We had a nice surprise last evening (Sunday). Ruthie was in
bed trying to get a little sleep before heading into work at 9:30 pm, when the
State Veteran’s Home called saying that they had assigned too many nurses for
the night and that Ruth could take a vacation day that night if she wished. I
awakened Ruth who immediately called the Vet’s Home and told them to she would
accept their offer.
Now that she was awake, what to do next? I parked her car in
the driveway (we are not allowed to park on the street overnight in New Prague
from November to April), and while she got comfortable in her chair, covered by
a quilt, I made her and myself some popcorn. I had set the DVR earlier for a
British romantic comedy entitled “About Time.” And, so we ate some popcorn and
watched the movie to its finish.
I will admit that I am a hopeless romantic. I am an ardent
Jane Austin fan, and will watch, at least once or twice a year, the 6 hour BBC
version of Pride And Prejudice. While
not the most ardent Nicholas Sparks admirer, I do like very much his novel, the Notebook, both in written and movie
form. Murphy’s Romance, and so many
other films similar in content populate our movie collection. When I found out
that the writer and director, Richard Curtis, was the creative force for About Time (he also wrote and directed, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Nottin Hill,
Bridget Jones’ Diary, and Love
Actually … all which we own and watch), I wanted to watch this film, too.
While not belaboring the plot of the film (Google it or
watch it yourself), this is essentially about a young man who is told by his
father that all the males in his family are able to travel back and forth in
Time. While they cannot travel into the future, they can go back to a previous
time and alter a mistake made. Of course, there are risks involved that have to
be avoided. The hero of the film discovers early on that while he can change a
situation he may have botched up, he is not able to manipulate people into
doing something that they would object doing. This is proven in him trying to
get a girlfriend of his sister’s to fall in love with him. It just was not
going to happen. He does find the love of his life and they do get married. He
finds out that in changing his sister’s destiny he alters his own and has to
undo what he has done to set things right. She has to correct her own actions
and choose healthy relationships on her own. As his father is dying, he tells
our hero that the real magic of their ability is to live one day allowing
things to happen, and then relive that day fully aware of the wonderful things
that occurred in that day. The hero, having the power to go back into the past,
is able to visit his dead father when he misses him. In his conversations with
his “past” father, he discovers that many of his interactions he had with his
father were ones his father “revisited” having
discovered he had terminal cancer, his father making things right. At the end,
our hero decides not to go back to the past, but rather to focus on being fully
aware of what is happening in the present and letting life happen.
Is it a monumental film? No. In fact, it bears a strong
resemblance to films like Groundhog Day,
though, without the strong emphasis on conversion that was a part of that film.
Other than being an entertaining romance passing 90 minutes of one’s time, is
there any other merit to the film? Of course there is.
The German theologian, Karl Rahner, at the time of his death
began to speak about the “Liturgy of the World.” The Liturgy of the World is
that in which God speaks to us through music, movies, etc that are deemed more
secular than sacred. For instance, the old Carpenter’s hit, “We’ve Only Just
Begun,” while a lovely, sappy, romantic song, may speak to some people on a
religious level illustrating for them the growth implied in the sacramental ontological
change (where two become emotionally and spiritually one bone and one flesh) that
occurs over time to a married couple.
Applying a very rudimental understanding of Rahner’s “Liturgy
of the World,” which I often find myself doing, what initially jumped out at me
from the film was its proclamation of becoming “aware” of all the moments of
each day. The importance of truly being present in the moment will reveal to
us, who are aware, God’s wonders in marvelous ways.
Perhaps even more important is that with God there are
always second, third, fourth and infinitely many chances for us to alter the
mistakes of our lives and to alter our destiny. God loves us so much, that God
grants us the gift of learning from our life’s mistakes in order that we may
become more fully human, to realize our fullest potential as a child of God.
As we approach the birth of Jesus, and celebrate the gift,
the second chance that God granted a world mired in its own degeneration, may
we embrace this gift that God has given us, and use this gift daily.
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