I used to believe that movies were all made up because most of them made no sense. As a 7-year-old, no one could explain to me why someone would run through an airport, sweating and out of breath, just to find their beloved.
However, as a person grows older, certain things begin to make more sense, especially when we have that déjà-vu moment and find ourselves doing the same thing we saw in the movies.
We can deny it, but movies have an effect on our lives. Some things become more acceptable, and we begin to incorporate scenes from movies into our daily routines, raising our expectations in life.
Some movies are like schools; we sit and watch, and at the end of the day, we discover that we learned something new that will forever change our lives, even if we did not pay attention in the classes.
YOU WILL DIE AT 20
It is a one-hour-and-43-minute film about a young man growing up in a small Sudanese village trying to live his life while dealing with a holy man’s prediction that he will die when he reaches the age of twenty.
This film spoke to me on several levels, including the plot and the fact that it addressed some of my personal concerns.
It was purely coincidental that I was in the theater that day, and I was turning twenty the following month, so when I read the title of the film, all my attention was focused on the massive screen.
This film is ideal for anyone who has been told that they will not reach a certain age or a certain goal in life.
The motion picture almost serves as a warning to those of us who are overly blinded by faith and fear, with many realistic reactions that many of us would have if we knew exactly when the person we loved would die.
During Sakina’s son’s naming ceremony in the film, a Sheikh predicts that her child will die at the age of 20.
Sakina, haunted by this prophecy, becomes overly protective of her son Muzamil, especially after her husband flees to work abroad under the pretext that she could deal with son, who grows up knowing what happened to him.
While evading Sakina’s watchful eye, Muzamil encounters friends, love, ideas, and challenges that cause him to question his fate. My takeaway from this film was that living a life worth dying for does not imply that holding on to something so tightly will last forever.
Sakina raised her child on her own while enduring heartache after her husband left her with the justification that he had found a better job, and it served as a reminder of the strength of a woman. It also taught me to think critically before trusting anything.
The Wedding Ringer
Even today, this remains my favorite movie. In addition to the humor and the fact that Kevin Hart played the lead role, this film is packed with life lessons that both Josh and Kevin unfortunately discover much too late.
They say love is blind, and others say you don’t need a reason to fall in love, which is what Doug wants to believe when he allegedly falls in love with Gretchen.
Doug, a nerdy introvert who is also a very successful tax collector, takes a shot at Gretchen, a stunning woman who he considers to be out of his league.
Doug mentions a group of guys who are supposedly his best friends in order to avoid looking like a loser in front of his fiancee. She requests that Doug invite his fiance’s best friends to the wedding so she can meet them.
Doug agrees involuntarily; he expects it will be difficult to find people who will agree to it, but he tries his luck with the people he went to school with. He calls a lot, a few pick up, most don’t remember him, but despite all of his efforts to locate their contacts, no one agrees to come.
Fast forward to when Doug Harris learns about Jimmy Callahan, a professional best man who is compensated for assisting others in similar situations and pretending to be their best man.
Making them look good in front of their spouses by giving a big speech and then disappearing after the wedding.
When Doug tells Jimmy Callahan, played by Kevin Hart, that he needs to pull a golden tux, which means he has to find 7 groomsmen, which has never been done before, Jimmy is convinced to try for $50,000 and all expenses paid.
This taught me the value of not only making friends but also keeping in touch with them; it reminded me of what my mother used to say to me, ‘iyi si ntawuyibanamo’ and ‘ntukabe nyamwigendaho,’ which means that no one is alone on this Earth.
On the other hand, it demonstrated that money can be used to buy friends, so I guess on this subject, to each their own.
Another reason I adored this film was Doug’s realization that he is more valuable than a pretty girl who wants him for reasons other than love.
This is because we sometimes feel less attached to the people we are with, whether they are friends or romantic partners, and we can dismiss red flags in relationships in the hope that they will stay with us.
Doug, on the other hand, had discovered his self-worth and was ready to pursue true love and friendships, so he decided to leave the wedding for which he had worked so hard.
In exchange, Jimmy learns to be an unpaid friend and gains a best friend, as Doug referred to him. Kevin’s character demonstrated how we are quick to judge people for doing what they do without realizing it is their way of protecting themselves.
Akeelah and the bee
This is the story of an 11-year-old girl who lost her father but maintained a bond with him through a game of words called Scrabble, which she continued to play as a comfort when her mother was too busy working or arguing with her brother, who wanted to join the neighborhood gang.
Despite her school’s poor facilities, Akeelah is academically gifted but skips most classes to avoid bullies who would tease and even beat her for getting good grades. She finds herself in a pickle when the school principal gives her the option of punishment for skipping classes or participating in the school spelling bee because she was one of the smarter students.
She goes on to win the first round, but in order to advance, she seeks the coaching of Dr. Larabee, and though they begin on a shaky foundation, they find better ways to train her, and she goes on to create a serious buzz in the district and even the entire state as people root for a girl from an unknown school in a poor neighborhood.
What I find more inspiring about this film is how one shy broken girl discovers how gifted she is and goes on to bring together the unluckiest of people to help her train to reach her goal, not to mention how she goes on to impact so many people with something that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
From a family standpoint, she demonstrates that no matter who your family is, rich or poor, whole or missing, it should not be an excuse for not pursuing your dreams.
