The Dawn Treader

Russ Duritz (Bruce Willis) is an "image consultant" who is about to turn 40 when strange things begin happening to him.  He gets a visit from an eight year old version of himself.  The purpose of little Russ' visit is ultimately to teach a lesson to big Russ about life so that he can change his ways.  Big Russ is self-absorbed, inconsiderate, and has a heart of stone.  In other words, Big Russ needs redemption.

The film is a feel good movie that the whole family enjoyed.  The kid actor does a great job, and the chemistry between Willis and the kid actor works well in the film.  But it was the worldview implications that grabbed my attention.

First of all, I loved the quote by the kid when he explains what big Russ does for a living.  Russ is an image consultant, which means he helps celebrities, politicians, and public officials manage their public image.  The kid busts his chops by explaining in simple terms what Russ does for a living.  He says that Russ helps people lie so they can pretend to be someone else.  I found this statement profound and descriptive of how many people live, not just those who are given advice by image consultants.  We love our image, don't we?  Who really wants others to see our true selves?  Just imagine if people saw who we really were and what we truly thought and felt.  Yikes!  The whole notion of an "image consultant" is rich and descriptive of how many people live, both in the church and outside of the church.  We are largely a culture of phonies in my opinion.  (note to self, use this scene in future teaching about our need for the gospel).

But deeper than that, this movie ultimately is a message about how we deal with pain in our lives.  How do we respond to the painful events in our lives that shape the person we become?  How are we saved?

Russ's life was characterized by the pain of being bullied as a child, losing his mother before his ninth birthday, and being raised by a verbally abusive and fearful father.   Russ was a pathetic loser.  His path to success was to overcome pain by suppressing it, outsmarting others and being meaner than they were.  This produced a financially successful Russ with the heart of stone who manipulates others and uses shame to get what he wants.  In a key scene in the movie, Russ gets some advice from a friend named Deirdre.

Deirdre Lefever: Well, let's take stock of your life. You're turning forty tomorrow, and you haven't acquired a single thing of real value in your life, and no, money doesn't count. You never see your family, you're virtually friendless, and you've just lost the only woman who means anything to you.

So, Russ is still a loser at 40.  Rich.  Successful.  And alone.  A loser.

Russ needs redemption.  The solution to pain is not suppressing it and having a heart of stone.

The message of the movie is that the life is about relationships and not letting the painful events in our lives keep us from enjoying life.

Once Russ has a clear perspective on where his life is headed (loneliness) and why it is headed there (pain from his childhood), then he is redeemed.  He gets a heart of flesh, learns that is okay to cry, and that life is worth living especially when you have someone to love.

For you Christians who are reading, I would like to hear if you agree with the message of the movie.  Is it consistent with the message of the gospel?  Are there elements of truth in it?

Thoughts ...