continuing the countdown...

Any time a film opens with “based on a true story” I’m instantly hooked. There is something about knowing a film is laced with actual history, a real person, an element of time, a story that was meaningful enough to be encapsulated and re-told that makes me want to listen a little harder...many Oscar nominees hold this value. It is not lost on me. 

Yesterday I continued my Oscar nominee viewing quest with The Imitation Game. After church and lunch I headed to Birch Street (to Edwards West - not to be confused with Edwards East, which is literally steps away) to settle in for the afternoon. It was a remarkable film including history, a hint of romance, elements of controversy, and desperately sad and conflicted moments from actors who played their roles with exceptional strength. Benedict Cumberbatch was remarkable and his nomination for Best Actor was undoubtedly well-earned.

As I watched the film, my original take-away quote was, “Everyday we performed our blood soaked calculus” - this team of geniuses were forced to calculate and determine how many lives to save, and simultaneously how many lives must be lost. They were ravaged by the casualties of war, forced to feel the weight of each loss and held themselves personally responsible for the secret they kept and the associated devastation that their horrifyingly undisclosed information contained. They cracked enigma potentially rescuing millions and ending the war years earlier than anticipated; yet the burden was momentous and in my perspective, seemingly unbearable. I sat shifting uncomfortably in my seat contemplating how distant the touches of war have been in my life, how thankful I am that I haven’t ever had to live through that kind of fear or tragedy or monumental loss.

As the film ended, they repeated another line for the third and final time. Though I had heard it before, it rang loudly in retrospect of all that had been accomplished and how magnificent the costs… “Sometimes it is the people the world imagines nothing of, that do the things no one can imagine.”
Perhaps it is time to start SEEING what is happening around us - to notice the people the world imagines nothing of and give them a chance to make the impossible happen. I hope to be THAT kind of cheerleader, to celebrate the unnoticed and provide the platform for them to become something far greater than anyone would have EVER thought possible.

Another phenomenal film - the competition is getting stiff folks...4 down and 4 to go...