Christmas celebrations with family and friends are quite lovely and magical for me, but a few days after the high point of revelry I generally find myself feeling exhausted and even a bit disoriented. I have trouble remembering what day of the week it is and I begin to engage in quiet activities like reading and taking afternoon naps. The introvert in me needs to step back just a bit to recharge my batteries and prepare for tackling all of the resolutions I have created for the new year. I love parties and gatherings, but I can only take so many before I begin to whither into a wall flower. Sitting in the dark on a recliner while watching a movie at a theater is my kind of post celebration activity.
Because of the worldwide pandemic it has been quite some time since I have done such a thing. This year a few days after Christmas I was more than eager to find a good film to lazily view while munching on popcorn and sipping on a Diet Coke. I was surprised to learn that there was not much out there that caught my attention. The available fare was lacking in imagination with so many of the film titles seeming to be reinventions of old stories. I did not think that I would be up to spending four hours watching Napoleon and titles like Wonka or The Claw were not what I had in mind for chilling while charging my emotional batteries. The Color Purple sounded more like a movie I would watch with a woman friend rather than my husband, so I landed on a flick that I knew nothing about.
The Boys In the Boat is a film based on the book of the same name by Daniel James Brown. The nonfiction bestseller from 2013, seemed to be a winning concept for director George Clooney who was enthralled by the inspirational true story. Set during the Great Depression of the 1930s it follows the unlikely rise of a team of eight young men who formed a rowing team at the University of Washington. Ultimately they would find themselves representing the United States at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin.
While the book had more time to develop the background of each team member’s journey, the film hit the highlights of their incredible accomplishments. It focused on their dedication, hard work and the all important requirement of teamwork. Director Clooney demonstrated how difficult it is for eight different people to come together in unison to propel the boat forward as though the individuals had become one force. The film also showed how athletically demanding rowing actually is.
Unlike many critics I found the movie to be quite wonderful. I have seen the blockbusters of the year like Barbie, Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon. I truly enjoyed each of those films and felt that the stories and the acting were top of the line, but I found The Boys In the Boat to be a relaxing, feel good experience in a time when there is so much negativity and uncertainty in the world. I liked the themes that Clooney chose to showcase with likable characters who possessed characteristics that are all too often dismissed as being old fashioned. Mostly I loved the idea that even during very hard times the team and its coach worked together in a spirit of cooperation where no one person was better than another.
Perhaps my greatest sorrow as we enter a new year is the breakdown of goodwill and relationships that I witness all over the world. In a time when we should have worked together there were all too many people whining and attempting to throw a wrench into the efforts to overcome the devastating effects of the pandemic. The lack of understanding and cooperation has saddened me. Seeing that it continues in the halls of government and in terrible wars around the globe is one of my greatest disappointments.
There was a time in the very beginning of Covid’s hold on the world that we actually seemed to be working in unison, but there were far too many people who turned the illness into a political football leading to divisions that are not yet healed. The Boys In the Boat demonstrates the joy and importance of real teamwork. It is a metaphor for the kind of hopefulness and love that we all wish to enjoy. The irony of that incredible University of Washington team was the power of their humility and determination in defeating a German team of athletes hand picked to demonstrate the twisted beliefs of a fascist dictator. It was an old fashioned contest of good versus evil, something that has somehow become difficult to clearly find in the present time.
We need heroes, so we search for them. Sometimes they are found in the most unexpected places. The United States eight man rowing team of 1936 was just what the world needed. Watching their story unfold on a big screen was a panacea for me, a reminder that goodness is always alive. We only have to hear stories about good people like the Washington rowing team and surely we will know that working together we will overcome the challenges that we face. What better theme might we embrace at the dawn of 2024!
All It Takes Is A Little Love 