Relationships – some hurt, some heal

The King's Speech

Last night, I watched The King's Speech with my wife. In case you haven't seen the movie,

 [Warning: This Post Is A Plot Spoiler] 

it is about relationships. Some relationships tear down and others build up. Some hurt you and some help you heal. In the movie, the King was emotionally wounded as a young child by people very close to him. As an adult, these emotional wounds were still as fresh as when he first received them. The most prominent manifestation of these wounds was his stammering speech; he stuttered horribly. As the leader of his country the King was expected to speak publicly before his citizens and at times, before the world. The mere thought of public speaking terrified him. The story focused on the relationship that develops between the King and his speech therapist. The King befriends the therapist and a friend was something that the King had never had before. The movie contrasts the stoic and emotionless royal family of the King with the loving interaction between the family of the therapist. Through tests and trials, both at times reaching out to ask the other for forgiveness, the King and his therapist develop a strong relationship as friends. At the end of the movie we learn that the King and his therapist remained close friends for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes the people that hurt us the most are the people who are the closest to us. Maybe that's why Adonai commanded us to honor our parents, not necessarily love them. We are to honor our authorities no matter what we think about them, no matter how we feel about them. It doesn't even matter if we love them or not. But, the parent-child relationship is supposed to be a special one. It is symbolic, a type, of our relationship with Adonai. Believers are called B'nei Elohim, Children of God. He sees us as His children. He loves us like a father; or like a father is supposed to love his children. But parents are not God, they are human and they err. Sometimes a parent's mistakes can emotionally injure their child so seriously that the child will have these emotional scars for the rest of his or her life.

A person with severe emotional wounds needs healing in order for them to live life the way God intended. Adonai provides healing for us through the blood of the Lamb. Yeshua died for our sins but He also died so that we can be healed. Sometimes this type of deep wound takes time and prayer in order to work through the multiple layers of lies and transgressions. A good friend can help in a situation like this. Someone who is genuinely concerned, someone who wants to listen and pray for you. Someone you can trust and confide in.

The King's Speech wasn't a movie about faith, but it was a movie about faithful friendship. The King wasn't healed at the end of the movie, but his friend was there to help him work through the wounds of his past. Good friends are hard to find. Before you can find one, you have to be one. When was the last time you made a significant sacrifice to help a friend?

~

Sidney Lumet, 1924-2011

One of my movie heroes, director Sidney Lumet, died today. He was 86.

When we moved to Colorado in 1999, one of my aspirations was to make short films. A few years before we left Fort Worth I began researching independent film making. During this time I found a ‘gem’ of a book in the bargain bin at Walden's by Sidney Lumet called Making Movies (1996). In the book, Lumet explains his process of film making by recounting the production of some of his movies. Not necessarily his best or most popular movies but the ones with unique shots, interesting techniques, and big production challenges. As I went through the book I rented and watched each of the films he described. I think this is why I have a great appreciation for his work.

Below are some of my favorite movies by Sidney Lumet:

12 Angry Men (1957)

Plot Summary: A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.

A classic. If you've never seen this one, you need to.

A Long Days Journey Into Night (1962)

Plot Summary: Author Eugene O'Neill gives an autobiographical account of his explosive homelife, fused by a drug-addicted mother, a father who wallows in drink after realizing he is no longer a famous actor and an older brother who is emotionally unstable and a misfit. The family is reflected by the youngest son, who is a sensitive and aspiring writer.

This movie was filmed with the camera angle starting up high and then slowly descending as the movie progressed; like the sun setting. This technique was used as sort of a play on the title.

The Pawnbroker (1964)

Plot Summary: A Jewish pawnbroker, victim of Nazi persecution, loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions.

This movie was very hard to find; I remember subscribing to Netflix for the sole purpose of renting it. Once I returned the movie, I cancelled my subscription.

A Stranger Among Us (1992)

Plot Summary: When a Jewish jeweler is found dead and his store is missing more than one million dollars in diamonds, a New York police detective goes undercover in a community of Hasidic Jews to find the criminal. Once she is immersed in the community, she falls in love with one of the most devout members, who helps her find the criminal.

I admit, this was probably not one of his best movies and, actually, he was accused of ripping off the movie Witness which took place in an Amish community. But, it is one of my favorites because about a year after we watched it, we were turned on to Messianic Judaism. I remember watching it again after we had learned about Jewish traditions and it made more sense to me.

Watch some film clips here: Sidney Lumet: a career in clips

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