ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

wisdom

The Magnificent Meyersons – Wandering Wisdom

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“Sometimes, I wish God would just reach down and give the world a big old shake, you know?”

One day. One family. And it all gets shaken up a bit. Evan Oppenheimer’s The Magnificent Meyersons is a peripatetic search for understanding what it means to live in a world that may or may not have a god, in which right and wrong may or may not be relative, in which the future and the past may or may not hold the answers. And it’s a comedy (sort of).

We wander through the streets of New York along with four upper middle class adult siblings: Daphne (Jackie Burns), the older daughter, who is struggling with not being quite fulfilled as a mother, wife, or at work; Roland (Ian Kahn), the older son, who is a confident businessman, but perhaps a bit overprotective of his daughter; Daniel (Daniel Eric Gold), the younger son, a rabbinical student who may or may not have faith; and Susie (Shoshannah Stern), the younger daughter, who is deaf and seeking to make her way as a realtor. There are also interludes involving their mother (Kate Mulgrew) and memories of their absent father (Richard Kind).

Note that the term “peripatetic” means to walk around, to wander. As the day progresses, each of the siblings sit or stroll through the city talking to friends or family about any variety of things. The subjects are just as wandering as the people in the film: the existence of God, what makes man [sic] unique among the animals, what it means to be successful, what makes us happy, and if the past can be forgiven.

There is a philosophical bent to this film similar to what is found in the biblical book Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes, the author (often referred to as Qoheleth) ponders the meaning of life and what makes life worth living. Qoheleth is also a bit peripatetic. He wanders through various approaches in search of the answers to his questions. The four siblings, along with the parents to a lesser extent, all have different understandings of life. The film and all the talking are not so much about finding the answers as it is about all the questions. That too is a bit like Ecclesiastes.

Because the discussions are so diverse, there are many interesting things said along the way. There is an ontological proof of God set side by side with an ontological disproof. At another point, Roland says, “You know what makes man unique? He’s the only animal who can’t take care of himself.” When Daphne admits to being “selfish, vain, and lazy”, her husband concurs, and adds, “like everybody else”. Perhaps the deepest wisdom expressed is “Everything matters”.

The theme line of Ecclesiastes is “Vanity of vanities! All is Vanity.” That refers to the ephemeral nature of life. That concept is also central to the musings of the characters in The Magnificent Meyersons. As they all try in their own way to deal with the life, there is an understanding that things are constantly changing. But how we deal with all those changes can open new ways for us to live in vain lives.

The Magnificent Meyerson is playing in limited theatrical release and on virtual cinema.

Photos courtesy of Argot Pictures.

Lives Well Lived – A Word From the Wise

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Wisdom is information passed from generation to generation about how to live a good life. There are even books of the Bible dedicated to passing on such wisdom. Some of that Biblical wisdom is fairly simple and straightforward (like Proverbs), or it may require some deep thinking to understand (like Job and Ecclesiastes). Lives Well Lived seeks to bring us the experience of a group of forty men and women aged 76-103 who have come to their knowledge of what makes a good life by having lived long enough to look back.

Filmmaker Sky Bergman was inspired by listening to her grandmother and the things she had to teach her. She went on to film a number of people as they shared the things that they had learned through the decades. Like the wisdom in scripture, some of this is simple and straightforward, and some goes a bit deeper.

These subjects come from a variety of backgrounds. Some were immigrants, some faced discrimination in their lives. It is interesting to compare the things they have learned and now pass on with the circumstances of their lives. These are people who are still very active and involved. Perhaps they’ve lost a step or two along the way, but many of them still go to the gym or dance or do the many things that make life enjoyable for them.

Among the questions Bergman asks are: “What is your definition of a live well lived?” “What is your secret for a happy life?” “What is the one thing people should not worry about?” “What do you wish younger people knew about life?” and “What do you think about your own mortality?”

As I think about wisdom in general, it seems that there is lots of it around us. We all have access to people (like these) who can articulate the lessons that come just by living. But how willing are we to listen to that wisdom? Perhaps recognizing the wisdom of elders is just one more of those acquired bits of knowledge. When we are young, we may well think that our grandparents and parents have little to teach us—after all, they came from a very different time than today’s world. However, when we hear the voices of wisdom in the film, they are not just sharing what comes from that different world. They share a perspective that is still important in an ever-changing world.

 

A Dog’s Purpose: Companionship In Life

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Growing up, I remember dogs were always a part of the daily activities at my house.  In the early years, there was a black Labrador who lived in our backyard and loved to play with the neighborhood kids.  Middle school brought a tan dachshund to the mix—she liked everyone in the family–except me. In high school, I found my companion in the form of Fred, a beagle named after the basset hound in Smoky and the Bandit due to his looks. He followed me everywhere and slept on my bed at night.  Leaving for college without him was bittersweet, but he always remembered me when I returned for holiday visits.  He passed away a number of years ago, but the memories and companionship he brought me live on today.

Into this theme of companionship comes a new film from Universal and Walden Media called A Dog’s Purpose.  You might have heard about it recently, as an online video surfaced that suggested animal cruelty happened on set.  PETA reacted predictably and called for a boycott of the film, but I’m here to say there’s no reason to avoid attending for that reason (by the way, this article by one of the film’s producer explains the whole thing and is quite interesting).  In fact, although extremely melodramatic, A Dog’s Purpose is a decent film and showcases companionship in a touching way.

In the story based on the book by Bruce Cameron, we see life portrayed through the eyes of a dog (voiced by Josh Gad).  Actually, that should be lives, as the dog’s first iteration finds him as a stray and caught by animal control before being euthanized.  Before he can determine what his purpose is, he’s back as a puppy and eventually escapes from a cage.  Two guys find him and leave him in a truck with the windows closed on a hot day.  Thankfully, a lady (Juliet Rylance) breaks the window and rescues him.  After a discussion with her husband (Luke Kirby), their son Ethan (Bryce Ghesiar) has his first dog and names him Bailey.  The two are inseparable, although Bailey gets out of control one night at dinner and ends up costing Ethan’s father a job—and eventually, his family due to alcoholism.

Ethan grows up (now played by KJ Apa) and Bailey indirectly helps him find Hannah (Britt Robertson), and a relationship begins.  Bailey doesn’t understand a number of things that happen later, such as why Ethan leaves for college and why he breaks up with Hannah.  But he’s fiercely protective to the end.  And when that happens, there’s a pause, followed by a new life to live as another dog.  The canine goes through lives as a female police dog, a smaller companion for a college student, and a St. Bernard look-alike that finds his way back to an old farm house and runs into Ethan (Dennis Quaid), who doesn’t recognize him. The ending is neatly tied up and is reminiscent of something airing on the Hallmark Channel, but dog lovers might find themselves wiping away tears by then.

Director Lasse Hallstrom (Who’s Eating Gilbert Grape) keeps the film going at a good clip, keeping the distractions to the story to a minimum.  The whole concept of a dog bouncing through multiple lives is a topic worthy of a later discussion, but it’s handled tastefully and quickly each time.  The soundtrack isn’t particularly memorable, but in this case, that’s a good thing.  In my opinion, the acting is a bit uneven, mainly due to having so many different lives to account for on the part of the dog.  And, outside of the melodrama, the biggest issue I had with A Dog’s Purpose’s involved characterization.  Not of the dogs, mind you, but of the humans portrayed in each section.  Only Ethan is fully conceptualized; the others need more background—why for example, did the police officer live by himself?  We see a picture of him and his wife (daughter?), but nothing else is offered. More characterization would help to increase the power of the bond between human and canine.

And that is really the biggest takeaway from the film for me. When man was created, God realized he needed something. “It is not good for the man to be alone,” he said (Genesis 1:18).  In this case, he created the woman, but the loneliness and companion factor are important for humanity.  Nobody wants to be alone forever, having nobody to talk to or shower love on them.  Perhaps this is why dog owners are so fiercely protective of them, even calling them part of their family—they’re friends who stick closely by through the good and bad times—“closer than a brother,” in fact (Proverbs 18:24).

A Dog’s Purpose offers a look at why canines are referred to as man’s best friend.  They provide more than companionship and love to their masters—they exude hope, courage, loyalty, and strength.  These are fantastic qualities each of us should seek to embody in our lives. Perhaps the film will help a person do just that—thanks to a little bit of wisdom from a dog.

Special features on the Blu-ray and DVD available now are deleted scenes, outtakes, and two featurettes, “Lights, Camera, Woof!” that looks behind-the-scenes and “A Writer’s Purpose” that shares about W. Bruce Cameron (writer of the novel and screenwriter of the film).