"The Gift" Is More Real Than You May Think, Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              Remember how, in my first post for the film, I cited the documentary year book approach of one of the trailers, pointing out cases where the bullied had taken their revenge?  On the trailer the last case referred to is a 68-year-old man, who drove to the home of a former classmate, who had bullied him fifty years before--and shot him dead.

                                 I further asked if any of these stories were real, because I wanted to know more about them, and write on them.  Well, I sort of got my wish.  I came across a case that pretty much mirrors the final case in the trailer.  In January of 2102 a 73-year-old man named Carl Ericcson drove to the home of a former high school classmate, Norman Johnson, about the same age.  He asked the man his name, and when he gave it, Ericcon shot him in the head with a gun, killing him.

                                 Pretty similar, isn't it?

                                  The reason for the murder was a longstanding grudge held by Ericcson against Johnson for a prank pulled on him in the locker room.  Johnson was a track star, and Ericcson a student sports manager.  The claim seems to be that Johnson placed a jock strap on Ericcson's head, which was humiliating to him.

                                     I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous.

                                     Neither was a loser.  Johnson stayed on in the area, becoming a successful gym teacher and coach at Madison High School, in South Dakota.  He had a wife and family, and the affection of the community for him was evident by the turnout at his funeral.

                                        Ericcson was no slouch, either.  He graduated from North Dakota State University, lived in Wyoming for a time, was married for 44 years to  his wife, Deanna, and had children. He had just retired after a 25 plus year career in insurance.

                                          But, he was under a psychiatrist's care, suffering both from anxiety and depression, which I can relate to.  Whether he was on medication that he forgot to take, or what, something triggered him to act out this fifty year vendetta.

                                           So, there IS some truth to this film.

                                            Just as there is some truth to the stories described.  If I find anything correlating to the others, I will let you know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Cannot wait to see "The Gift," darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just three or four more days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!