Shadowlands

OK, whether it's right or it's wrong, I'm posting two movie suggestions in a row. Last night Jim and I watched another movie from the VHS vault, and there's a good chance you've heard of it. We rented "Shadowlands" (1993). In case you have heard of it, but haven't seen it, we thought it was so good. It's the story of C.S. Lewis (Anthony Hopkins) and his American wife, played by Debra Winger. The film concentrates very little on Lewis' great thoughts and writings born out of his faith (although it is present-enough for Hollywood, and close enough to his actual life for a screenplay) and is mainly the love story between the two. It was amazing to think of the life he had led up to that point-- a highly intellectual thinker, surrounded by others just like him but not particularly close to him, a comfortable life, a safe life. He enjoyed success, but lived with a measure of distance between himself and others. Then, we see him finally let someone else in and risk the intimacy. He found it was worth the risk and was also far more costly than he would have ever chosen, but still worth it.

"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." -C.S. Lewis