Goodnight Sweet Liz

Today here at Film Gab we hang our heads at the passing of a legend. Elizabeth Taylor will be eulogized today in just about every possible newspaper, e-mail and blog posting because she was the embodiment of that rare creature we call a "Moviestar." From her days as a young starlet at MGM in films like National Velvet (1944) to her more mature roles in films like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), Taylor was more than just a beautiful woman. She was an actress with a passionate desire to grow and develop. Not content to just be a "violet-eyed beauty", Taylor made dynamic and powerful film role choices that earned her five Academy Award nominations and two wins. That passion spilled over into her personal life causing headlines around the world when affairs and marriages erupted, sometimes tranishing her reputation, but more often than not, simply adding to her glamour and allure. As her film career faded, Taylor did not sit idly by. She became one of the first outspoken AIDS activists, giving a public voice to a disease that many others were trying to hide. Taylor lived a full life- the kind she might have portrayed on screen. And we are grateful for every moment of it.