Netflix

I've been on a free 1 month trial subscription of Netflix and I love it. I don't really love Netflix per se, especially since they've denied every job application I've sent them, but that's another story. I love watching movies at home at my whim. Of the movies I've seen, I'd like to recommend two really good movies for the theme of family/community. Many of you know that I'm very passionate about the idea of community in our culture. I get so mad that our American culture can't seem to get beyond the individualist mindset to realize how detrimentally lonely and isolated we all are, but then I digress again.

The first movie : Lars and the Real Girl. Lars is a lonely, emotionally stunted single man who's in a delusion that a lifelike doll he's ordered on the internet is his real live girlfriend. He has a whole life story for her as a missionary in the jungle whose returned home on furlough. His family obviously freaks out but the gem in this story is how the whole town, his family, coworkers, and church, all play along that the doll, named Bianca, is real to help him. It's hard to find this type of genuine care in the community. Although difficult for many of them, they put aside their own discomfort and judgmental attitudes and embrace Lars and his healing. The ladies in his church even bring over casseroles and sit with Lars when Bianca is sick. I love how it shows that the journey to healing is a long process that involves showing your problems to the world and being loved and accepted and given grace in the midst of the problem.

Second movie : Dan in Real Life. Dan is a widow raising 3 girls. His whole family gets together every year on the coast for a family vacation. As he's in town on the first morning, he meets a woman he is totally connects with, only to find out that she's his younger brother's new girlfriend. He is tormented the whole vacation as he tried to wrestle with falling in love with a woman who his brother also loves. The family dynamic in this movie is so great. People are all in each other's faces and business. You can't hind and you can't put up a front. Your family knows you better than anyone else.

So, check out these two movies to be entertained and reminded that we are created to live in community with others.