Beginners 
Rated R‎‎ - Drama‎

The movie poster (See it over there to the left?) gives you the impression that this might be a fun little drama-comedy with "cutie-patootie", Ewan McGregor and vintage acting pro Christopher Plummer. I mean, how could you go wrong with those guys?  Moluin Rouge meets Sound of Music. Look, they are smiling on the poster. It looks fun, doesn't it? 


My sisters and I were planning to go see BUCK, a documentary on the horse whisperer but it was delayed a week, so Beginners looked like a sweet replacement.

Eeee-gads!, the title fits if this piece is the  directors/writer's first film. Beginners--- Beginners luck? No way! This is a sad, sad, sad, sad movie. Not story...movie.  There's not much of a story to it. It's about a guy who is sad. He came from sad parents. He meets a sad girl and you get more sadness. Even his job is sad as he doodles sad faces. He inherits his dad's dog after his father dies. And for peat's sake, the dog is sad. I became sad as the filmed dragged on and on and on.

The non linear piece follows a guy who tries to have a better relationship with his father after his mother dies. His 75 year old dad decides to come out the closet in full rainbow color but the rest of his old life is anything but happy. It's...sad.  He is terminally ill and has an unfaithful lover. The main character meets a girl who has a sad background and they struggle to find any meaning in their relationship. The movie tries to somewhat champion the gay lifestyle; attempting to make happy the gay life. But it wasn't gay, it was sad.

I appreciate independent films that make up their own rules; not following a typical story line but there just isn't enough line of any sort to follow or enough love for any of the characters.  No great conflict or climax. It just kind of flat lined from beginners to enders.

What I did appreciate  about the movie, whether the director meant it or not, was that it seemed like real life and genuine dialogue...but we all know that sometimes real and genuine can mean boring, And it was. 

I walked away realizing that there are many real people (gay or not gay) that are trying desperately to find hope and joy in life. They bounce from brief moments of happiness to spells of sadness time and time again. And are never able to experience or hang on to deep joy.

After the movie was finally over, my thoughts of gratitude went to a familiar story read every Christmas time. I remember the Bible verse that says (It's an angel speaking to the shepherd outside of Bethlehem) "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." [Luke 2:9-11]

It has been some time since I first became a follower of Jesus. I have been following him for almost 40 years. I  know happiness comes and goes for me but lasting joy comes from my relationship with the Son of God who loved me and was delivered up to death to cover my death and separation from God. 

Ya know, I do remember my life before Christ....it was sad too.