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Changing Lanes (2002)
 | Information at Internet
Movie Database |
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Cinema in Focus,
a social and spiritual commentary by Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman. |
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Looking Closer, review by Jeffrey Overstreet, "searching for truth, beauty
and meaning in the movies." |
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Movie Parables
review. |
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Hollywood Jesus
visual review. |
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Review, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health -
Spiritual Practices for Human Being. |
| Themes
 | Revenge, Temptation,
Forgiveness, Conversion
 | Changing Lanes contains themes of revenge, the evil
inside each of us, the need for forgiveness &
conversion. It tells the tale of 2 ordinary men
(Ben Affleck, a Wall Street lawyer & Samuel L.
Jackson, a recovering alcoholic struggling to
keep his family together) who enter a vortex of
retaliation because of a car accident between the 2 of
them. It is an exceptionally complex & interesting
portrayal of how any of us might be tempted into extreme
measures. Conversion only takes place when each of the men
sees the other as a person, moving from extreme
self-centeredness into the reality of the other. The movie
is replete with symbolism (Christian & other..light & dark,
lots of rain & water) and has William Hurt as S. Jackson's
AA sponsor as the voice of his conscience. He tells Gibson
(Jackson's character) that he has violated the human
covenant & later, tells him that chaos (not alcohol) is his
drug of choice. (Deborah G. Seles) |
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| Spiritual Struggle, Recognizing Evil,
Doing the Right Thing
| Both men face the struggle to recognize what is right
and what is wrong, to care about the difference, and to choose to do the
right thing. |
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| Decision
| Both characters make conscious
decisions for both good and evil. For Gipson, the decision of "doing the
right thing" is more than just not taking a drink. |
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Index of Movie Titles
Index of Movie Themes
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