If there ever is a story of the prodigal son, it is this.
Royal (played by a hard to love for most of the film Gene Hackman) spends his whole life being estranged from his family because of his own selfishness. He sees nothing wrong with making himself the center of the universe and has no apologies for his actions. He gets kicked out of his house, his kids hate him (not so much Richie [the Baumer] though), and he lives in a hotel in which he also gets kicked out of. Through the film he realizes his need for his family and wants to redeem himself. He's not shy about how he feels, he explains how he seeks forgiveness but his family is more than unwilling to forgive. They kick him out again after he gets caught faking cancer in an attempt to get back in the Tenenbaum residence.
In one poignant scene Royal is sitting alongside Chas (played by Ben Stiller) at the grave of Chas's wife. Royal asks why he (chas) won't forgive him. Royal is seeking to redeem the lost years, but he thinks he can do it just by showing up and saying he's sorry. He doesn't yet realize that he needs to really show that he wants to change for them. He then spends the rest of the movie trying to change and in turn really does change. When he changes he immediately does things he should have done years ago. He gave his wife a divorce so she could remarry. He shows them that he really wants to be a part of their lives again. This is a key difference, not just saying but doing, that's the hard important part.
There are other plot lines that intertwine with this main plot. One of the hardest to watch scenes for me is the attempted suicide by Richie (played by Luke Wilson). He's in the bathroom shaving off his beard and cutting his hair, he pulls off the razor and slits his wrists. This is under the music of Needle in the Hay by Elliot Smith. Most of the scene is comprised of a tight head shot which is for some reason is so powerful. It hurts so much to watch this. You want him to live, to have hope. It makes me sad every time I see it. Then the following scenes of all the family finding out rushing to the hospital. There's so much pain there, not overly dramatic as it would be in other films, a quiet pain that is real. Shock, hurriedly, calm, concerned not wailing and crying. It's an understated pain. It allows us (the viewer) to have emotion rather than trying to manipulate us to feel a certain way as most movies attempt to do.
The other scene that always gets me is the end. The final montage if Royal dying. All is well and reconciled. I love the moment when Chas's dog is killed and Royal buys him a new dog and says he bought it for the boys. Chas starts to cry and says he's had a bad year to which Royal grabs him and says he knows. So simple, powerful, understated. When Royal dies Chas is in the ambulance with him and is the only one to see him pass. It's sad and beautiful. It reminds me the end of American Beauty, in that the protagonist has a change of heart and is redeemed only to their peril a short time later. The death of both characters both gives more hope than sadness. They have found out something good and got to experience that before they died. Most people don't find this out ever and die some tragic death, yet these two saw some truth.
Anyone who doesn't appreciate this film isn't a bad person, I didn't like it the first time either. As a matter of fact I had to watch the other Wes Anderson films first to get this one. Of the Anderson films this one is the most heartwarming. There are some truly stunning moments in it that make your heart burn. This is my favorite Wes Anderson.
I also think it's mis-labeled. It's not a comedy. Try to compare to Wedding Crashers and you'll see two opposite films. Tenenbaums is a nuanced telling of flawed characters going through a redemptive process. I think it would be easy to say that the plot doesn't advance a lot, but the advancement it has is powerful and important. Redemption is sweet. Forgiveness is powerful and life changing. We find this in Jesus, that is why it's so powerful. Legalism has no power. Forgiveness, grace, love, redemption is. We are redeemed by none other than God himself in the person and works of Jesus. He personally redeemed every person to ever live. This is a truth that I am still learning about and letting wash over me. I love movies that point me to Jesus and Tenenbaums is one of the movies that I see Jesus all over in. Thank you Wes Anderson for being a good storyteller full of nuance and meaning. Thank you Jesus for making people creative that we can tell of your love in different mediums, genres, styles, and people.
No comments:
Post a Comment