Part 4 of: Hollywood and Higher Education: Teaching Worldview Through the Stories We Live By
If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then we are constantly flattering the people and communities who have transmitted their “scripts” to us… for good or for ill.
by Gary David Stratton • Senior Editor
Crash, 2006 Academy Award-winner for Best Picture, provides a powerful metaphor for why worldview change is so difficult.Crash follows a stellar ensemble cast through multiple story lines, most of which explore deeper and deeper levels of worldview.It is one of my favorite films for helping students explore “memes” and the “inciting events” that evoke worldview transformation journeys. [1]
In 1961, literary critic extraordinaire René Girard first introduced the idea that we borrow most of our desires from other people rather than developing our personal desires from scratch. Girard developed his highly influential concept of memetic borrowing throughout his long career, branching out from literary theory into theology, philosophy, and psychology. (See René Girard: The Greatest Christian Intellectual You Never Heard of.) [2]
Then in 1976, Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins made the idea of memetic borrowing more palpable when he coined the term meme (short for the Greek root of “imitate”) to convey the idea of a single “unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation”(in the same way that a gene is a unit of biological transmission.)[3] In Dawkins’ memetic theory, memes jump from “brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation” (p. 192). Since Dawkins’ initial publication, the field of Memetics has grown both in influence (it helped birth the idea of “viral marketing”) as well as skepticism as to its value as a theory of cultural evolution.
Staying on Script
The concept of memes is a useful interpretive key for helping for understanding why our worldview is so resistant to change. As memetics proponent Susan Blackmore explains, “Everything that is passed from person to person (by imitation) is a meme. This includes all the words in your vocabulary, the stories you know, the skills and habits you have picked up from others, the games you like to play, the songs you sing and the rules you obey.” [4]
In other words, like actors in a screenplay, we all follow “scripts” provided for us largely from outside of our own self-awareness. (Think of the role of “Tradition” in Fiddler on the Roof.) If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then we are constantly flattering the individuals and communities who have transmitted their “scripts” to us. Our worldview is so deeply rooted within us that we glide through thousands of “preconditioned” decisions each hour, following the cultural and philosophical scripts provided for us by the stories that have shaped us. We simply do what we do without giving a great deal thought as to why we do it. (See, Casablanca and the Four Levels of Worldview.)
These “scripts” exert such a powerful influence on our daily lives that it normally takes a significant “crash” to reexamine them. These crashes—unexpected events or decisions, often called “inciting events”–are a common devise in nearly all (good) films, but they are particularly evident in Crash. Writer/Director Paul Haggis predicates Crash on the simple premise that no one in Los Angeles deviates from the script of their daily “commute” without a crash.
In the words of Crash’s narrator, Det. Graham Waters (Don Cheadle):
WATERS: In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind
this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much,
that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something. .
Officer Dan Ryan’s racially-charged traffic stop ends horrifically for Cameron and Christine Thayer
Officer Ryan’s Scripts
One notable story line traces the interplay between LAPD Officer Dan Ryan (Matt Dillon), and socialite Christine Thayer (Thandie Newton). In one of the film’s early scenes, Officer Ryan gropes Christine in a racially motivated traffic stop. Later, he heroically risks his own life to save Christine from a burning car. In each case, he is unreflectively following “scripts” (memes) transmitted to him by the best and the worst of police culture. Only the “crash” of a life-and-death encounter with Christine jolts him into a completely new script of tolerance and understanding.
Ryan’s first “script” is rooted in the story of his father’s relationship with the African-American community. As a young man Ryan watched his father dare to treat his African-American employees with dignity only to lose his business to the city’s affirmative action policies. Now, his father suffers in agony from what Ryan fears is prostate cancer, and the one person standing between him and the specialist he needs is a no-nonsense African-American insurance adjustor named Shaniqua Johnson (Loretta Devine).
RYAN: I'm not asking you to help me. I'm asking that you do this small thing for a man who lost everything so people like yourself could reap the benefits. And do you know what it's gonna cost you? Nothing. Just a flick of your pen.
SHANIQUA: Your father sounds like a good man. And if he'd come in here today, I probably would've approved this request. But he didn't come in. You did. And for his sake, it's a real shame! [To security guard.] Get him the hell outta my office!
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Ryan’s bitterness is no match for Shaniqua’s commitment to company policy
Dan’s frustration creates unstated presuppositions of injustice, anger and retaliation against all blacks that are only reinforced by the worst elements (memes) of LAPD culture. Dan never examines the cultural, philosophical, or mythical basis of his decision. He never asks how his father’s story, and the “racist meme” in LAPD culture shape his actions. He simply acts. With horrific brutality, he uses his power as a police officer to abuse Christine.
Click here to watch scene: Traffic Stop from Hell (Warning – Disturbing content)
In an instant, Christine’s life is shattered. Now part of Officer Ryan’s story of racism has deeply impacted Christine‘s story. His actions fill her with unspeakable anguish. Her personal life disintegrates in anger and confusion. Her relationship with her husband, Hollywood director Cameron Thayer (Terrence Howard) begins to spiral out of control as she begins to act out a “reverse racism script” she barely understands, but which her husband knows all too well.
CAMERON: You need to calm down here.
CHRISTINE: No, what I need is a husband who won't just stand there while I'm being molested!
CAMERON: They were cops! They had guns! Where do you think you're living, with mommy and daddy in Greenwich?
CHRISTINE: --Go to hell.
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An unexpected crash brings Officer Ryan and Christine face-to-face in a fiery wreck
The Crash
Ryan and Christine’s new scripts begin with a crash (literally). Christine’s SUV crashes and flips. Gasoline spills everywhere. She is trapped in a burning car with a malfunctioning seatbelt and no hope of escape. No hope, that is, except Officer Dan Ryan. First to arrive on the scene, Ryan quickly springs into action following the hero script written for him (the meme transmitted to him) by the best of LAPD culture.
Then comes the real crash. Christine and Ryan face each other in an inferno that threatens both their lives. Christine suddenly recognizes Ryan and responds according to the script provided by the personal, cultural, philosophical presuppositions of her story. Despite the approaching flames, she refuses Officer Ryan’s frantic attempts to help her.
RYAN: Lady! I’m trying to help you!
CHRISTINE: #&$% you! Not you! Not you! Somebody else! Not you!
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Transformed by their encounter (at least for a moment) Officer Ryan pulls Christine to safety
Momentarily confused, Dan suddenly recognizes Christine, not just what she is, but who she is, that she too has a story separate from his. The screenplay reads, “Ryan looks into her face and sees her pain and humiliation, and knows he was the cause of it.” His worldview begins to shift.
Full of shame, he begins to treat Christine with the dignity and respect he never afforded her in the ill-fated traffic stop. But to no avail. As the flames envelope the car, it is obvious that there is nothing to be done for Christine. Ryan’s partner begins to pull him to safety before it’s too late. The secret that could ruin Ryan’s life will die with Christine.
Suddenly, against all odds, Ryan completely rejects his racist script (meme) and fully embraces his heroic script. Kicking off his partner he dives back into the burning car, risking his life to save the same woman whose life he so carelessly degraded just a few days earlier.
Against even greater odds, Christine rejects her hatred script and accepts help from the man she has hated with archetypal passion. Her worldview shifts as she accepts his now dignified help and heroic rescue. Everything they thought about one another is changed in an instant; everything they thought about themselves is changing as well. As they weep together in a rescuers embrace both characters hover at the edge of transformation.
Click here to watch Unwanted Rescue scene. (Warning: explicit language.)
CHRISTINE throws one look back over her shoulder – hate filled with fear and gratitude.
RYAN watches her, equally confused, overwhelmed and embarrassed by his feelings.
As the scene ends it is clear that Ryan and Christine have each entered a new story–a story that will alter their future value and belief system, personal practices, and decisions. Their scripts (memes) change because they crashed into each other’s stories with sufficient force to jolt them out of their culturally transmitted roles. Christine returns home to reconciliation with Cameron (who has been in his own transformation journey). Ryan returns home and begins to treat his father with a new tenderness and dignity.
Snowfall in L.A.
Cameron Thayer (Terrence Howard) watches flames rise to meet a once-a-century snowfall
Paul Haggis’ masterpiece, concludes with the most unlikely crash of all—a once-a-century snowfall in Los Angeles. The snow is as unimaginable as a worldview shift. It is also symbolic. For decades, snowfall has served as a favorite Hollywood metaphor for “something is changing.”
As the audience considers this final image, they are challenged with the questions:“Will we continue gliding through the thousands of “preconditioned” decisions we make each day, or will the “Crash” of this movie cause us to reexamine them deeper levels? Will we dare to change?”
And as we rise we see the twisted chaos of the intersection, the cars and people and the (now freed) Illegals disappearing into the maw of the churning city. And it starts to snow.
FADE OUT.
Next post in the series: It’s a Wonderful Worldview: Frank Capra’s Theistic Masterpiece
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See also:
Hollywood and Higher Education: Teaching Worldview Through Academy Award-winning Films
Casablanca and the Four Levels of Worldview: Why Everyone Meets at Rick’s
Fiddler on the Roof: Worldview Change and the Journey to Life-Interpreting Story
Bungee-Jumping to Eternity: The Existential Angst of Dead Poets Society
Deep Culture: Is Winning an Oscar a Reliable Indicator of a Truly Great Film?
If you Live it, They Will Come: The Blind Side and Better Faith-Based Filmmaking
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Related Posts:
Using Zombie Movies to Teach Politics, by Daniel W. Drezner
The Joker Is Satan, and So Are We: René Girard and The Dark Knight, by Charles Bellinger
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Notes
[1] Paul Haggis, Cathy Schulman, Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, and Brendan Fraser. Crash. (Santa Monica, Calif: Lions Gate Entertainment, 2005). All quotations from, Crash. Story by Paul Haggis; Screenplay by Paul Haggis, and Robert Moresco. (Bob Yari Productions, Bull’s Eye Productions, Blackfriar’s Bridge & the Harris Company, 2004).
[2] René Girard, Deceit, Desire and the Novel: Self and Other in Literary Structure (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press). See also, Cynthia Haven’s excellent mini-bio in the Stanford Alumni magazine, “History is a Test: Mankind is Failing it.” See also, Michael Kirwan, Discovering Girard (London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 2004), The Girard Reader, James G. Williams, Ed. (New York: Crossroad, 1996), Mimesis and theory : essays on literature and criticism, 1953-2005 (Stanford University Press, 2008.)
[3] Richard Dawkins, The selfish gene (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976). See also, Robert Aunger, Darwinizing culture: the status of memetics as a science (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000). Kate Distin, The selfish meme: a critical reassessment (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005). Robert Boyd and Peter J. Richerson, The Origin and Evolution of Cultures (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005).[4] Susan J. Blackmore, The meme machine (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), p. 16. “So, for example, whenever you drive on the left (or the right!), eat curry with lager or pizza and coke, whistle the theme tune from Neighbours or even shake hands, you are dealing in memes. Each of these memes has evolved in its own unique way with its own history, but each of them is using your behaviour to get itself copied” (p. 16).
The movie, Crash, for me was difficult to watch because of the foul language and extreme racism. I grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota where I rarely saw a colored person or a person of a different race. To see this movie, it is hard to believe people really treat each other like this. There was so much disrespect in the movie. I found the movie hard to follow at times, it skipped around with many characters. My prayer is that this world will change and we can learn to accept each other for the way God made us.
I am just like you Linda, I grew up in a tiny town where there were no colored people. It's so disappointing to think there are people out there who have just ill will towards people just because they have a different skin color. Jesus showed us that we should be accepting of all people no matter what race, color, occupation, etc. I think we all need to remember this in our daily lives.
What I've learned from the Movie Crash is that it is hard to change your perspective if you've been brought up a certain way or the environment you are in. Experiences in life can also alter perspective. As played out in the movie Crash, it took some life altering event for one character to have a paradigm shift that contrasted their character's original perception. Some of the scenes in the Movie seemed a bit extreme for someone who grew up in a bubble in "Minnesota Nice" society but I know people tend to act defensive or offensive based on their own experiences. I can relate to some of the racism that I have seen personally but just not to the extent that was portrayed in the film. I really enjoyed the movie because it was able to tell the story of many different people and still tie it up at the end when we realize that the murder victim Peter was Detective Water's brother. Awesome film!!!
Mao,
You mention how we are brought up. I think it is interesting, when I was a teenager, I was very outspoken with my grandfather. He was a white person living in North Minneapolis and was faced with daily images of mostly black people that he perceived as "good for nothing." I would argue with him about prejudice and grouping people into stereotypes.
Then, as I grew into a thirties something, I could see myself becoming more and more judgmental. Now that I'm forty something I feel pretty good about my perceptions and openness to diversity. It's funny though, I have a boy that is 17….he is so strongly opinionated that people are people and everyone should be treated the same. He reminds me of myself at that age. I hope he can hang onto his strong sense of judging people only for their character and nothing else.
I can say I did not think this movie was awesome. It was unsettling for me with all the foul language and racism. I did grow up in an environment where I did not see racism and therefore it was hard to watch the disrespect and extreme racism in this movie. Our background and culture have so much to do with the way we respond to different movies.
Mao,
I agree with you, I too think as "Minnesota nice" in a sort of bubble, not tamed by the "memes" of racism portrayed in the movie.
Crash was a great movie, yet it was hard for me to watch, but after the movie was done I realized my worldview was so different from every other character of the movie… and with that new realization it help opened my mind to the stories behind each character.
The very first time I saw Crash I was blown away when it came full circle at the end of the film. It was a very dramatic closing where deep reflection of each charachter was on full display. The very last scene when the brother is in the car with the cop and reaching for a religious saint to display on the dashboard was a difficult scene to watch. I knew what was going to happen because in a police officers lens they always see danger in situations such as this scene. The other heartbreaking moment for me was the little girl running out in front of a gun because in her mind she was taught that she had a magic cape that would protect her, and she wanted to protect her dad. It was the innocence of children in an unfriendly world.
I too found it very difficult to watch both of these scenes as well. I hadn't realized that the bullets were blanks, as I didn't catch that at the beginning of the movie. Too often in situations like that, they aren't blanks, and anger causes accidents or "crashes" for no reason at all. He didn't bother to find out who had caused the vandalism. He had his mind set as to who it was, and let the anger control him. In the situation where the cop killed the brother, you are right it is a cops instinct to protect themselveswhen someone reaches for their pocket. I don't know if it mattered what race he was in that situation.
The scene where the little girl ran out to her father was heartwarming. The innocence she possesses is prieless and untimately saved her father.
The plethora of worldviews in this movie is amazing. What's even more amazing is how they put them all together. This is such a powerful movie in so many ways!
I had the same reaction when I first saw this film years ago. I couldn't believe someone had the guts to portray our society this way, but after really thinking about it, I was sad that our society was like the movie. OK, maybe not as amplified but they did get the culture and racial bias somewhat correct, even if we don't want to admit it. This movie wouldn't have had a script had our society not written it.
Crash is one of those films that is difficult to watch and even more difficult to accept as reality. Accepting the fact that we are all following our “scripts” and are largely unaware of the “lines” we are acting out is very disheartening. The fact is, we are all caught up in our own world, we see things through our own eyes, and unless there is an inciting event or a crash, we just do what comes naturally. I have found that it is indeed very hard to change my worldview. However, I have come to realize that judging others will get me (and society) nowhere. I have tried very hard not to dismiss others for what may be a pre-judged thought or lack of understanding. The phrase about walking in another man’s shoes rings very true when we think about worldviews. We will never understand another person’s worldview unless we have lived it. Therefore, we must FORCE ourselves to be respectful and compassionate with others. After all, life could have dealt each one of us something other than what we have now.
"We will never understand another person’s worldview unless we have lived it." Well said! Somewhere I'll bet Paul Haggis (the screenwriter) is smiling!
Colleen, I am much like you that although I am aware of others it is very natural for me to stay in my own worldview! This is particularly happening in my own work world right now, although I keep forcing myself to look beyond my own interests or my own script and consider the organization as a whole, I am stubborn to let go. Eventually I, and others, will have to accept reality as it is and I will have to walk a new script that someone else has chosen for me. Difficult lesson, but certainly a doable task.
ok , I was in the middle of posting on your comment and my computer went crazy!!. I agree we should not pass judgment on others as we have no idea of what life has been dealt to them. People are like onions with layers of skin. Under all those layers of skin is a heart that is often broken. So many of us are caught up with ourselves. I actually was so caught up in myself that I decided a few years back to walk in the light of someone that was living in a very dark world. It is scary out there and there are a lot of hurting people. Through a very dramatic experience with people that hold very different beliefs and values I recognized that passing judgment is not right nor my place.
I agree with your comment. Our personal "scripts" have such strong holds on us that we don't realize our actions. If we change our daily scripts to include compassion, understanding, even tolerance we wouldn't need so many "crash" moments to change us.
It was touching to see the worldviews of individuals shift through the encounters they had with others. Sandra Bullock recognized after falling down the stairs, that her so called friends were not true friends that would be there and support her. Instead, the house keeper ended up being there for Sandra; an individual whose relationship Sandra had taken for granted. I learned through this film that crashes not only create prejudice and bias but can also remove the prejudice and bias that once existed. Some of the principles, beliefs and values that I formed growing up have shifted because of my relationship with Christ and certain individuals I have crashed into. I remind myself that we are all created equal, have fallen and through mercy and grace are forgiven. This world is filled with broken people, like many of the individuals we saw in the film CRASH. Take advantage of the moments and crashes you have with others and create a great story. Life is short and can change in a blink of an eye. Live in the moments you have left on earth.
Sandra Bullock played such a mean spirited role in this movie, it's almost shocking! She overlooked the fact that the man changing the locks was a person with a family and when she needed someone, it wasn't her "friends" but the friendship of her house keeper!!! I love crashing into others, it can really deviate one's life plan. Much like when I crashed into you for the first time! I am glad that we chatted and you worked hard to join our cohort and we developed a friendship that will be lifelong. What an inspiring moment.
Noelle, I am so glad I ran into you the day I was taking my Dante test. If I hadn't met you I would not have even started school yet. You inspired me to give it my all and test out of 8 courses so we can be in a cohort together. You are an amazing person and I am so glad I crashed into you at Bethel =) Without our encounter, I would have one less awesome friend!
This world is certainly filled with broken people. I too have to remind myself that we are all created equal in God's eyes. God loves us no matter who we are. Thank you for reminding me to take advantage of the moments and crashes I have with others to create my life story.
part 2…It's almost as if you could see the remorse in his embrace for treating Christine as he did in the beginning of the film. The movie is also effective at enabling the viewer to see what lengths it takes sometimes to change ones worldview/story. The movie challenged me to observe the behavior in my life that may need to change. I would like to think that it won't take such a severe inciting event to cause me to change, that watching the movie in and of itself can be an inciting event.
Tricia,
I'm glad you were so honest with your response. Your example was classic in showing how people's world view can change. If society have the knowledge or interest in going outside of their own comfort zone, there would be less resistance to try and relate to others.
The movie was really an inciting event for me as it made me think and analyze my own worldview. I realized that I had some of my own bias in life that I needed to overcome. I need to appreciate those individuals in my life that have stuck by me through the good and bad times. Just like Sandra, I recognized as I I was going through a very difficult time in my life that I really only have a few true friends.
When I first saw this movie, I didn't like it at all. 1) I have an extreme aversion to foul language, 2) I thought everyone in the movie was out for themselves and didn't care about anyone else (which is mostly true until their worldviews change) and 3) I didn't see the profound artistic value in it. Watching it again through the lens of worldviews drastically changes the movie's message and meaning. Sgt. Dan Ryan's character was developed in the best way to really drive home the point that inciting events really do have a way of changing one's worldview. That's what I learned from Crash. The embrace he gives Christine after he rescues her from her burning vehicle is symbolic of him coming full circle to realizing that she's human, just like he is and she deserves rescuing as anyone else would.
Tricia, I too did not care for the movie when I saw it a few years ago. The language did not bother me too much, but the difficult message was just hard to swallow. I remembered telling a friend that is was a "good" movie but that I did not recommend it. I guess, in a small way, this movie is an inciting event for us. It would be pretty hard to watch the movie and not sit back for a few minutes to think about the charachter's views….every actor in the film showed us how their worldview affected their actions.
O, how I hope it is an inciting event for you and everyone who sees it!
Colleen-
I can see why you would not have enjoyed it. As someone who is fairly insulated in life, the language and situations are very jarring. I agree with your analysis of Dan Ryan's change. There are many situations where, if I stop and allow the Holy Spirit to show me my own words and actions, I've treated other people as less-than-human. It's small, and maybe even not noticed–a sneer, rolled eyes or saying "what else can you expect from a ______", but it slowly chips away at how I view others.
I've glossed over Jesus' words from the sermon on the mount, when He said "Do not judge others, or you too will be judged," and when He says that "as we forgive, so shall we be forgiven." I had always approached those teachings as mere transactions. One teacher helped me understand it better when he compared it to a snorkel. We need to breathe in (receiving God's grace), but it only works when we can also breathe out (giving grace to others.)
Great analogy, Tom! I've never heard that one.
I would agree the language was a turn off but it made the movie more realistic. Without the language the movie would not truly portray the inner city life. The movie would not have come alive without it. The shift in Sgt Ryans character after he was in the middle of a life and death situation with Christine was amazing. I often wonder how many people on their death bed that do not know Christ, change their worldview and realize they are lost. I wonder how many have cried out to God on their death bed and asked God to save them?
I completely agree with your comments Tricia, and I really appreciate your honesty.
Crash was all over the place. It was a marathon of prejudices. We all have a lens we see life through. I think changing how you see through your lens is not just about getting information. After we become aware, we have to make a conscious choice to change. Growing up in a small town in Iowa I had prejudices simply because that was all I knew. I never really hated any one, that was my worldview at the time. On a micro level I think my worldview continues to change. It is your core beliefs(worldview) that help you make corrections or enforce your prejudices. For me becoming a follower of Jesus made a big difference how I see through my lens – grace and mercy!
Very well said Jerry! I definitely agree that growing in my relationship with Jesus teaches me to change my character (worldview) and, with His grace, increases my ability to have grace sufficient for other people and the circumstances in my life. Without an outside force guiding you (or, if you choose to only change whence circumstances force you to change), I really think that we as a human race wouldn't have the impetus to drive any real change.
I agree. The prejudices you learn as a child stay with you for life unless you make a conscious effort to change them. I was lucky to be raised in a home that taught us that everyone is equal and that racism is not acceptable. There are of course the influences from those close to you outside your home which helps build stereotypes. I think stereotypes are much more difficult to overcome.
A “crash” is mainly unwelcome when it’s unexpected. In the context of this movie, “crash” is synonymous with “interruption.” In a similar way, God interrupts, or crashes into, lives all of the time. Most of the time, this occurs when we have experienced something that takes us to the end of our resources and options. At the time, it feels like an impact, but in retrospect, we realize that He was catching us to prevent us from falling into a worse fate.
Tom,
Thanks for enlightening me with your perspective. I never thought of it that way. That makes perfect sense. Sometimes, we all need something to crash to get our attention. God stepping in with a crash in our lives to open up our eyes.
I believe this is a great way to look at a "crash." I also believe that God is helping to cause these interruptions to help us to grow. Some situations can be more painful than others. We are still able to gain strength and become who we are and who God wants us to be.
Tom, I would agree that interruptions as you say can be a "crash". It sometimes takes along time to realize that it kept us from a worse fate.
Great analogy! From now on when I "crash" I will think of this and know that this "crash" is preventing me from falling further. I like it!
I agree with you to a certain extent Tom. I think God intervenes, but only to a certain extent. That extent would be to give us a way out, whenever we have a tough decision to make. We can either follow the worldly way (sin) or we can rise above and follow the way that God has put in front of us.
I have seen this movie a while back but did not pay that much attention to it. Now that I know a little bit more about worldviews, the movie makes more sense. This is a great movie that challenges stereotypes and hopefully makes people think twice about how they judge each other. Each scene brought me different emotions and shows how stereotyping lead us make not so good decisions. I truly believe or perhaps hope that anyone seeing this movie is likely to be moved to have a litte more sympathy toward people not like themselves.
I don't know how anyone could watch this movie and not be moved to be more sympathetic to those that are different than themselves. The movie so clearly makes the point that it's not ok to treat people with prejudice and bigotry. Identifying the bigotry in others lives should make it easier to see the prejudices in our own hearts, but I'm aware that it doesn't always work like that. A lot of times it takes a powerful, inciting event for people to be introspective enough to examine their own hearts and behaviors.
Deborah, you are totally right. This movie develops those stereotypes and makes them so real that it naturally breaks down that pattern in our own lives. It is so hurtful to tear someone apart for being different. Of course it is a movie, but it certainly happens outside of Hollywood in every day life.
This was a powerful movie and it did a good job at showing many different worldviews and stories. Unfortunatey there are sad truths revealed that are hard to watch and a bit haunting.
I couldn't agree more with you about the movie making more sense the second time around with the new knowledge about worldviews I now have. I like how you said this movie makes people think twice about how they judge one another. I think we don't always realize what we say or how we act to certain people. It may not even be a concious effort, but it's what we're used to. This is a very powerful movie that we can all benefit from watching.