Forgiveness is one of the most powerful actions you can take to improve your emotional well-being. And forgiveness is, indeed, an action. Books have been written about the topic; and people’s lives are being changed everyday, by the simple utterance of these 3 words: “I forgive you”. The truth is, you can also learn this powerful emotion, by simply absorbing the messages found in many of the movies that you watch.

There are many films that deal with the topic of forgiveness. These movies provide an inspirational example of how far you can go in life, by simply choosing to let go of your grudges.

 

1. Avatar

In Avatar, the people of Pandora are being forced out of their land, by the government. The government sends a liaison to Pandora, named Jake Sully, to gain the trust of the people. At the end of the movie, events collide, and we are treated to a thrill ride of an ending.

The final act of Avatar, is where an act of forgiveness takes place. Upon hearing of Jake’s true intentions, the people of Pandora are outraged. Especially his lover, Neytiri. Her people tie up Jake, leaving him to die. But after time has passed, something changes in Neytiri. Whether the forgiveness is caused by her realization of past love, or seeing the suffering face of her lover when confronted with a near-death situation, her attitude quickly changes. She forgives Jake for pain and anguish she has caused, in order to save his life.

If you’re reading this, then you probably can’t relate directly to this story. However, you can relate to the overall message. There may be someone in your life, who has deeply upset you in the past. They may have done something terribly stupid, and/or heartless. There is a decent chance that they feel just as bad as you do about the past. Forgiveness can free both of your heads, so you can fill them with more pleasant things.

The past is the past. It has already passed, and it’s time to let go. Move on to a better life.

 

2. The Bucket List

In “The Bucket List, Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) becomes great friends with Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman). Throughout their journey, Carter tries to reunited Edward with his daughter. Edward forcefully refuses. He is so angry at Carter, that he breaks their friendship.

Eventually, only many years later, Edward symbolically forgives Carter by reuniting with his daughter. It’s quite sad, but you don’t have to be a victim to this kind of resentment. Forgive while the one who has wronged you is alive. You’ll save yourself a lot of long term negative emotional energy. Remember one thing: Holding a grudge hurts you, more than it hurts the person you hold the grudge against. Much more.

Just let go. Life is just a game.

 

3. The Pursuit of Happyness

Chris Gardner had to overcome many obstacles in his life. Without forgiveness, he would not have been able to overcome any of them. “The Pursuit of Happyness” is an example of unconscious forgiveness. It is the act of forgiving others without using any energy.

Along the journey to become a stock broker, Garner faces various obstacles. They included: His wife leaving him, and severe poverty. What if Chris decided to hold a grudge against his wife? She left him at the time when he was most in need. Because his wife left him, he had to live on his own, without her support.

Isn’t it nice to subconsciously forgive? You have one less thing to worry about, and it happens almost instantly. You don’t waste your emotional energy, and you can focus on what is most important in your life. Remember: You are the number one priority. Your emotions are greatly weighed down by holding a grudge. When facing a difficult situation, like that of Chris Gardner, your head must be free of distractions. Failure to forgive is one of the biggest distractions you can have in your life.

Another occurrence of forgiveness in The Pursuit of Happyness, is when Chris’s son forgave him for being stuck in a horrible financial situation. As a young child, Christopher had to deal with the poverty of his father. This is terribly traumatic for a young child to go through. Chris’s son could have easily held a grudge. Instead, he chose to grow closer with his father.

It’s funny how life works: When you don’t forgive, a tragedy usually develops. When you do forgive, life can become a comedy.

 

4. Resurrecting the Champ

Resurrecting the Champ is a very underrated film. It is about a homeless, former boxer name Tommy Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson); and a hopeful New York journalist named Erik Kernan (Josh Hartnett). In the film, Tommy Kincaid pretends to be a different person. He masks his own identity, and lies to a reporter. Would you take kindly to a man who lies to you? A man who lies about his own identity, and completely tarnishes your personal reputation?

Kernan was initially outraged. He couldn’t believe that he had been fooled. However, he began to feel sympathy for Tommy Kincaid. Even some pity. Kincaid was so insecure about who he was, that he pretended to be another person! It goes to show; if you are holding a grudge, then you probably don’t know the whole story. In human communication, there always seems to be some misunderstanding between parties. In Resurrecting the Champ, Kernan didn’t know Kinciad’s story, and held a grudge. Once he knew more about the homeless boxer, Kernan forgave him for what he had done, and they became good friends. This brings me to a strong point: Forgiveness can turn enemies into friends. It sounds goofy, but it’s true.

Enemies + Forgiveness = Liberation.

 

5. Pan’s Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth is not an example of forgiveness in cinema; but rather, what happens when you don’t forgive. Captain Vidal is one of the most ruthless movie villains I have seen to this day. He kills without remorse, and he lacks compassion. At the very end of the movie, the viewers are led to believe that he will make a change for the better. Instead, he commits a horrible act, and the movie ends on a very sad note.

What was Captain Vidal’s problem? One possible explanation, is a lack of forgiveness. Perhaps he had a horrible childhood; maybe his mom and dad were bad parents, and he was picked on in school? And what if he never forgave anyone for their wrongdoings; no matter how big or little? They could all have added up, to unleash his inner monster. War can do no good. Even the little wars that we go through in everyday life.

Holding on to grudges will make you irritable, senselessly angry, and immoral. It can turn a person who was once good, into a horrible, sadistic, psychopath. Forgiveness is the only solution to this type of situation. Use it to your advantage, even if your situation isn’t so bad.

Grudges pile up, like a junkyard. But this type of junkyard, lies in your head. Incinerate the garbage before it incinerates your life. Forgive.

 

Conclusion

I could go on and on, but I will stop here. With all of the movies that you have seen in your life, you have also seen many examples of the power of forgiveness. You have seen forgiveness at work, and you have seen all of it’s wonderful benefits. When all is said and done, the final decision is up to you. Will you choose to suffer in disarray, refusing to forgive? Or will you choose to free your mind of grudges, and focus on creating a positive experience? The choice is entirely up to you.

Julie and Julia is a unique type of film. In it, there are 2 separate life stories, connected to create an enjoyable experience. One story is about Julia Child, and her journey to become a great cook. The other, is about Julie Powell and her initiative to set a tough goal, and plow through her obstacles. Neither journey was easy, but Julie and Julia were able to accomplish their goals, through patience and persistence.

Julia Child was constantly being told that she would never become a good cook. But the ridicule that she got from her peers, never discouraged her. Deep down inside, she knew that she could be a better cook than everyone else. She set a goal to become an outstanding cook, and that is exactly what she did. The journey was a long one, which took many years, but she eventually became what she had envisioned. This brings me to one of the main points of the movie: Always have a vision, and always set goals. If you don’t know what path you are embarking on, how can you succeed? Taking action without a clear vision in mind, is like taking shots in the dark. It’s possible, but extremely unlikely. Julia Child had a great vision, combined with a fighting spirit. Nothing was going to stand in her way.

Julie Powell had a similar story, but a very different situation. She was fed up with her life, and wanted to make a change. Her job was raining down on her morale, and her side hobby of cooking wasn’t particularly helping. Until one day, she decided that she wasn’t going to take it anymore. She needed to pursue her passion of cooking, no matter how busy or demoralized she felt. She was going to write a cooking blog, about her journey with all 534 of Julia Child’s recipes. The fact that she set a deadline for her goal, demonstrates an important life lesson: You need to set deadlines for your goals. Your vision is the first step. Next, you need to set individual deadlines for yourself. Otherwise, you will find yourself lost in this complicated journey. It’s difficult to set goals, and even more difficult to break goals down into deadlines. But no one said it was going to be easy. All of the breakdowns that Julie suffered, were a realistic depiction of life. When you fall down, will you have the willpower to get back up?

One final theme in the movie, is the power of appreciation. Julie had a vision in her head, of what kind of person Julia was. She believed Julia to be a flawless character, in every sense of the word. When she found out that Julia didn’t appreciate her blog, Julie was temporarily crushed. Then, she discovered that idol worship was futile. We are all humans in this world, and we all have emotions. We all get ecstatic, and we all get upset. It’s part of life. To think that someone else doesn’t have these emotions, is setting yourself up for disappointment. It’s good to appreciate someone for their achievements; but to completely idolize them, is a fruitless pursuit.

Julie and Julia is a great film, with a great message. Always set goals, and always have a role model. When life stands in your way, it’s up to you to make a change. No one is going to do the hard work for you. But if you stand tall, and never take ‘no’ for an answer, you will find that good things will happen to you. Life rewards those with patience, persistence, and those who set goals.

I have always felt that ‘Bedazzled’ was a highly underrated movie. Besides the fact that it is hilarious, it is also heartfelt, and filled with meaning. It is about a lonely man named Elliot Richards (Fraser), who struggles to find his place in life. That is, until the devil (Hurley) comes along, and changes his life forever. The main moral in the story, is how our lives are shaped by our experiences. One person can’t understand another person’s situation 100%, because everyone lives a different life.  Elliot went through a dramatic, traumatizing experience, which changed his life for the better. Although the devil probably won’t pop up in your life, and try to grant you 7 wishes, you can still learn great things from Bedazzled.

Elliot is the geek at his office. What he has in knowledge, he lacks in assertiveness. People step on him, and no one takes him seriously. After a turn of events, he happens to meet the devil ‘herself’. She tells Elliot that she can grant him 7 wishes. Elliot decides to use the wishes to gain the love of the girl of his dreams. The journey is a joy to watch. Yet behind the humorous exterior of his journey, lies a lingering sadness. Elliot tries so hard to win over Alison, yet he is repeatedly shot down. By the end of the movie, he is completely down on himself, and ready to lose his soul.

It all changes, when he reaches his last wish. After Elliot feels that the devil has tricked him, she sends him to ‘jail’. There, he meets an angel (possibly God). After speaking to the angel, Elliot learns what truly matters: Love. Unselfishness. Compassion. And the common realization that you can’t live forever. In one of the final scenes of the movie, Elliot gives up on his own life, only wishing that Alison has a happy life. What ensues after this, is a miracle. By his true act of unselfishness, Elliot kept his soul.

After this life changing moment, Elliot jumps for joy. Not only does he get to live with a renewed sense of purpose, he also keeps his soul! How’s that for a victory to start your day? When you are feeling down, it’s good to know that you still have your soul. Elliot has been through hell. Literally. His bossy and mean-spirited coworkers can’t get him down anymore. After one of his workers starts mocking him, Elliot pins him to the wall. When life hands you rotten lemons, just throw them away, and find some new ones. You don’t have to be stuck with a bad peer group.

At the end, Elliot doesn’t get Alison. However, he helps a girl who looks just like Alison move into her home. The fact that this girl is played by the same actor, is the message to all men and women alike. Some relationships just aren’t meant to be. Throughout the movie, Elliot moves around, and manipulates his life in many ways, in a desperate attempt to get the girl. This represents the way that some people deal with their relationships. They move around their life to accommodate their partner. The movie demonstrates that if a relationship isn’t meant to be, then it isn’t meant to be. There is always someone else, who looks similar, acts similar, and talks similar. The key is to never lose your optimism.

When I first saw Bedazzled in theaters, it was an extremely powerful film. Earlier this year, when I saw it again, it didn’t lose any of its power. The impact of the movie, along with the impact of the final song: “Change Your Mind” by Sister Hazel, bring together this heartwarming story. It is one of the most underrated movies of the decade, and one of my personal favorites. Change is essential to live, and nothing can propel change, like a dramatic experience. Whether it changes you for the better or for the worse, is entirely up to you.

Although the plot and theme of James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’, is similar to that of many movies in the “Can’t we all get along” genre, the style, effects, and overall creative genius make this film truly stand out amongst the crowd. Avatar received a great amount of hype, and it lived up to its society set standards. There’s nothing like watching a film that meets societies unrealistic expectations. It’s rare, but Avatar is one of those films.

Although I didn’t expect to get many life messages from Avatar, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how deep the movie was. Some of the themes are unity, fairness and equality, and the fight against territorial greed.

Avatar shows what can happen when there is no unification between species. It causes a war to break out, because of some valuable rocks. Looking at the film, there are much better ways to handle such a situation. You can reach out to their society directly. You can find a way to negotiate, without resorting to military force. I believe that military was meant to be a last resort in solving problems. However, in the recent years, and as Avatar shows, we are beginning to resort to military force as a first option. This is bad for so many reasons that I cannot stress enough. The most important reason: No word is strong enough to express the sheer dread of a lost life. In Avatar, a large part of a community is wiped out, all because of military ignorance.

I believe that we are all born with a sense of unification. It is only through society, that we are influenced into separating ourselves from other people/groups. The only solution is to embrace the fact that we are all different. At the end of Avatar, I was given hope. Hope that perhaps sometime in the future, our society will find a way to accept all members of society, and leave other groups alone. They have a right to live, just as much as we do.

“If something has something that you want; kill him, and then take it from him”. As a human being, would you kill your own brother for a material possession? I don’t think you would. So why would we kill massive groups of people, for a possession? As it turns out, we are all brothers.

Avatar also shows the power that 1 person can have on a group, and demonstrates the Butterfly Effect. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) learns that the military cause is unjust, and he eventually switches sides. He is just a single person, but his action led to a chain of events that would change Pandora forever. Sometimes, 1 simple action is all it takes. Don’t worry about the result, for now. Just start it up.

Jake Sully could also represent America today. We have great intentions, and we want what is best. However, we are handicapped in the ways in which we seek our Nation’s wealth. When Jake is in his Avatar body, it represents the hope for our countries’ future. Peaceful, happy, and just.

Avatar, with all of it’s glorious special effects, and its revolutionary filmmaking methods, has brought many ills of society to light. It reminds us about the harsh truth of unjustifiable military aggression; and at the same time, giving us hope for a peaceful future. James Cameron knows that there is always hope for a better future. If we can all just learn the life lessons presented in Avatar, the whole world will be a fantastic place to live in. And who knows what can happen from there? Perhaps a better environment? Happier people? The possibilities are both endless and tremendous. It’s time for all of us to do our part, to promote peace and unity: To make the world a better place, and for a better life. Isn’t that what we are all after?

Interview:

Thanks to Jim Dailakis for the wonderful and comedic interview. Jim is an awesome dude, and an even better comedian! Check out his website HERE.

Rocky is the best boxing film I have seen to-date. It is a tribute to the willpower of the human spirit, and our ability to go the distance. It also shows what can happen, when you underestimate your opponent. No matter what someone has done in the past, or how unproven they are, they are still a human being. And every human being has the capacity to go above and beyond all expectations. Rocky is the prime example of defying your own expectations, and everyone else’s as well. He went the distance.

You can never give up on your first attempt. You can’t become a world-class performer in your respective field overnight. It can take many years, and many repeated failures. Ask Rocky about it. He would know a thing or two about failing. He went from a disheartened boxer, to a personal champion. After constantly failing to achieve his dream, he resorted to becoming a debt collector. It’s a horrible job to take; one that a person takes when they are down in the dumps. Despite his ‘questionable’ career choice, Rocky maintained his good morals. He tried to convince a local neighborhood girl to stop hanging out with bad people. He was a friend of his community, and he was a polite person. Karma eventually came back around to our dear friend, and Rocky was given the opportunity of a lifetime. To fight in a world boxing match. Luck? Perhaps not. I believe that Rocky was being rewarded for his unwillingness to give up his dream. Where many would have quit numerous times, Rocky kept going. There was no light at the end of the tunnel for Rocky, but he just kept going. No hope for a better future, but he just kept going. Nothing is more difficult than persevering, when you don’t see any signs of hope. I cannot stress enough, how great of a character Rocky Balboa was. If there’s anyone to model your life after, it’s Rocky.

Another important lesson that Rocky learned, is that you can’t do it alone. Sure, you can be tenacious, you can have a strong willpower, but when the situation calls for it, you need some support. Rocky was used to being alone. When he was called up for the big fight, he wanted to continue fighting by himself. But when push came to shove, he needed a manager. Sometimes, when times get tough, we need someone that we can count on. We need someone to help us out, and remind us to keep on going. Rocky was able to build a strong support team. His manager showed him the ropes, and taught him ways to train, that Rocky would not have thought of otherwise. Mentors are great people to have in your life. They are people who have achieved what you are aiming for. Mentors are great friends, and they can help guide you along your life path. Ask any successful person if they have ever had a mentor. I bet you that the answer will always be “Yes”.

Apollo Creed was an extremely talented boxer. But for that, he had one downfall: He underestimated his opponent. Never underestimate your opponent. After all, they are a human being, just like you. They have access to the same resources as you. If they are in the same field as you, they can surpass you at any given moment. The only way to stay ahead of the game, is to assume that everyone is working hard, and then work a little harder. There is no shortcut, and no quick fix. Creed didn’t take Rocky seriously, at all. He showed up to the fight smiling, and joking around. He expected an easy victory, but what he got in return, was an invaluable life lesson.

Rocky is an excellent work of art. It’s not just a film with life messages. It’s a masterpiece, with different aspects of human nature, seamlessly integrated and woven in. Rocky flows as smoothly as any movie that I have ever seen. The plot is very entrancing, and before you know it, this 2 hour movie will be over in a flash. There’s a reason for the Rocky Balboa statue in Philadelphia. He represents how a human being should truly act. To keep fighting, even though the goal is not clearly in sight. To go the distance, even though it’s a long journey ahead.