Movies/Scenes
Representing Disillusionment
- Galaxy
Quest (1999)
- In the bathroom stall, Jason hears the kids talking about what a meaningless sham the Galaxy Quest cast and those who go to the conventions are living. He realizes it's true and sinks into despair.
- Unbreakable
(1999)
- Unbreakable has a number of excellent scenes dealing with
how empty one feels without "meaning and purpose". This emptiness (or
"sadness" in the film) could also come from sin and separation from God. On
the DVD, you can trace this theme of sadness Bruce Willis' character feels
(and how, after he does what he's "supposed to be doing", it goes away) in
the following scenes (I've also included the time into the movie):
ch. 7 (0.31.40-0.32.10)
ch. 17 (1.02.50-1.03.35)
ch. 22 (1.17.33-1.18.30)
ch. 23 (1.22.15-1.33.34)
ch. 27 (1.37.44-1.38.44)
(artie kuhn)
- Unbreakable has a number of excellent scenes dealing with
how empty one feels without "meaning and purpose". This emptiness (or
"sadness" in the film) could also come from sin and separation from God. On
the DVD, you can trace this theme of sadness Bruce Willis' character feels
(and how, after he does what he's "supposed to be doing", it goes away) in
the following scenes (I've also included the time into the movie):
- Magnolia
(1999)
- Earl Partridge dying of cancer, questioning his "success"
- Stir of Echoes (1999)
- Tom: "I never wanted to be famous. I just never thought I'd be so ordinary."
- Cool Runnings
(1993)
- A coach talks to a bobsledder about the
trap of success and its lack of fulfilment.
Start cue: coach enters hotel room.
End cue: "When you cross that finish line, you?ll know" (Youth Alpha Australia)
- A coach talks to a bobsledder about the
trap of success and its lack of fulfilment.
- City of Joy
(1992)
- Swayze leaves his job for India.
- City Slickers
(1991)
- Billy Crystal speaks at son?s school.
Disillusioned with life.
Start cue: "As Danny said..."
End cue: "Any questions?" (Youth Alpha Australia)
- Billy Crystal speaks at son?s school.
Disillusioned with life.
- She's
Having a Baby (1988)
- Funny parody of the emptiness of
suburban life; men dancing around lawnmowers etc.
Start cue: after the cyclist leaves.
End cue: when the music stops. (Youth Alpha Australia)
- Funny parody of the emptiness of
suburban life; men dancing around lawnmowers etc.
- The Jerk (1979)
- I have used the movie "The Jerk" to talk about hopelessness. Toward the end of the movie the main character has lost everything that is important to him. He feels a failure and is in his home announcing that "I don't need you!" and preparing to leave. But before he leaves he starts a litany of sorts. "I don't need anything ... except this ashtray (picks up ashtray). I don't need anything except this ashtray and this remote (adds the remote)." He continues like this until his arms are full of useless things. It is a vision of utter hopelessness and he is reaching for something to hold onto and finding all the wrong things. I will often ask people, "what would you pick up if you lost all hope?" It leads into some more meaningful reflections. (submitted by Thomas Hay)
- High Noon (1952)
- Martin Howe: And in the end you wind up dyin' all alone on some dusty street. For what? For a tin star. It's all for nothin', Will. It's all for nothin'.
- Grapes of
Wrath (1940)
- Arrival in California does not result in prosperity, but rather in more disillusionment.
