I'm here to write a small human spin on the film Gia. As this film claims, Gia WAS different things to different people. I know because I met Gia in Philadelphia when we were both 16. I casually knew her from her father's hoagie shop because I went in there often to eat. When I chose to go to college in Philadelphia a few years later, I dropped in occasionally at the shop and I always said hello to Gia's dad to ask how she was doing as a model. He was so proud of her and what she was accomplishing in New York and all over the world. He always had that picture of her in Cosmopolitian above his cash register and he let me look at it. I just knew Gia would do well. Years pass, I move to the West coast. In 1982, I'm in New York and I heard she was right up the street from where I was, and I wanted to stop by to say "Hi" but never got the chance, I was too busy in meetings and never thought about it again. It wasn't until 1990 I heard she died, and the way she died and it tore me to pieces. So tragic to someone many of us thought from our generation, our backgrounds, our area "had made it." In 1998, this movie was done and I thought done as good as it could be. I know there were those closer to Gia that knew more and didn't appreciate it, but I did, and I miss her. Angelina Jolie did some very serious acting to bring this part of Gia's life to the screen. The movie was of theatrical quality and its a shame it didn't get that release. But thanks to this movie, there was a great deal of Gia's life I knew nothing about after 17 years old. But the ending was what touched me, because that is how I will remember Gia, and wish for everyone to remember her as well, even with the rough and gritty content contained in her life brought to screen. This is a hard must see for those who think a model's life is exciting, it can be, but they will also learn its nothing without the love of your parents, stable friends and relationships and the love of yourself - no matter what yourself may be.
