Jobs, marriage, family—all youth workers wrestle with life’s key decisions. How does discipleship align with romance or a new career? Movies offer vicarious experiences, an opportunity to watch others navigate major rites of passage.
The Adjustment Bureau is a philosophical thriller. Moments before U.S. Senate candidate David Norris delivers a big speech, he meets a captivating dancer, Elise. The chemistry between actors Matt Damon and Emily Blunt is electric, but their instant attraction doesn’t fit into the chairman’s plan. “Adjusters” are called in to keep David and Elise apart. The Adjustment Bureau raises ancient questions of Providence versus free will. Is there only one person predestined as our mate? Or do we choose the path we follow in life? The Adjustment Bureau is an engaging conversation starter.
HappyThankYouMorePlease captures what it feels like to be 20-something today. Director and star Josh Radnor (of “How I Met Your Mother”) embodies the angst that many struggling writers, artists and actors feel. “Am I loved? Who will be there for me?” Rasheen, a young boy without much of a support system, offers some much needed perspective. Happy suggests that enduring relationships are worth the risk.
Limitless could have been a smart, cautionary tale about the lure of drugs and quick fixes. Eddie is an underachiever until he stumbles across a pill that offers an instant brain boost. With this pharmaceutical advantage, Eddie masters the stock market. Limitless makes fame and money alluring, and Bradley Cooper exudes plenty of charisma as Eddie. Yet, should we cheer for a cheat? Youth workers should point out the glossy (but false) promises offered by Wall Street, drug dealers and Hollywood.
The Company Men is a tough look at the downsizing and layoffs that washed across American corporations. Ben Affleck leads a stellar cast dealing with mid-life crises. If our significance is tied to our title, what happens when the office and desk are taken away? The economic ripples alter family dynamics, as well. Company Men echoes the harsh wake-up call that thousands still struggle to answer.
Perhaps our answers will come from earlier role models such as Jane Eyre. As a governess, Jane retains high standards even when wooed by her employer, Edward Rochester. What secrets lurk in the attic of his Thornfield Hall? What painful past still haunts Jane? This classic gothic novel affirms the Christian faith of the Rivers’ family who takes in Jane in. Jane Eyre demonstrates that holding onto high standards reaps unexpected rewards.
In The Human Experience, brothers Jeffrey and Clifford Azize find remarkable resilience among the least of these. They spend time with the homeless in New York City, crippled kids in Peru and lepers in Ghana. The gratitude of those struggling to survive humbles those of us desperate to get ahead. In The Human Experience, less is truly more.
