Take a break from the blockbusters this Labor Day
I haven’t written about movies since the Oscars, but I wanted to take a break from politics and tell you about the best three films I’ve seen, so far, in 2019—especially since these are not the kinds of blockbuster films that get most of the attention.
The first, called Wild Rose, is about an attractive and talented young Scottish woman (played by Jessie Buckley) who struggles to balance her real-world responsibilities as a single mom against her ambitions to pursue her dreams as a country music star in Nashville.
This film raises some interesting questions: Does being a responsible parent mean abandoning your (admittedly big) dreams? And can someone who has abandoned her dreams even be a happy person, much less, a good parent?
The film’s denouement comes when Buckley performs the song “Glasgow,” with the lyrics, “I had to leave to realize all I needed was here,” while her family and friends cheer her on from the crowd.
It’s about having it all—finding a way to pursue your passions, while also being part of a community. And it’s about loving your family, even if you disagree with them on some things.
Some of these same themes are also present in the second film I wanted to recommend, Blinded By The Light. Inspired by the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, it’s about a young Pakistani immigrant to Great Britain who finds his voice and identity in the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen’s music.
Just as The Boss declared, “We gotta get out while we’re young, ‘cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run,” the film’s young protagonist—an outsider who must battle against his immigrant father’s provincial expectations and a racist culture—has dreams of fleeing his childhood town to become a writer. Just like the Scottish mom in Wild Rose, he ultimately finds a way to balance his dreams and ambitions for a better life with his familial responsibilities.
Although my third movie, The Farewell, isn’t about music, some of the same themes about family, belonging, and cultural, regional, and generational differences, are very present.
Based partially on the life experience of writer and director Lulu Wang, this is the story of a Chinese-American young woman who learns that her grandmother (“Nai-Nai”) is dying of cancer in China—and that the family refuses to tell Nai-Nai about it, for fear it will only hasten her death and ruin their last moments together.
If this sounds tragic or macabre, it’s actually a comedy-drama (and, at moments, a pretty funny one). But—like the other films mentioned above—it’s thought-provoking in many ways. Here’s one: The Farwell highlights differences in how the eastern and western world treats death—and how the former prioritizes family and community over individual autonomy and the right to know.
If you’re looking for something to spark your imagination and challenge your thinking, skip the Megaplex blockbusters, and see one of these very solid, if smaller, films this September.
And if you see one of these films, please drop me a note and let me know what you think.
In case you missed it on Matt Lewis and the News podcast ...
Eric Kaufmann on Whiteshift Eric Kaufmann has been researching immigration, religion, and national identity for more than twenty years. During this interview, he talks with Matt about his book, Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration, and the Future of White Majorities... > Click here listen to this episode
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