How do you ask a room full of executives, actors, writers and producers expecting humor to forgive someone of an offense? That was exactly what happened recently at the Cinematheque Award Ceremony when Robert Downey Jr. received the prestigious honor.<\/p>\n
During Downey Jr.\u2019s acceptance speech, he said. \u201cI asked Mel to present this award for me for a reason. When I couldn\u2019t get sober, he told me not to give up hope and encouraged me to find my faith. It didn\u2019t have to be his or anyone else\u2019s as long as it was rooted in forgiveness. And I couldn\u2019t get hired, so he cast me in the lead of a movie that was actually developed for him. He kept a roof over my head and food on the table and most importantly he said if I accepted responsibility for my wrongdoing and embraced that part of my soul that was ugly \u201d\u201c hugging the cactus he calls it \u201d\u201d he said that if I hugged the cactus long enough, I\u2019d become a man.<\/p>\n
\u201c . . he asked in return that someday I help the next guy in some small way. It\u2019s reasonable to assume at the time he didn\u2019t imagine the next guy would be him or that someday was tonight. So . . . I would ask that you join me, unless you are completely without sin . . . in forgiving my friend his trespasses and offering him the same clean slate you have me.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Who would have thought 10 years ago that Robert Downey Jr. would have such care for another actor to plea for someone else\u2019s forgiveness, and such respect in the community that the audience would respond in applause and thereby give forgiveness implicitly.<\/p>\n