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Stanley Kubrick's Daughter "Lost" to Scientology, Mom Says
In an 8.18 interview with Christiane Kubrick, the 78 year-old widow of Stanley Kubrick, Guardian contributor Jon Ronson reveals what seems to me like an exceptionally sad fact. Vivian Kubrick, 50, who played "Squirt" in 2001: A Space Odyssey and who shot that Making of 'The Shining' doc, succumbed to Scientology about a decade ago, and now her mother considers her "lost."
"She was hugely loved, and now I've lost her," Christiane says. "You know that? I used to keep all this a secret as I was hoping it would go away. But now I've lost hope. So. She's gone."
"It all began, she says, while Stanley was editing Eyes Wide Shut, which starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Stanley asked Vivian to compose the score, but at the last moment she said she wouldn't. Instead, she disappeared into San Francisco and Los Angeles. 'They had a huge fight," Crhistiane recalls. 'He was very unhappy. He wrote her a 40-page letter trying to win her back. He begged her endlessly to come home from California. I'm glad he didn't live to see what happened.'
"On the day of Stanley's funeral, Christiane says, "Vivian arrived with a woman nobody recognized. She just sat in Vivian's room. Never said hello to us. Just sat. We were all spooked. Who was this person? Turns out she was a Scientology something-or-other, don't know what."
Scientology "is [Vivian's] new religion," Christiane explains. "It had absolutely nothing to do with Tom Cruise by the way. Absolutely not."
"I think she must have been very upset [by her father's death]," Christiane says, "but, again, I wouldn't know. I know nothing. That is the truth. I can't reach her at all. I've had two conversations with her since Stanley died. The last one was eight years ago. She became a Scientologist and didn't want to talk to us any more and didn't see her dying sister Anya, didn't come to her funeral. And these were children [who] had been joined at the hip."
The following portion of Ronson's interview stopped me short: "[Christiane] says that when Stanley was alive, he kept her and their daughters cosseted from stress, from life's legal and financial arrangements, allowing them to float through Childwickbury without worries."
Let me explain something. If anything is going to interfere with the ability of a younger person to cope with life when they begin to make their way on their own, it is having been "cosseted from stress" and shielded from "life's legal and financial arrangements" as a child.
Parents believe that allowing a child "to float through" his or her early life "without worries" is a profound expression of love. It is in fact one of the worst things you can do to a son or daughter. I know three or four people who lived somewhat shielded lives as children, and now they could arguably be called hiders in one way or another. They aren't unhealthy or uninteresting people, mind, but they seem to have sought to recreate that sense of being "sheltered from the storm" that they knew during childhood. The strongest people tend to be those who've experienced a little up and down and rough and tumble in their formative years. Like me.
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Comments
Your opinion is not valid.
"The strongest people tend to be those who've experienced a little up and down and rough and tumble in their formative years. Like me." Wow, if only Vivian could have used whatever of Stanley's Genius was passed in her DNA to achieve something close to your journalistic talent.
Perhaps someone like Stanley who saw in such an overwhelming level of detail, focusing his immense stress over perfection in art is not built like you. Maybe he experienced more stress than your average person and his daughter possessed similar traits. I have a hard time believing Stanley, who also studied a lot of psychology, was so characteristically methodical in everything but the raising of his child.
You've based your argument on a single quote. I suppose I should still accept it as you are obviously a STRONG PERSON to be held above Stanley Kubrick and his daughter.
And this argument does not concern Scientology in the slightest. This concerns your ego and lack of respect for the late Genius.
This should be a huge wake up call
to all those young lives who want to emulate celebrities even down to their religion, without really thinking, without honoring themselves.
You don't go to the dentist when you have a brain tumor and you shouldn't rely on celebrities to guide you to God!
disconnection
Scientology recruitment tactics prey upon the troubled and the unaware. Tom Cruise spent several months living with the Kubrick's while working on the film. during that time he must have influenced Vivian at some point. Christine stated in her interview Vivian had a falling out with her father during the post production of Eyes wide shut, Vivian was said to have fled to Fan Francisco then Los Angeles. Christine also stated Tom Cruise had nothing to do with Vivian Joining Scientology.
Tom would not be a good Scientologist if he didn't try and recruit.and (KSW) and it would be out of character if he didn't given his efforts like Will Smith and more recently in the News Zac Effron.
Vivan drifted to LA and began working on the score for a film "The Mao Game" with Scientologists Kirstie Alley-Jeffry Tambour-and Giovanni Ribisi what Tom Cruise didn't finish others certainly did.by KSW (Keep Scientology Working) its a mantra that pushes Scientology's goals at all costs.
Vivian certainly fit the recruitment profile a Semi Celebrity with ties to money.
While Vivian was in LA He Father Stanley Died.. the article stated Vivian arrived home at the Funeral with a a woman nobody recognized. "She just sat in Vivian's room. Never said hello to us. Just sat. We were all spooked. Who was this person? Turns out she was a Scientology something-or-other" the woman was whats Called a "Handler" its the trained handlers job to keep Vivian from leaving Scientology at all costs. their motive was less about moral support and more about KSW.
Disconnection is mandatory for a Scientologist who either can convince family to join enforces its members to discontinue communications and associations with anyone it considers an enemy (or potential enemy) to the Church of Scientology
disrupting relationships is what Scientology does best to Keep Vivian in the fold, she had to disconnect from he family who would probably never join and would be a risk of convincing Vivian to Leave Scientology.
Vivian being pigh profile wealthy celebrity
"fresh meat"("Scientology term") a Handler was sent along with Vivian to her fathers Funeral to prevent this from happening.
this is an example on how Scientology manipulates its followers
correction
Re: disconnection
for a Scientologist who either cannot convince family to join
it enforces its members to discontinue communications and associations with anyone it considers an enemy (or potential enemy) to the Church of Scientology
Scientology Celebrity Centre tactics
Scientology espouses communication and yet Vivian is convinced that it is dangerous to communicate with her loved ones. As well, she has not done any work of merit in Hollywood since being taken under the church's Celebrity Centre wing. Such a shame for such a talented and loved woman. This is the end product of most artists and 'celebrities' in Scientology. Condolences to the Kubrick family. I know your pain.
Scientology Disconnection Policy
While you make a good argument about Mr Kubrick's decision to sheild his family, it is never the less a travesty that Vivian, while on a rebellous whim, chose the worst cult in America to seek refuge in. Mrs. Kubrick's announcement about it is a welcome cry for many others, with less notoriety and cosseting of their children, who have suffered the same fate of losing a loved one to this cult.
Well, THIS is dismaying.
Stanley Kubrick was one of my heroes. Yeah, he obviously was too overprotective of his children, just as he was reluctant to grant interviews. But I doubt if there will ever be another film director quite like him. And "2001: A Space Odyssey" is my favorite movie of all time. Vivian Kubrick will forever be best known as "Squirt," the little daughter that Dr. Heywood Floyd (William Syvester) has a Picturephone conversation with while en route to the Moon. And for anyone who watches the DVD issue of "The Shining," the accompanying documentary "Making the Shining" was directed by Vivian Kubrick.
But now she has drifted in Scientology, that trendy so-called "religion" apparently designed specifically rich and famous space cases. What a shame. I feel sorry for Kubrick's widow.