Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Is Helping Me Heal

The movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,  is described as being about this: "British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways."

To me, the movie is about people who are my age – 60-plus – who have had to find new ways of carrying on with their lives. Some have suffered loss of a spouse, as I have. Others have had situations happen to them which have forced them to consider where they will live and how they will live comfortably. Some are simply looking to keep on living, with gusto.

The movie spoke to me on many levels. I loved the characters. They're real - sharp-witted, somewhat cranky, oddball, honest, brave, intelligent, lovable, or some combination of those traits. I loved the main actors – who doesn't love Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Bill Nighy?

But most of all, I appreciated the wisdom in the writing. I won't spoil the storyline for you, but kudos to Deborah Moggach, who wrote the novel (I must buy the book now!), and Ol Parker, who wrote the screenplay. Well done.

I accidentally watched “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” last week and I enjoyed it a lot. Then my children, who are often wiser than I about these things, informed me that the first one was very good as well.

“What? There is a first one?”

So I spent more than two very enjoyable hours last night ... err... early this morning, since those are the hours one keeps after the death of a spouse ... watching and loving every minute of the first Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

It led me to have a good night’s sleep for only the second time in the almost four weeks since my husband, Al, died. 

The movie gave me a few smiles, some clever dialogue, and some strong, relatable characters with real-life problems and solutions. Most importantly, the movie gave me a sense of peace and more courage to carry on. It helped reinforce the knowledge that there is more for me around the corner. I will heal eventually. I will never be the same. I will always carry Al with me in my heart and in everything I do, but I will be able to do new things, have new experiences, and feel happiness again – eventually. Hopefully.

You Deserve The Best - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I watched the movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower the other night. It had been on my 'movies to watch' list for quite some time, and the fact that one of the executive producers is a family friend was another reason I wanted to watch this film.

James/Jim Powers, who produced the movie with the film's writer Stephen Chbosky, is the oldest son of Ken and MaryBelle Powers, who have been dear friends of ours for many years. Ken is a retired United Church minister and he was the first full-time minister of Heritage United Church, the church I attend in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. I give Ken the credit (and sometimes the blame) for pushing me out of my comfort zone and helping me further discover my abilities as a writer, but mostly he pushed me into having the courage to stand in front of a crowd and read scripture. This was the first step on the long road leading to me becoming the confident public speaker I am today. It's easier to stand up and speak in public when you are surrounded by loving, supportive people.

But back to the movie. I loved it. The movie is described as a story about an introvert freshman who is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world. Without saying too much about the plot, the script was well-written, thought-provoking, and surprising. The characters were strong, sound, and complex. The acting was superb. The main characters played by Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller stayed with me long after the movie was over and I found myself reliving parts of the movie and pondering many of the lessons within.

There were two phrases (of many quotes from the movie available here) that have stuck with me. They are so strong in my consciousness that they inspired me to write this blog and put the quotes together with photos I have taken.

As a journalist and as a human being, I have seen so many cases of the past inappropriately defining the future for some people. I hope for a world where the past only helps and doesn't hurt us.

This second phrase was used twice in the movie and it made its point with me both times, as I watched the actors, and as I thought of people I have met and whom I have read about who somehow do not believe themselves worthy.