With Christmas being only a couple weeks away, I am not spending any money on myself and my local libarary has been pretty picked over any good books, so I am relegated to "watching" right now. Today for quite possibly the 568th time, I watched "The Bridges of Madison County." It is a movie I can watch over and over much to the amazement of my husband who can't even sit through a movie the first time!
The thing about movies that are so good that you can watch them over and over, is that each time you pick up on some little something you missed the first time around. Case in point, "The Bridges of Madison County." Francesca (Meryl Streep) cringes every time her husband and children come in through the screen door because they let it slam. She is cooking dinner and as they all come to dinner, they each let the door slam behind them and she jumps. But today when I watched, I noticed for the first time when Robert (Clint Eastwood) is helping her cook that first night and he goes outside, she braces in anticipation of him letting the door slam, but he doesn't and she slowly relaxes. (My deep thinking sees this as symbolism...with her family she is always uptight and on edge and they are kind of oblivious to her and see her as merely a hired hand. She even refers to herself as a hired hand when talking with her husband. But with Robert, she relaxes and lets things flow and finds a calm place.)
That small moment had escaped my attention for the 567 times I had watched the movie before - but today I caught it. Even though my husband will still not understand my ability to re-watch a movie, this is one of the reasons I like to do so.
But I also like to watch really good movies over and over just simply because they are so good. I especially enjoy movies that have great writing and acting (shocking, huh!). But when a movie's dialogue is good enough that the entire movie can basically take place in a kitchen and not get boring then count me in! It also helps that Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood are on my list of "if they are in it, I will give it a try." When I am watching this movie I feel as though I am really a fly on the wall of a 1965 housewife's kitchen and they really are Francesca and Robert Kinkaid. I don't feel like I am watching Meryl and Clint pretend to be these people, they really are them. It is truely agonizing to watch her sit in the pickup with her husband and have her hand on the door handle wanting so badly to open the door and run to Robert, but she never does. And honestly you kind of want Robert to walk up to the pickup and just open the door for her, but he never does. He is too respectful - he has to be or else you would hate him for having an affair with a married woman.
I know that the movie was based on the book by Robert James Waller and I have yet to read the book. But this is one that I might actually go back and read even after seeing the movie. I resisted watching the movie for a long time just because I didn't really like the whole affair plot. Don't agree with it and am generally turned off from watching anything relating to it. But then I watched the movie and even I was left conflicted. It was obvious there was no passion in her marriage. It was just one of friendly love and respect and out of nowhere she meets someone who brings her to life, ignites her passion and yet she can't be with him.
I totally agree with she took a vow and had kids, so leaving was not an option but also should she have to live her life less than happy? What should she do? Even I have not been able to decide if I think she made the right choice. The only way I can think to avoid this situation is to not marry anyone unless you are crazy, madly in love with them and have a full and complete relationship with them. I am a firm believer that you marry someone who is also your best friend so when the passion settles (I refuse to say dies...it just smolders hopefully) you still just flat out enjoy spending your time with your spouse. So you hold out until you meet your Robert Kinkaid or Francesca and you don't marry a Richard just because he is clean! You hold out for that passion and friendship. (I did!)
And this concludes todays session of "life lessons by grace!"
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