LIVING: A Movie Review
I recently went to see a movie called ‘LIVING’ with a friend of mine. I was inspired to write about it and share it with you because it made me think deeply about finding purpose and meaning in our lives.
Set in 1950s post-war England, ‘LIVING’ is the story of an ordinary man, ‘Mr. Williams’, who lives a life of quiet desperation (played exceptionally well by Bill Nighy who is nominated for best actor). He is a civil servant in charge of a government department which approves public projects such as parks and playgrounds for children.
Williams takes the train to London to work. He shuffles papers at the office desk, then takes the train home. Nothing changes. The whole office routine is oppressive and boring.
The mood is set with dark shadows, monotonous action, and muted conversation. People in this movie live dull and boring lives, repeating their daily routines over and over until their retirement.
Williams is a widower and has a strained relationship with his son and daughter-in-law.
A sudden medical diagnosis that he has a terminal illness and has only six months to live, shakes him from his routine and spurs him to look for meaning in his life. This becomes his new purpose and quest, to sense what is possible with his remaining days.
Williams decides to seek adventure and takes a trip to the coast. He goes pub-crawling with a man he meets, and he gets drunk. He realizes this venture is unfulfilling because it does not lead him anywhere.
‘Miss Harris’ is a young office colleague who fascinates him. She reluctantly tells him her secret name for him is ‘Mr Zombie’. Williams is entranced by her openness and positive spirit. He arranges opportunities when he can spend time with Miss Harris.
Williams, a man of quiet strength and often few words, is now on a journey to reckon with and take stock of his life.
Williams is so private that he has great difficulty telling people about his medical diagnosis. Even his son did not discover the whole truth about his father’s illness until after he dies.
Williams comes alive when he embarks on a project to build the children’s playground that a group of mothers had applied for, and were turned down. This gives him something to focus on and live for because it will benefit others for years to come.
This movie illustrates what it is like to live life without joy, purpose and meaning. It captures the feelings and lived experiences of people who live a limited existence, and makes the viewer look at their own life.
Since the COVID pandemic, many people are asking themselves: Am I doing what I want to do with my life? Am I simply coasting along as life passes by? These are important questions and often in a time of crisis we are jolted into asking them.
Many people in their senior years seek a new-found purpose, something that inspires them into action and gives their life deeper meaning. In this movie, we see someone who has lived a life of predictability, and not much meaning. It is only when the main character is given word from his doctor that he has limited time left to live, that he searches for and finds new insights and possibilities for joy and fulfillment.
I can’t help but think, he wished he’d done it sooner.
Warmest Wishes
Brenda