Happy 46th Birthday, Billy Zane! Since the early 2000s, Zane has kind of fallen into handsome obscurity, but with "Titanic" heading back to theaters this April, it's the glory days of 1997 all over again!
Upon my 100th another viewing of the epic, this time appearing in stunning 3D, I had an over-10-year-old realization about Kate Winslet's dashing lesser-paramour, Cal Hockley: he actually really loved Rose.
Without diminishing the love between Jack and Rose (heavens no!), Cal kind of got a raw deal aboard the Titanic. Imagine: you take your financially ruined fiance -- and her horrid mother -- aboard the most luxurious ocean-liner ever created and the girl runs off with some beautiful 3rd class boy. Not only do Jack and Rose do it in the back of a coach, she leaves that rude note in his safe along with Jack's nudie drawing. And! To add insult to injury, she's wearing his le Coeur de la Mer! That's just in poor taste. Trust me, back in the bosom of Philadelphia's society, everyone sided with Cal.
So to celebrate Zane's birthday, below are 13 reasons that "Titanic's" Cal wasn't that bad of a boyfriend.
1) "You can be blase about some things, Rose, but not about Titanic!" (Yeah, Rose!)
2) Yes, he takes away her cigarette but smoking is BAD for you!
3) He called her sweet pea.
4) He bought her all those Picassos and Monets.
5) Cal pretends Rose's mother isn't the most abhorrent thing in the world.
6) He knows she's been melancholy.
7) He gave her that necklace.
8) And pronounced le Coeur de la Mer correctly.
9) "Oh, open your heart to me, Rose." (OK, that's gross.)
10) "Any room for a gentleman, gentlemen?" The most civil and hilarious way of weaseling onto a lifeboat, ever.
11) Gave her his coat.
12) Cal denied a lifeboat in order to chase after her.
12) "I hope you two will be very happy together!"
13) In spite of everything she did -- lie, cheat, spit in his face -- Cal went to the steerage section to search for her. Sorry -- that's love.
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