Netflix was created for people like my husband. He needs the expansive vault of movies because he rarely watches movies that others have even heard of (as I type he is watching an Australian movie about the Boer War). Most of the time, he watches movies while I surf the Internet or read. He does have a method to his movie madness, but I haven't really figured it out yet.
A few weeks ago he requested a film called "In America" (PG-13) about a family immigrating from Ireland to America in the 1980's. I didn't realize that it had been nominated for a number of awards, but after watching it, I can see why. I don't remember anyone talk about it (it came out in 2003) so I am going to fill you in on it.
The movie draws you in as the border guard asks the parents how many children they have. One responds two and the other three, then he remembers that one of their children passed away. This is done at the same time that the oldest daughter is thinking about the three wishes that she will use in the name of her departed brother. From the beginning there is loss and faith - you want to know which will overcome.
My English teacher always used to say "Show don't tell" (thus the reason I write essays - I am much better at telling!). This movie shows faith, family and strength in the midst of hard circumstances. It shows what it means to reallly love your neighbor (even if he is scary at first). It isn't preachy and probably isn't what people typically think of when they hear the phrase "family values" but it illustrates those values superbly. Probably, in part, because the movie was written by a family in honor of their deceased brother. You can feel the passion, loss and hope for renewal throughout the film.
Sometimes my husband finds real gems worth watching. This movie challenged me to consider many questions: What does it mean to love my neighbor? Where is God when it hurts? Can love and faith really overcome? It also brought me to tears. My husband began to apologize for getting an "upsetting" movie. I think we need to be upset by these questions and our poor responses and brought to tears by the strength of others overcoming faith more often.
PS - They don't have a Christian faith per se, but their actions challenge us to consider our own faith.
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