Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Gravity Adoption Movie Review
Gravity recently took home several Oscars at the 2014
Academy Awards, including Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Original
Score, and Best Visual Effects. It was also a nominee for Best Picture. It’s a
visually beautiful film with impressively convincing views of Earth from space.
It’s also a very emotional film. Gravity is largely a one-woman performance as
first-time astronaut Dr. Ryan Stone, played very powerfully by Sandra Bullock,
is left alone in space after a debris storm kills all of her companions. Using
limited resources, Stone has to find the way back to Earth – but first, she has
to find the will to live.
The Adoption
Connection
While Gravity is not an adoption movie, there are some
themes that might be relevant to families touched by adoption. Ryan shares about a daughter that she lost
(to death). This could be painful to parents who have lost a child in a similar
way, but also to parents who have relinquished a child for adoption, parents
who have lost children to foster care, parents who have experienced failed
adoptive placements, and parents who have experienced miscarriages. It’s
encouraging that Ryan uses her love for her daughter to fuel her own will to
survive.
Ryan floats untethered through space. For her, it is
uncomfortable and terrifying. She is profoundly alone, and is unsure if she
will ever be safe again. This reminds me of Dennis, the young boy in Martian Child (click here for that review), who felt so insecure in any of his attachments that he felt like he must
be an alien.
Ryan’s sole companion sacrifices greatly in order to ensure
her safety. This reminds me of the sacrifice that Jor-El and Lara make to save
their son in Man of Steel (click here for that review). In this instance, though, the beneficiary of the
sacrifice is able to voice their opinion. Ryan shouts that she does not want
her companion to sacrifice for her, but he explains, “it’s not really your
choice.” Shortly after this, Ryan is floating, curled up and unconscious in a spaceship’s
round chamber, being supported by some cords. It suggests new life for Ryan in
the wake of the sacrifice made for her.
Positive Elements
Ryan never gives up hope, in spite of what seem likely to be
insurmountable challenges.
Ryan survives through a combination of her own efforts, her
will, the guidance of others, sacrifices by others, and providence or luck.
There’s no one “sole” factor that results in her victory; each factor was
essential. Life is complex. this film captures that truth.
Challenges
Ryan is alone for much of the movie, but she does have one
companion who cares for her in a time of danger. That character ultimately
makes a large sacrifice for Ryan which preserves her life, but keeps her alone.
In remembering life on Earth, Ryan shares about her
four-year-old daughter who died in an accident. Her love for her daughter fuels
her will to survive. However, Ryan reminiscing about her lost child could be
difficult or painful for viewers who have relinquished children to adoption,
and for people who have suffered miscarriage or the death of a child.
There are some very, very raw emotions. Ryan acknowledges
that she will likely die today. She is out of fuel, adrift, and alone.
Negative Elements
There are some disturbing visual images. One character’s
face has been sucked away by the vacuum of space; it is shown suddenly, and
could scare some kids. Also, in some scenes where Ryan is spinning through
space, some viewers might experience something akin to motion sickness,
especially if viewing it in 3D. Or maybe that just happened to me.
Recommendations
Gravity might be both too intense and too slow for
school-age viewers. Teens could appreciate the acting and the visual effects,
but the film might find its best appreciation from adult viewers. As you watch
the film, consider the challenges that have been present in your life – and the
lives of those you love – related to adoption. Have you ever felt lost and
adrift? Are you still feeling that way? What will it take to regain a sense of stability?
Questions for
Discussion
Have you ever felt untethered? How did you regain a sense of
control over your life?
Ryan’s survival resulted from a combination of her will, her efforts, the guidance of others, the sacrifice of others, and some providence or good luck. Which of these factors has been the most important in your life so far?
Ryan’s life was endangered because of unintended
consequences of things that other people did. She wasn’t responsible for the
challenges she faced, but still had to respond to them in order to survive. What
have been the events that have impacted your life? How have you responded?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment