Seven years after playing the title roles in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie surprised the world with the announcement of their engagement. Pitt and Jolie fell in love while filming “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and became a pair when the shooting ended.
Since then this sensational affair has not stopped being front-page news. Therefore, some observers may wonder what the fuss is all about. After all, they’ve been a stellar couple for so long, and have three adopted and three natural children. What’s the big deal?
Well, first, Pitt and Jolie have always maintained that they would marry only when gay couples everywhere in the US were allowed to marry.
Second, to the couple’s kids, their parents’ marriage is a very big deal. The celebrity couple has said that their kids were instrumental in convincing them to “do the right thing” and legitimize them, not just in the eyes of the world—but more importantly, in their own estimation. Bravo to “Brangelina” for subsuming their own “free spirits” for the sake of their children’s happiness.
To mark the special occasion, Pitt gifted his beloved with a stunning 10-carat diamond ring that he himself designed.
Aside from Brangelina and their children, this impending marriage could make many other offspring of unmarried couples happy, if it launches a trend for live-in partners finally to legitimize their union.
In local show biz, for instance, there are quite a number of couples who proclaim that “marriage is just a piece of paper” and swear that they’re bringing up their love children in the best possible way. But have they ever asked their kids for their thoughts on the subject? The outcome of such a belated discussion may surprise them—perhaps enough for them to arrive at their own moment of truth, as Brad and Angelina have done.
Other inspirational stars
Celebrities have been showing the way for the rest of us in other instances as well. George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Oprah Winfrey are only a few of the stars who have spent millions of dollars to help the disadvantaged, or have come to the rescue of the planet’s besieged environment.
Even when they simply do their work well, they set inspiring touchstones of excellence that make life more bearable and meaningful. Despite, at times, failing in their own lives, they continue to inspire when they pick themselves up and resume the struggle against their inner demons.
A sterling case in point is Robert Downey Jr. who, after repeated bouts with cocaine and several failed attempts at rehabilitation, turned his career around, and now enjoys a spring in his stellar trajectory—as an A-List luminary.
Britney Spears also comes to mind—and we hope that sooner or later, the list will include Lindsay Lohan, who struggles and fails often, but who is too good a talent for us to give up on permanently.