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The Dark Tower Ending Explained

June 28, 2018 by Matt Hill 1 Comment

screenfish matt hill dark tower
[there be SPOILERS ahead,
may it do ya fine]

yesterday i finished
sai Stephen King’s
The Dark Tower series –
entered the clearing
at the end of that path

it took me right around a year,
all told;
i think the longest extended
narrative i’ve ever read

by way of a mini-review:
i dug it 🙂

i’m a fan of King
and his style,
and the story here is
obv epic in scope,
full of wonders, adventure,
humor, tragedy,
characters you can relate to,
ones you wish you couldn’t,
and, ultimately,
it MEANS something
(more on that soon)

it was not perfect,
certainly –
many sections
and even entire books
got to be a bit of a slog
(like the characters’
journeys themselves),
there were build ups
to ultimate let downs,
promises not kept imo,
digressions, confusions, etc.,
much of which may be
due to the series’
long, fascinating
actual history
(which you can google) –
but in the end, for me,
it was worth the trip
for sure

saying more would only
hold up what i
mainly intend to say:

The Dark Tower Ending Explained

so what does the
series
and its ending
mean?

for such a long,
complex tale,
and such a
seemingly tricky question,
it’s surprisingly simple

The Dark Tower is
a story about stories

what about stories?

they end.

they themselves
inevitably reach
the clearing
at the end of the path.

to shoot straighter:
stories resolve.

King himself,
near the end of Book 7,
the last,
even cheekily
chides the reader
for needing
an ending,
basically daring us
not to read on;
but nevertheless,
he gives us the end
as he knows he must

and, also, as well,
the specific end he gives,
in context,
underlines the point:
stories resolve

see, The Dark Tower
is about how
“there are other worlds
than these;”
about, basically,
“the multiverse” –
the idea that
there are
different worlds,
and also that the lives
of the different
people within them
(including those of
King himself and
his decades-deep
cast of characters)
are somehow
actually happening together,
intertwined in space/time

sitting at
multiverse center?
the Dark Tower itself –
the nexus of all worlds

a knight errant –
Roland Deschain,
the gunslinger,
the main character –
is destined by ka
to seek this tower
and reach the
room at its summit;
the series tells
of this quest

at the end of Book 7,
the coda,
Roland reaches the
top of the tower,
only to walk through
a door
(and back in time)
to the opening line
of Book 1:

“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.”

in other words,
the multiverse
is not only made
of many worlds,
it also apparently
runs in many cycles –
the “end” is
just the beginning

but, however,
most ultimately importantly,
just as the many worlds
of the multiverse
converge on the one spot,
one thing for Roland
is different
in this one new cycle
that begins at the end:
he has an item
(the Horn of Eld,
though the specifics
probably aren’t
what’s important)
which promises
the possibility
of a final and last cycle –
an actual end,
the inevitable resolution

So What?

great question 🙂

one this post
won’t address

but i encourage you
to ask more deeply:

why do stories resolve?

why must they?

why must we humans
tell them –
all of them variations
of the same
resolving tale,
over and over?

(for a bit of
my personal take, see:
“What IT Means (and How *Any* Good Story ‘Means’)”

here’s a hint:
it has something to do
with Gan (God),
commala come you)

in any case,
long days
and pleasant nights
to ya –
till you too
reach the clearing

 

Filed Under: Books, OtherFish, Reviews Tagged With: book, childe roland, Christian, crimson king, ending, explained, interpretation, jake, meaning, metaphor, movie, religious, resolution, roland, roland deschain, spiritual, Stephen King, the dark tower, tower

A Wrinkle in Time: Put on Some Glasses

June 5, 2018 by J. Alan Sharrer 9 Comments

Mrs. Which and Meg Murry work on finding balance.

“It was a dark and stormy night.”

Thus begins the 1962 Newbery Award-winning novel A Wrinkle in Time, written by Madeleine L’Engle. Over the years, this coming-of-age fantasy about Meg Murry and three oddly-named witches has captivated the thoughts and imaginations of millions of children worldwide. In Disney’s new adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, Director Ava DuVernay (Selma) has taken L’Engle’s vision and created a dazzling tale of hope and love fit for today’s younger generation.  We adults might find something to take from it as well—if we view the story from the eyes of a child.

A Wrinkle in Time is a very challenging work to translate from page to screen.  It has a heavy scientific focus, takes place on numerous planets, contains fantastical creatures, and personifies the constant battle between darkness and light in an abnormal manner. There are a lot of missteps that can occur along the way, as Disney themselves learned when they attempted a direct-to-TV adaptation of Wrinkle in 2003.  L’Engle’s thoughts? “I expected it to be bad, and it [was].”

I’ve learned over the last few weeks how few individuals have actually read the book (DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey only read it before accepting their roles in the film), so to assume knowledge of the basic plot isn’t a good idea. So here’s a quick summary:

A young girl named Meg (played by Storm Reid) has to deal with being a misunderstood child while living in a home with her two scientist parents (Chris Pine and Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and her brainiac younger brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe).  Four years after her dad goes missing while attempting to discover a new method of time travel, Meg and Charles Wallace are visited by three beings—Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey)—who tell them their father is alive and take them on a trip across the universe (along with Calvin O’Keefe [Levi Miller], a student at Meg’s school) in an attempt to save him from IT, the embodiment of evil in the form of a pulsating human brain. Along the way, Meg learns much from the three beings about faith, love, and life itself.

Which is which? (L-R: Mrs. Who; Mrs. Which; Mrs. Whatsit)

In the film, Reid admirably shows Meg’s sensitivity, uncertainty, and fortitude of someone coping with the loss of her father and her desire to get him back, though she doesn’t know what she’s capable of.  School isn’t easy in general, much less when you’re picked on and harassed by other kids as well as the principal.  Meg is a storm (pun intended) waiting to be unleashed, which aptly depicts the opening line of the book. The beings—happy-go-lucky Mrs. Whatsit, wisdom-spouting Mrs. Who, and sage Mrs. Which, encourage Meg and her group along the way.  They’re “in search of warriors . . . who can bring hope back.”  Witherspoon shows some comedic range as Whatsit while Winfrey comes across as larger than life–literally at times.  Kaling’s Mrs. Who isn’t given enough to work with and falls a bit flat for me.  Zach Galifianakis, as the Happy Medium, provides some levity to the film.

But for me, the film rises and falls on the shoulders of 5 year-old Charles Wallace.  McCabe doesn’t disappoint, absolutely stealing every scene he’s in.  He’s charming, ebullient, and when possessed by IT, powerful and frightening. Pine’s portrayal of Dr. Alex Murry is scientific yet human; he gets to experience some of the same harassment Meg feels.  It makes their reunion more touching. Mbatha-Raw provides necessary realism in her marriage to Dr. Murry through a number of flashbacks, but doesn’t do much else.

Wrinkle’s set designs are varied and interesting, from the earth-like majesty of Uriel to the claustrophobic confines of CENTRAL Central Intelligence. Her costume choices for the witches are majestic yet unique, as Winfrey sports jewels for eyebrows and Kaling’s Mrs. Who has a familiar phrase embroidered all over her outfit (see Isaiah 41:10). Witherspoon’s character, true to form, looks like she grabbed some sheets off Mrs. Buncombe’s clothesline and fashioned a dress from them.

DuVernay is willing to take some significant risks with the movie, which is a fancy way of saying that purists of the book will mostly be happy, but not with everything.  The scientific aspect is played up heavily, to fantastic effect in Camazotz (the bouncing ball scene is appropriately scary and nervy). Mrs. Whatsit’s transformation into a unicornish beast on Uriel in the book becomes something akin to a leafy stingray (impressive-looking nevertheless).  Fortinbras the dog makes an appearance, but Meg’s twin brothers Sandy and Dennys do not.  Aunt Beast is basically nowhere to be found.

The faith aspect was a major part of L’Engle’s book, as she directly quoted passages from the Bible in sections. You’ll hear a more universalistic view on faith in the film as Mrs. Who quotes Gandhi, Buddha, and even Outkast. I would’ve loved a piece of Scripture in there to balance things out a bit, but perhaps the point to be made is to look deeper for the truth—just like Meg has to do in finding her father and combating the IT (there is one particular scene that may give those below the age of six [6] nightmares—parents be warned).  Sometimes we have to believe before we can see, and as we get older, we have a more difficult time accomplishing this.  There’s a reason Jesus said that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” (Mark 10:15).

This, in my opinion, is why DuVernay said the film was geared to kids age 8-12—not adults.  It also explains why my 15-old daughter enjoyed the film more than I did.  Adults are likely going to see Wrinkle in a different light than their younger counterparts–and possibly pillory DuVernay in the process.  But perhaps the right thing to do is step back, take a deep breath, and view A Wrinkle in Time through the lenses of Mrs. Who—lenses that remind us that children are the future and they will realize their potential before we know it (see: survivors of the Parkland HS shooting in Florida).  And if we do, we’ll realize L’Engle (and DuVernay) have created works that have a whole lot more to offer than at first glance.

Special features include bloopers, deleted scenes, music videos (DJ Khaled with Demi Lovato, Chloe x Halle), commentary from DuVernay, Jim Whitaker, and Jennifer Lee, and a making of featurette starring DuVernay, Oprah, and other members of the cast and crew called “A Journey Through Time.”

Filed Under: Current Events, Featured, Reviews Tagged With: A Wrinkle in Time, Ava DuVernay, book, Calvin O'Keefe, Camazotz, Charles Wallace, Chris Pine, Deric McCabe, Disney, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, It, Levi Miller, Madeleine L’Engle, Meg Murry, Mindy Kaling, Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, Storm Reid, Zach Galifianakis

The Impossible: Interview with Joyce Smith

November 7, 2017 by J. Alan Sharrer 1 Comment

Photo credit: Lori Straine via Hatchette Press

Skiing, sledding, snowball fights, mugs of hot cocoa—winter means different things to people.  In the case of Joyce Smith, it means something more.

Life.

In her book The Impossible (releases today via Hatchette Press), she tells the story of her son John, a child she adopted from Guatemala.  When he was 14 years old, an event occurred that is nothing short of miraculous.  I recently had the opportunity to talk with her about John and why he is receiving such large amounts of attention—all from a local news story.

Smith’s life wasn’t a perfect one.  As she put it, she had her own “littered trail of disasters.” Her first child was given up for adoption and she nearly committed suicide at one point.  But she adopted John from Guatemala and watched him grow up into a typical teenager who was pretty good at basketball. After one game in January 2015 where he scored the winning basket, he was asked by a friend to spend the night.  It just so happened that a cold spell caused the local lake to freeze over, so after throwing rocks to test the ice, they walked around on it.  The next day, they tried it again—but the ice gave way and both fell into the 40 degree water.  Nineteen minutes later, John was pulled from the lake completely lifeless (his friend made it out okay). Smith remembers telling God in a loud, demanding conversation, “You can’t take my son from me. We asked for him seventeen years ago.”

John was rushed to the hospital as doctors tried to revive him and increase his 88 degree body temperature.  Nothing was working.  He was, by all accounts, dead.  The doctors wanted to let Smith see John before they called the time of death, so she entered the room and continued praying. An hour later, one of the nurses picked up a faint pulse.  This was amazing in its own right, but there were many issues John was dealing with (multiple organ failure, no brain function).  Smith made it clear to the multitude of doctors and nurses that there would be no negative talk around him—even though he wasn’t expected to live through the evening.  “Life and death is in the tongue,” she told me.

Nineteen days later, John walked out of the hospital on his own as if nothing ever happened.  Three weeks after that (40 days in total), he was released from all of his doctors and given a completely clean bill of health.

At its essence, The Impossible is a story of miracles.  It is also a story of hope, prayer, and how a community rallied around one of their own.  A local news reporter covered the story, and it went viral quickly.  The whole series of events has been likened by Smith as a “tapestry of miracles,” from the specific doctors helping John to the local firefighters testing out cold weather retrieval gear four days before the accident in the exact same location John fell through the ice.

Of course, not every occurrence of drowning ends in a miraculous story like John’s. Smith said that God answers our prayers, but not always how we want.  In this case, he wanted to let people know that he has the final word in all situations.  It requires trust and faith akin to Abraham, who did whatever God asked without question—even to the point of nearly sacrificing Isaac (see Genesis 22:1-19).  He wasn’t perfect, but God called him a friend.

The Impossible comes out in book form today, but Smith mentioned having a conversation with a gentleman for 45 minutes while waiting to be interviewed on television. The gentleman turned out to be Devon Franklin, who is about to begin filming the movie version of the book through 20th Century Fox.  I’m sure we’ll take a look at that once we get closer to the film’s release date.

(Thanks to Roya Eftekari from Rogers & Cowan for setting up the interview)

Filed Under: Books, Current Events, Interviews, OtherFish Tagged With: book, DeVon Franklin, Doctors, Drowning, Faith, John Smith, Joyce Smith, Miracles, movie, Tapestry of miracles, The Impossible

3.18 Entering THE CIRCLE

May 8, 2017 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

This week, Steve welcomes Patrick Erskine and Paul Levac to enter into James Ponsoldt’s THE CIRCLE.  Starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks, this sci-fi drama explores our world through the eyes of social networking and just might have something to say to the Millennial generation as well… but is it worth your money?  (Plus, this might be the most entertaining edition of Screen It or Skip It since the show began…)

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

3.18 The Circle

Thanks Paul and Patrick for coming on the show!

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: adaptation, book, Boyhood, drama, Emma Watson, facebook, Google, Instagram, John Boyega, millennials, Patton Oswald, privacy, Stitcher, teen drama, The Circle, Tom Hanks, Tumblr, Twitter

3.3 Who is THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN?

October 23, 2016 by Steve Norton 2 Comments

girl-on-the-train-movie-hero

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/3.3-Girl-on-a-Train.mp3

This week, the Norton boys (Jason and Steve) punch their ticket with THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. How do we define who we are? Does the ‘perfect relationship’ really exist? Can Steve tell the difference between methods of transportation? All this and more, only on ScreenFish.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

3-3-girl-on-a-train

A special thanks to our Screamfish writer, Jason Norton for joining us!

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Filed Under: Film, Podcast, Reviews Tagged With: book, Emily Blunt, Faith, film, Gone Girl, identity, Justin Theroux, marriage, parenting, The Girl on the Train, thriller

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