9. Vincent And The Doctor
Lured by a mysterious, not nice, face, in the window of a cathedral, in a painting by Van Gogh, the Doctor and Amy nip back in time to sort it out. They meet Vincent, who develops a wee crush on Amy, and we get to see the insecure, tortured genius in the flesh - played brilliantly by Tony Curran - and I'm not just saying that 'cause I know him! It is no secret that this is one of my all-time favorite episodes. The fluff part of the plot is the invisible creature. For me, it's so much more. Written by Richard Curtis, it is both poignant and funny as it depicts a man with one unsteady foot in reality with the other firmly placed in his heightened wondrous world, where he can hear colors and nature shouting, 'Come on, capture my mystery!' In his life-time, Vincent was considered a mad, drunk, no-talent loser; he died in poverty, at 37, in despair, never knowing how beloved and respected that he would become. After slaying the poor beast, the Doctor and Amy break the rules and bring Vincent to present-day Musee d'Orsay. He's curious about everything he sees, then stunned at the people crowding around his paintings. The look in Vincent's eyes when he hears Bill Nighy, playing a curator, gush about how brilliant he is, 'Not only the world's greatest artist but one of the greatest men who ever lived,' makes me cry every time - I'm crying now as I'm writing/watching it again - then the look on Bill Nighy's face, after Vincent kisses him and apologizes for his scratchy beard, makes me laugh. After depositing a buoyant Vincent back where he belongs, the Doctor and Amy race back to the museum to see if he'd painted any more. I know, intellectually, that he didn't, but like Amy, I always hope...
The Lesson: Believe in yourself and live your dreams - even if everyone mocks you - you may be ahead of your time. Do not give your power away to bullies, doubt and fear. You never knew how future generations will view you. You have one chance to be you in all your glory. Take it! Be yourself, be brilliant and follow the vision inside you. Never give up!