Friends With Friends Actor

Back in college I had just discovered Elton John from my older brother. This was early Elton, very early before he devolved into crappy music, cringe-worthy stage costuming, and flamboyant social jet-setter. If you listen to his early stuff it was pretty decent and I liked it a lot. One of his first albums was a little thing called Friends, and ended up being a soundtrack for a movie of the same name. The plot of the movie was typical for the time: anti-establishment, youth-as-saviors-to-corrupt-society, and free love.

The plot from Wikipedia: "In this teen romance, a young neglected English boy (Sean Bury) runs away and becomes friends with a French girl (Anicée Alvina) in the same flight. Together, they go to an idyllic marsh location in France (the Camargue), become lovers, set up housekeeping, have a baby, and play at being responsible adults, discovering along the way many of the troubles involved, before ultimately becoming separated by police responding to a missing persons report."

The movie was fairly popular at the time and a sequel was even filmed a couple of years later called Paul and Michelle.  I went to see it since I was in love at the time and the music was very good.  It was just one of those youthful things I can't explain, and probably don't want to anymore than I have. 

Anyway to segue to one of the advantages of Facebook is the ability to look up old friends, acquaintances and maybe stumble on a past "thing" and have fun with the teleportive magic of social media.  On a whim I looked up a Sean Bury on Facebook to inquire if he was the Sean Bury and to offer my sentiments on his movie made many many years ago. 

As luck would have it, it was, indeed, the Sean Bury and so we struck up a bit of a conversation. Over a series of emails, we talked About the movie (he still gets positive comments from fans), Anicee (she died about four years ago), and people who find him on Facebook (he is amazed anyone still remembers).  

He mentioned a comment director Lewis Gilbert made to him after the premier, "You don't have anything to be sorry for.  And you don't have anything to be proud of, either." 

"At the time of filming, I had no idea that the little film we made all those years ago would have touched so many people's hearts. I am still amazed by the kind letters I am still receiving from all over the world, even from the children of people of my age."

"Sadly Anicee passed away back in 2006, But before she did, a strange twist of fate brought us together as "friends" after a 30yr+ absence about a year before she died."

"Lewis Gilbert, the director, wrote a book last year "All My Flashbacks".  Bless him, in the book he mentions the making of "Friends". Out of all the films he made, I guess it touched him too."

Nice of him to respond.  By the way, his film career didn't last long and moved back to England after a short stay in Hollywood, and has had a career working with kids in a correctional setting.  Hmmm.   Try it, you might be surprised who you can find.