Lars, Nibley and Compassion

Brigham as the over seer of our netflixs list of movies has more than once led us done a pathway that we have found strange or unique but never inappropriate. So it was with doubt as we started Lars and the Real Girls that the movie would be either as odd or as potentially inappropriate as it first seemed. In fact, mid-movie, we called him in search of an explanation and were told no more than hang on, and hang on we did. I did not catch the vision of the film until approximately two-thirds of the way in, at which point I did for me; others may not but if you are looking for a slightly quirky, thoughtful film this is it.

Craig Gillespie's LARS AND THE REAL GIRL is a sweet love story and a film which deals with mental illness in surprisingly subtle ways. With a formula that could easily have manipulated for cheap laughs, the film achieves quirky humor in parts but mostly touching observations about the nature of delusions themselves. The film's characters gathers around Lars, a sensitive character who the film respects brings fully to life with all the subtleties of mental illness. More pointedly, the film means to be about the generous spirit of everyday folks who, when their 27-year-old neighborhood loner with a funny grin begins lugging around a plastic doll as his girl friend, open their hearts and minds to them both — it ends up being a story of compassion and kindness and a community opening up and helping one of their own deal with his unique issues. The NYTimes supplied some of the preceding words in their 2007 review but with their cynics edge found the film trite, formulaic and contrived.

It brought me to Nibley's essay in Approaching Zion wherein he discusses the real sin of Sodom and Gomorrah as covering of the fruit of the trees with nets to deny the birds their free lunch and the lack of compassion and kindness of the people. It brought me to all the incredibly kind people who have crossed our path and eased our way, particularly in regard to Evan. It brought me to the inherently kind people I know and observe who seem instilled with kindness reflexively. It brought me to the many forms of mental illness that surround us, how common it is, how misunderstood and how judging people can be. It brought me to the need to chose to be kind, to chose to be discerning but not judgemental. It brought me to the great need of compassion which can bring hope.

So is Lars and the Real Girl a great movie - no, does it open some windows of thought - yes; should we all find a way, today, to show greater kindness and compassion - yes.