I remember cocky Maverick played by Tom Cruise in the film Top Gun. I'm not a Tom Cruise groupie, but I'm a Top Gun story fan.
What hit me hard in the film was the death of Maverick's best friend, Goose. He felt like he had family in his best friend. [I identify with that regarding own best friend, Kim] Sudden tragic death of a young healthy man and father is never easy to accept.
Top Gun develops through young Maverick's character metamorphosis. He arrives overconfident to an elite combat training school; cocky and overconfident. Pride gets in his way depicted in air combat drills which Maverick uses to prove a point and show off his skills by making a foolish fly by of another combatant trainee.
Maverick was pleased with himself but the behavior earned him a dressing down from his superior regarding reckless behavior and a treat of expulsion for risking lives foolishly and damaging his superior's faith in his ability to be dependable for his fellow pilots.
Goose dies of a tragic accident unexpectedly during another day of combat flight training. Maverick loses his best friend and changes in that moment. Grief nearly drives him to quit the elite school.
Some things never make sense and we look back and keep looking back, but we cannot do this for too long without losing ourselves. My most painful lessons in life were often followed by my deepest convictions and changes of heart.
This is my five
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