It being a chemo weekend this Saturday and Sunday, I watched a few films.  Since I'm a writer, a weaver of meaning, I also tend to notice when the universe smacks me on the head with a theme and says "Pay Attention!"

That's what happened with the three films I saw: Grand Hotel, The Reader and The Day the Earth Stood Still.  First, let me say that these films were wildly different in quality, in story and in approach.  I liked all three films.  Grand Hotel is a classic and, as I covered yesterday, has much to recommend itself to the viewer.  The Reader is a tough, demanding film with touchy subject matter and thoughtful nuance.  The Day the Earth Stood Still is a much-reviled remake of a classic movie that had enough action and story to carry me through what most folks didn't care for...and I really appreciated the performances of Kathy Bates and Jennifer Connelly.  (I must also confess to being a sucker for Keanu Reeves even though most folks I know would find that inconsistent with my general tastes.)

Despite the differences in quality and story line, each of these films came across to me as a metaphor for what it means to be human.  In each film, deeply flawed characters express or experience moments of grace.  They do so in various ways.  In one film, an ex-Nazi guard (and arguably a child abuser) tells the truth about horrific things she had done in the past.  In one, a thief gives back what he's stolen out of compassion for the man he's robbed.  In the other, a woman and her stepson forgive each other and thereby (spoiler) save the world.

It got me to thinking, seeing all of these movies, about how we are capable...each and every one of us...of terrible evil and wonderous good.  How we make choices in our lives and sometimes they're the wrong choices.  How those wrong choices can inform us to make better choices next time.  And just how damn essential it is to understand that we and those we share this journey with are human.  Flawed.  And yet able to, in our best moments, approach the divine through mercy, kindness, understanding, and something so simple as reading a book to a person who's done nothing to deserve it.

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