhere. He'll be lucky if he gets out at the 40 years served mark.
This wasn't Christian Hosoi selling some meth, this is still a pretty haunting thing, and I don't think anyone really wants to see him out of prison. I've heard Tony Hawk telling some people that he could careless if he gets out of prison or not, and a lot of the other skaters have that attitude, including Jay Adams.
Gator does not come off as sincere at all in the film. During the trial he seems to be playing a role. He constantly smirks and shakes his head as his horrible crimes are described in graphic detail. In his phone calls from prison he talks about how he will never lose control again and that he is sorry about bringing a bad name on skating. Never does he say that he is sorry and remorseful for raping and brutally murdering an innocent girl. He does not seem to have the slightest clue what kind of a horrible act he has committed. He is a textbook narcissist. He is a star, it is all about him and other people are just supporting players in the grand drama that is his life. What he did was unforgiveable and there are no excuses or apologies that can make up for it.
share
NightOwl0 has summed it up perfectly.
The only impression I got was one of a truly broken human who regrets the position he finds himself in far more than the acts he performed.
*beep* him.