Join us on Sunday, June 28, 2020 at 8-9 pm ET/6-7 pm MT for movie discussion group. This month’s movie is Silver Linings Playbook starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.
The central character, Pat, is recovering from a violent outburst triggered by the discovery of his wife’s infidelity and exacerbated by his previously-undiagnosed bipolar condition. In the midst of picking the pieces of his life back up, he begins a friendship with a young widow, Tiffany, who also has fragile mental health. Together, they learn how to confront their demons and relearn that the joys of life consist in more than just silver linings on an otherwise bleak existence.
A Canadian Jesuit movie review noted that the subtle identification of several Christian symbols (crosses worn by both Pat and Tiffany and a picture of Jesus in Pat’s parents’ home) seemed to under gird this movie with themes of redemption and forgiveness.
The motive for this directorial choice is, I believe, to signify that Pat is being called to undergo a Christ-like role in the scheme that the family has cooked up. He is reluctant to go along with the plan, but soon realizes that he has to swallow his pride and do something that goes beyond merely his own interests. In the end, not only does he participate in the scheme, but he takes control of it: not control in the sense of having complete power over himself, as he desired in [an] earlier scene, but control in the sense that he becomes a support for others. In particular, though his presence and actions, he is able to affirm both Tiffany and his own father. From the midst of his own weakness he finds the strength to heal those around him.
Rev. Kelly Barber will be facilitating this month’s movie discussion group. Please join us Sunday, June 28, 2020 at 8-9 pm ET/6-7 pm MT for an engaging discussion about this journey from brokenness to wholeness.
