In this review, I look at a fascinating theme that runs
through many movies. What if I, or
you, had taken a different path at a major crossroad in life?
Don’t you love thinking about that?
We’ve all had fantasies about how differently our lives
might have turned out had we taken another job, chosen another career, met
another significant other, had children, not had children, dated someone else,
said something, not said something…. Oh my, the list is endless! And think of the strange timing of
events too: what if you had been
somewhere else at the very moment something momentous happened?
If you’re fascinated by what COULD have happened in your
life, you might enjoy three of the best films out there on the subject.
Back in 1998, a very young Gwyneth Paltrow starred in Sliding
Doors. After getting fired
from her job, she rushes to catch a train. In one scenario, she gets there on time. Then her life evolves rather
melodramatically: she gets home in
time to catch her boyfriend in bed with another woman, then falls in love with
a “gentleman” who turns out to be married, and finally has a terrible
accident. In the other scenario,
she misses the train. Her amorous
life goes in a different direction, she has other job offers, and meets other
people. How daunting! Which “sliding door” in life is the
best? Watch the film and find out!
Our next film stop is Run Lola Run! What an unusual piece of
filmmaking. A German production,
starring Franka Potente before she teamed up with Matt Damon in The Bourne
Identity, the film offers no less than three alternative futures. Lola’s boyfriend robs a bank in each
scenario. And in each, poor Lola,
who dazzles with her bright red hair, meets a series of different fates. Watch for the little changes that make
each “life” so different. Again,
it’s all about timing: Will young
Lola arrive in time to save her boyfriend? How and why will each outcome change? Again, the idea of a split second of
time in our lives, those moments that are seemingly serendipitous, makes us
wonder about the “ifs” that happen every day.
Finallly, don’t miss a really fun one: The Family Man. Starring Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni,
the story is charming and profound.
A self-centered Wall Street macho man, a confirmed bachelor who cares
for nothing and no one except money, meets a magician of sorts. The magician changes the playboy’s
reality: he suddenly awakes in bed
next to the girlfriend he was supposed to marry sixteen years earlier. Worse, he’s got two kids! The story is a hoot, truly
entertaining, and often laugh outloud funny. But there’s a deep message here: Which of the two lives is the one the protagonist would
choose? How does he cope with an
alternative reality? What happens
in the end? Cage is at his best as
the confused and surprised husband, and you’ll be charmed by Tea Leoni as the
patient wife.
If you ever think about the WHAT IFS in life, you will
revel in these three films. I
would recommend all three, because each provides a unique view on different
paths in life.
Strangely, the three films were made within the same two
years, 1998 to 2000. Were folks
looking at the great millennium change and wondering about the direction of
their lives? Who knows?
Who can explain the weird meeting of chance and opportunity
that comprise all of our lives?
Leave it to the movies to explore the mystery.
Sounds like one of the themes of La La Land has stayed with you. I will suggest two more that probe this idea, both from 2002: Changing Lanes and Unfaithful. Both very tense and compelling. I remember seeing Sliding Doors years ago. Interesting point about the timing of these. Makes one appreciate the importance of every single decision in every day.
ReplyDeleteYes, I guess I was inspired to write the review because of La La Land. I saw the two films you mentioned, and yes indeed, they're both worth adding to the list. As you said, every decision counts. The "what ifs" are fun to reflect upon...but the past is past, and the future awaits us...and more decisions!
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