Paul Walker’s Furious 7 Tribute (Spoiler)

The cast and crew of Furious 7 were left with a dilemma. Do they continue production of Furious 7, and if they do, how do they make up for the loss of the franchise’s star and main player in the film? Vin Diesel has spoken at several screenings and promotional events talking about how wonderfully the crew and studio held him up in support of the loss. He knew that they had to finish the film to give his brother, Pablo, the respectful legacy he deserves.

In Furious 7, they did just that. The farewell to Walker’s character, Brian O’Connor was beautiful. In fact, if you’ve lost a friend or family member, it will be way too easy to relate to emotion you can feel from the screen as the film comes to a close. Be warned, spoilers follow for the ending of Furious 7 and the conclusion to Paul Walker’s character.

When all was said and done with, Dom, Letty, Roman, and Tej sat on a beach watching Brian and his wife, Mia, play with their son in the distance. Dom and Letty agreed that this is where Brian belongs. He is a family man, a great human being, and should stop living such a dangerous life. He will always be family. Dom gets up to walk away and Letty asks, “You’re not going to say goodbye?”

“It’s never goodbye,” Dom responds. The goosebumps are on my arms as I picture the scene as I think about how difficult it must have been for Vin, Michelle, Tyrese, and Ludacris to film this scene, despite being such a beautiful farewell to their good friend. The scene felt more like Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Paul Walker than it did Dominic Torretto, Leticia Ortiz, and Brian O’Connor, and that’s just the way it should have been.

Dom drives off through the mountains and comes to a stop at an intersection. Beside him, a car pulls up. To the heartfelt surprise of the audience, it’s Brian. “Hey, you thought you could leave without saying goodbye?” Brian says with a wonderful smile. Dom and Brian share a brotherly moment, just enjoying each other’s presence, before they drive off through the mountains, ultimately going in different directions.

A wonderful tribute played- a compilation of moments between Brian, Dom, and the rest of the crew from the entire Fast & Furious franchise as Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again,” played. It beautifully showcased how young the cast was 15 years ago when the franchise started and how much they have grown together. Vin Diesel spoke a monologue, written by Chris Morgan.

“I used to say I live my life a quarter mile at a time and I think that’s why we were brothers- because you did, too. No matter where you are, whether it’s a quarter mile away or half way across the world. The most important thing in life, will always be the people in this room. Salute mi familia. You’ll always be with me… And you’ll always be my brother.”

The song is below. If you’ve ever lost a friend, it certainly has the ability to make you emotional as you reflect on the good times, much like the end of Furious 7 must have done for Vin Diesel. After the compilation of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, the words “For Paul” appeared across the screen.

“We’ve come a long way, from where we’ve been. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.”

Furious 7 is now playing.