When my mother because ill, she suffered from oxygen deprivation and her mind became muddled. When she exhausted her hospital stay and was transfered to a nursing home, she coped with it by believing that she was back in school. In her mind she had returned to college to brush up on her teaching skills, and she was living in a college dorm. When I met with her in the common room she was able to tell me about her classes, the other students, and how excited she was when the professor let her teach part of the lesson. Eventually this delusion faded and reality set in, but it happened when her mind was ready to accept it. Even though I was happy that my mother was thinking clearly again, I was also grateful for her fantasy. Sometimes the truth is just plain unbearable.
The Lovely Bones is a wonderful movie based on the book by Alice Sebold. It tells the story of a fourteen year old girl who has been murdered, but refuses to pass on until her family is able to contend with it, and her murderer is exposed. Stanley Tucci plays the meticulous neighbor who no one suspects. Mark Wahlberg plays the tenacious father who can’t rest until Susie’s killer is found. Rachel Weisz portrays the grieving mother who wants to let go but can’t because her husband is so driven, and Susan Sarandon plays the mother-in-law who has a few things to say of her own about coping skills.
Even though this is a sad subject matter, The Lovely Bones is really a beautiful film. Saoirse Ronan, who plays Susie is full of life and Peter Jackson photographs her to perfection. He then places her in a netherworld, or at least an in-between world, where Susie’s imagination can capture all the colors of the rainbow and create picturesque scenes of joy and peace until her dark thoughts come creeping back in. Susie is not ready to let go of life, nor is she ready to face her killer. The whole Salmon family is in limbo and will be until they can works things through. This is a film about loss, coping, justice, and moving on. It is about how our imagination can protect us until we are ready to see the truth. It is a homage to the spirit and the power of the human mind, but mostly it’s a tribute of family love.
Rating: First Run Love will get you through
About Me
- Melanie Wilson
- My Reviewer's Philosophy: I believe that every film has its audience. One man’s Citizen Kane is another man’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre. My purpose is to help you spend your entertainment dollars wisely. A bad review never kept me from going to a film I wanted to see, but a good review will sometimes get me to a film I never considered. As a movie lover I want you to go to the movies. When more people go to the movies, the more movies get made. But, I also believe that if you enjoy the films you see, you naturally will be inclined to go more often. So join me in supporting our film industry by going to a movie today. Hopefully I can steer you towards a good one. See you at the movies. Melanie Wilson
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