Reconnecting to Love, Life, and Family

When you are looking to reconnect

Movies give the viewer an opportunity not only to step into another person’s experience, story, and possibly a new viewpoint or outlook on life. There are three types of reconnecting that will be explored in this piece. The first type is reconnecting in the area of love. The second is what people want for their lives. And lastly the joys of family connection.

My favorite film on love and romance is Lars and the Real Girl. It features a quaint small town of people whose lives are interconnected and you can smell the cherry pies baking. Ryan Gosling plays Lars who is struggling to connect with others and even runs away from a small town girl who adores him. His sister in law is worried and is encouraging him to find a girlfriend. He brings home a real life doll and says she is Bianca and is a missionary. The family is a little caught off guard and in the process the warm and loving townspeople learn to treat Bianca as if she is real in support of Lars’ wellbeing. This movie is worth staying for the journey of connection and seeing the protagonist become comfortable with human interaction. In the end, we see a sunny day in which Margo who likes Lars actually connect.

If you enjoyed this story, then you will enjoy Her. This film is much cooler in visuals and tone but it also features a man wanting to romantically connect with a woman. Theodore is a ghost writer played by Joaquin Phoenix. He writers letters and gives people words to connect with loved ones. As he is failing to connect with women in the dating world after his divorce. He discovers connection through talking to his video game avatar which doesn’t seem to like him. He finds connection with Samantha which is not a person but an operating system similar to Alexa. They both develop feelings for each other and try to navigate the deepening relationship. The film leaves you to explore the many ways people want relationships, connection, and the various ways it may or may not work. In the end, he discovers what love and romance means for him.

When looking at reconnecting to self, one has to feel like their life has fallen apart. Up in the Air interestingly focuses on the life of Ryan, who is played by George Clooney. He flies across the country and fires people for a living because companies are downsizing. He is considered cold and calculating and someone who cares about how the bottom line affects the lives of those who are let go. The most memorable character breakdown is by his partner Natalie played by Anna Kendrick. In an airport, she loses it when she discovers her boyfriend is dumping her. And she is no longer on track to have a baby on time. All of this is reflective of realizing life can change and who we are or have defined ourselves as may change. The movie nicely turns around the lives of two unhappy people who rediscover how to rebuild their lives after feeling tired, broken, and that things are not working.

If watching people rebuild from the ashes is interesting to you, then you will appreciate 50/50. This movie features Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam, who newly discovers he has cancer. He will lose his girlfriend, fight with his mom, and have a best friend in which he is odds with. He is lovable and watching life crumble at every turn. He takes on therapy with Anna Kendrick who is named Katherine. He cracks jokes about her being young and she shows him that people can help each other, support each other, and are willing to do what it takes to uplift each other in bad times. By the end of this movie the viewer is left with how connection can happen in any and all experiences and rebuilding one’s life is always possible.

Lastly if you are looking for a film about the joys of family connection, then you probably loved Crazy Rich Asians, in which culture misunderstandings, traditions, and values are in conflict. This movie brings laughter while the audience has an opportunity to explore the differences in American and Chinese values. The film is beautiful and humorous with honest characters who speak their mind sometimes out of turn. Unlike the other movies features this one has stunning visuals of cityscapes, skylines, and every shot is nearly picturesque with adeptly featuring facial expressions or images that leave you with a sense of how people feel or are experiencing the world.

If you enjoyed comedic family scenes, then you will love My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It also features a strong female character who was looking for love. She also has to navigate between her family’s views and what she wants. She is looking to bridge the gaps between herself, her family’s ideas, and merging everything into one whole and happy unit. This movie features some stunning views along with lovable jokes and comedic moments through facial expressions that no one should miss.