Barker hits a homer - Winedale-l

19 May 2012

For those of you not able to be there yesterday, we can report that Winedale alum Michael
Barker, looking quite distinguished and almost giddy (or dizzy?) at times in his
mortarboard and academic robes, knocked one out of the Erwin Center with a great
commencement address to all the College of Communication graduates and assembled family
and guests.  Doc looked equally grand as he sat onstage with the deans and faculty and
provided that extra gravitas that only a veteran of many such ceremonies can bring (though
inside sources confirm that even while onstage Doc was scheming on how to slip
Michael's speech out from the yellow file folder the honoree was clutching somewhat
anxiously -- never could quite distract Michael enough to pull it off).

There were plenty of wonderful Michael moments as he touched on the notion of the
"transformative moment" and told of the encounters that helped shape his path,
from landing at Winedale to meeting his wife Betsy (he recounted the day, the time, the
place!) to being a student of the great Stella Adler to a dreamlike walk down the Yellow
Brick Road (metaphorically and almost literally, as "Oz" had been filmed there)
on his first trip with partner Tom Bernard to the soundstages of the major studios in L.A.
to make the leap to forming Sony Pictures Classics.  

His message to the kids:  Nurture your desire, don't give up, be generous, learn to
accept failure (he recounted an SPC flop that did this for him, finally) and -- be brave. 
Among my favorite lines:  first, what I'm going to call Barker's Law (with
apologies to that other brilliant Michael we know), his summation of what he learned at
Winedale, that language could be "poetic and 100% true to life... at the same
time," and second, at the closing, a quote from his successful and mostly self-taught
father, who would worry aloud behind Michael's back long ago:  "I wonder if
seeing all these movies will ever amount to anything for the boy."  "Here I
am," Michael said simply, gesturing to the all surrounding him in the packed Drum. 
Yep!

Inspiring stuff from an inspiring guy.

Well done Michael!  Speaking for the Winedale cheering section there yesterday, and
I'm sure for all on this list too, we are proud of you and honored to count you as a
friend and a fellow player.

cs