Vaya con Dios, Patrick Swayze

by ThaneEconomou

Patrick Swayze was one of the coolest actors of all time. And while other more “respectable” reporters may choose to emphasize the films Dirty Dancing or Ghost, those are not the movies I consider to be his high achievements. No, in my mind three particular roles stand out. Three roles wherein Mr. Swayze redefined cool, confident, awesome, American, kick-ass, and much more.

If you ever wanted a crash course in how to be a man, here are three examples, courtesy of Patrick Swayze.

 

Jed Eckert in Red Dawn:

When the Communists invade America, the only man to stand up to them is Patrick Swayze. He leads a rag-tag group of high schoolers, and trains them to become the most feared guerilla squad in occupied U.S.A. He is a former quarterback, red-blooded American man who represents all that the Commies wish to destroy.

How badass is he? He shoots a Soviet soldier point blank in the face. He forces C. Thomas Howell to drink deer blood. Right before killing the main communist villain, he mutters the phrase: “you lose.”

He even gains the respect of the sympathetic communist Col. Ernesto Bella, who allows him to pass unharmed after destroying half the Russian army. The colonol lowers his gun, and says, “vaya con dios.”

 

James Dalton in Road House:

“Pain don’t hurt.” - James Dalton

Road House may just be the greatest film ever made. And James Dalton may be cinema’s coolest, most kick ass character ever. He is a world famous bouncer with a degree in philosophy from NYU who will stand and fight for what is right.

In this role, Patrick Swayze showed America you don’t have to be an big man to be imposing. That philosophy is the study of “man’s search for faith. That sort of shit.” And that you can be a man of peace all you want, but if trouble comes knocking, you just might have to rip a man’s throat out.

Which he does.

 

Bodhi in Point Break:

As a surfing bank robber, Swayze played his deepest, and wisest, role of all. Bodhi taught us: “If you want the ultimate, you’ve got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It’s not tragic to die doing what you love.” 

At the end of the film, Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) is prepared to arrest Bodhi. But decides to let him surf one more wave. Utah shakes his hand, telling his friend, “Vaya con Dios, brah.”

 

Well, Patrick Swayze has entered the waters and will not return from this wave. But just like Johnny Utah sending him off into the ocean, or Col. Bella sending him past in Communist occupied Colorado, all we can say is this:

Vaya con Dios, Patrick Swayze.