From the Movies

I am not generally a person who remembers lines from movies with much detail.  My sons, on the other hand can toss movie quotes around and know immediately which movie they came from and who said them.  I don't know how they do it.

Usually, I view movies as strictly entertainment.  I don't care too much for a movie if it is trying to affect my social conscience or has some particular agenda.  It may be a fault, I'm not sure, but I can become quite stubborn and even irritable if I think someone is telling me how I ought to think or feel about a certain issue, so I generally stay away from those types of movies. I prefer just to be transported to another time, another place, on some adventure or other or cry at some tender moments.  I've seen a lot of movies and, I'm ashamed to admit, quite a number of them did nothing more than use up a couple of hours of my life that I'll never get back.

However, recently I have seen two movies that had lines in them that have stuck in my head.  Once in a while, a screenwriter or songwriter really says something profound that makes me stop and think about life and that's the case here.

The first movie was The Book of Eli.  This is a fairly brutal movie, but it's about what's important in life and what's worth holding on to no matter what the sacrifice.  It's an apocolyptic movie, taking place after life on earth as we know it has pretty much vanished.  There's a scene in the movie where a girl asks Eli what life was like before the destruction and he says, "People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn't. We threw away things people kill each other for now." Those lines hit me with such impact...if that isn't an accurate description of how we live life in this county where we are so blessed, I don't know what is...we have more than we need and we have no idea what's precious and what isn't.  What do I hold onto, just to have it, even though I don't need it?  To what do I assign value?  Is it really precious?  What is? (I'm not going to answer these questions for you--just thought they were worth thinking about.

Then, yesterday, we went to see Crazy Heart.  This movie is about a life that's been wasted and the road to redemption.  Aside from some really great acting, one of the best things about Crazy Heart is the music.  Lots of original country music and I love good country music.  A line in one of the songs had so much truth in it..."Funny how falling feels like flying for just a little while..."  It got me to thinkin' about how many of the things I do in life that are bad for me or just plain sinful, feel kind of good for a little while until I realize I'm on the way down and about to land with a thud.  I'm like that with my relationship with sugar.  It tastes soooo good when I'm eating it, and an hour or so later, am I ever sorry.  Just about any addiction or sin can be encompassed in that lyric.  After all, if it didn't bring some pleasure, why would we keep doing it? We allow ourselves to be swallowed up in the feeling of flight, choosing to ignore that crash landing that lies ahead.

Probably these lines touched me because I'm in the process of evaluating my priorities and the direction I want to take in the next 20+(?) years I have left on this earth.  Just wanted to share them.