As I watched the movie I ran the gamut of emotions. I laughed, I cried (I really wanted to do the ugly cry but held onto my man card and didn't do it). There was one line in the movie that I wish I would have been able to write down. (after some searching on the internet I found it) It came in the scene where Walt went to see Pamela Travers in London. He was explaining about his childhood and his relationship with his father. After explaining he said;
" Now, i don't tell you all this to make you sad Mrs. Travers, I don't. I love my life - it's a miracle. And I loved my daddy, boy I loved him. But, there isn't a day goes by where I don't think of that little boy in the snow and old Elias with his fist and strap and I'm just so tired--I'm tired of remembering it that way...We all have our tales but don't you want to find a way to finish the story? Let it all go and have a life that isn't dictated by a past?"
That part of the story really hit home. No I'm not saying I had a mean father who beat me that's not what I'm getting at. The point I want to make with this is that we all have a past, everyone of us. Some worse than other. But how you remember it, what you make of it makes the difference. I love how Walt says; "I'm tired of remembering it that way.." What is it in your life that you are remembering "that way..." Maybe it was an abusive parent or guardian, maybe it was a bully or mean kids at school. Maybe it is like the story of Helen Goff with an alcoholic father who died too young. Whatever the past is it is just that, the past. "Let it go and have a life that isn't dictated by the past."How are you going to finish the story? By allowing your past to dictate your future, or by learning from the past, forgiving whoever you need to forgive, maybe that's yourself and use the past to change the future, for yourself and others.
Just a thought - hope it blesses you!
Side note - if you have not seen this movie please go see it. It is a wonderful movie and very well done. I hope it wins many awards. It really is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Just my two cents.
Thanks Scott. It was a great movie and you are right. you past doesn't have to dictate your future. And Recovery groups are still helping me with mine.
ReplyDeleteScott, thank you so much for this fine writing! I wept so hard in this movie my stranger neighbor shared her napkins with me as she cried. I wept because my father never shared any words about his father except when I was grown he said, "He died of moonshine poisoning when I was 15 years old."
ReplyDeleteI never got to know Joseph Connelly, but doing extensive ancestry work on our family, I found out many things about him. There are no folklore stories passed down. But I 'lived' this man's life through visiting the house he built and hearing stories of the community. So I have written my own story of him (literally) and the movie Saving Mr. Banks helped me see his story in a different light. I have Mary Poppins memorized so I understand the between the lines message that was played out. I even use Mary Poppins quote, "The wind is blowing in from the West."
Let's get together sometime and discuss this movie! I am so glad you are writing!! Thank you Scott.