Hope for a better life, a better tomorrow.

In the last week, I've seen three very different movies that all center more or less on the same theme, hope.

It started Friday evening with The Blind Side. I had gone to the movies intending to see Precious but the film distributors pulled its release in Athens last minute and Lori and I didn't find out until we arrived at the theatre. We decided to go see The Blind Side as a second option not knowing too much about it except for the fact that it was based on a true story about a boy from the ghetto who is adopted by a wealthy, Christian family from Memphis who help him become a star football player and that Sandra Bullock was getting some Oscar buzz for her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy. I loved it. I thought I would enjoy it but didn't think I'd love it as much as I did. Definite feel good story and I enjoyed watching the family welcome Big Mike into their lives and into their home. The cast was great (Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates) and I even teared up once or twice.

Last night, my Mom and I went to see Precious because it was playing in New Orleans. She had no clue what the film was about but I knew we were settling in for some heavy shit (pardon my French). Wow. I had heard that the film was pretty intense but had no idea just HOW INTENSE it was. Horribly depressing and only mildly uplifting, the film left me feeling angry, sad, and yet also hopeful. I wish I could say that similar to The Blind Side, the film chronicled the life of a poor, under-educated child from the ghetto who overcame all odds to achieve success. And in a way, Precious ends the film in a much better place than where she started. A much better place. But she deserved so much more and life just wouldn't throw the girl a bone. She's a survivor, that much is certain, but she shouldn't have to survive. She should have been given the opportunity to thrive. She never was.

And finally, I watched Milk today. I first saw Milk when it came out in theatres, rented it once it was on video, and watched it today on HBO. I am 99% confident I've blogged about the film before but I cannot seem to locate the post. If you haven't seen the film about Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist who became California's first openly gay elected politician, RUN to Netflix or Blockbuster and check it out. The film won two Oscars: Sean Penn for Best Actor for his performance of Harvey Milk and Dustin Lance Black (the writer) for Best Screenplay. The film has a phenomenal cast including Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, and Victor Garber and is a incredibly moving and touching film about one man's quest to fight for civil rights and promote the gay movement.

So there you go. Three different films but all with an overarching theme of hope. As Harvey Milk said, "hope for a better life, a better tomorrow." Each film displayed the best of humanity and also the worst. Each showed what we as a society are capable of creating and what we are capable of destroying. Each film reminded me about the power of HOPE and the necessity to take care of each other because at the end of the day, if we don't take care of each other, who will?

Cheers.