Warning, minor spoilers!This past weekend I watched Blood Diamond. The movie is very well made, but I had trouble with one element of the story. The main character's son is captured by some rebel military forces to fight for them and so this main character spends a large part of the movie trying to get his son back.
Ever since NJ was born, I have had a hard time with stories where a father is put into a position where he can't take care of his family, especially his children. I cannot imagine NJ being taken away and I cannot fathom the frustration I would experience trying to get him back. Before we had NJ I would have been affected by the scenario. I was much more affected this last weekend, though, because I could project us into the roles I saw on the screen.
It is because of this that I have avoided other films like Cinderella Man and The Pursuit of Happyness. It is not that I don't think they will be compelling stories. I just don't want to visualize myself in a role where I cannot take care of my family.
Throughout the film I was reminded how much NJ means to me. I know any future siblings he may have would be just as important as well. Because of this, it was unpleasant to mentally put myself into the shoes of the man searching for his son. The thought of the things happening to NJ that happened in the movie is heart-wrenching.
Thankfully, there are not very many forced conscription guerrilla warfare groups in eastern Kansas. That is, unless the boy scouts have changed their enrollment process lately.
4 comments:
I saw the opening scene of that movie when BB watched it and it wretched my heart out. I left the room. I could not imagine. BB watched this movie about drug abuse with Ewan MacGregor years ago where this couple get high and their child dies while they are high. I only saw a few scenes of that movie but I started screaming and had to leave. Movies about kids greatly affect me now so I know how you feel.
For the rest of our lives we will see things through the eyes of parenthood.
Actually the movie Wah-Wah was referring to was "Trainspotting". I don't remember the baby dying however, but I was half asleep. Anyway, I was effected by Blood Diamond a little too. I've avoided movies like "the Pursuit of Happiness" for the same reason. At least in "Blood Diamond", he got his son back. I work with kids all day whose parents have let them down in some way and I couldn't imagine having my kids go through the system. My own experience has taught me how traumaitizing it is for a child to be removed from their parent.
I want to watch Pursuit of Happyness - it looks like a good movie. I think these kind of movies are inspiring as a parent - like yeah, I would do that.
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