Zach Braff’s newest movie has a truth that hit home for Christian Clifton.
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Zach Braff is once again being three men at the same time; writer, director, and actor. He has done it before, both in the TV show Scrubs and movie Garden State (a must watch if you haven’t already). This time around, Braff tackles adult life and what it looks like to have a family and chase dreams. Hint: it’s not very easy.
Wish I Was Here follows Aidan Bloom (Braff) a struggling actor and father of two. A life that appears to be sustainable is quickly torn apart when Aidan’s father comes out of remission from cancer. As his father was paying the tuition for the children’s private school, Aidan decides to home-school his children rather than putting them into public school in the middle of the semester. As the dynamics shift and the impending death of his father looms, Aidan is forced to make some hard-earned epiphanies about himself and his relationships.
The movie was not a huge budget blockbuster but that doesn’t take away from its charm. The moments seem intimate and not overly produced. Even the scenes that obviously took more of the budget than others fit in nicely with the indie vibe of Wish I Was Here.
However it’s not the acting, humor, cinematography, or anything of that nature that give this movie its value. The movie has a few solid messages about family and relationships and one giant message about life once the dreams of youth begin to fade away.
Wish I Was Here opens and closes with these poignant words;
“When we were kids, my brother and I used to pretend that we were heroes, the only ones who could save the day. But maybe we’re just the regular people, the ones who get saved.”
This line grabbed me immediately and left me hunting throughout the movie for every moment that would expound upon this simple idea. It might seem a little droll to have the main point of the film splayed out from the get go, but here it just seemed right.
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Mild Spoilers Ahead
I want to be a writer, and yes I know the irony in saying that in something that is published on a well visited site. I want to do that, and maybe speak, full time. I enjoy putting my words down and sharing them with others and relish in the responses that come. I want my thoughts to be conversation starters for millions of voices around the world. Yes it’s a bit grandiose but being realistic when talking about dreams is boring.
All of our aspirations would mean nothing if the means by which they are achieved also brought the destruction of everything and everyone around us.
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I know I am not alone in the desire to change the world. Men like me tend to see ourselves as the hero in our own epic fable that is just waiting to unfold before us. It doesn’t always look like a quest through a mythical land, although those fantasies still fill my mind from time to time. Sometimes it is simply the great desire to gain the respect of those around us, to become our own boss, or maybe to climb the corporate ladder as high as we can. No matter how it manifests, our place in the starring role is steadfast.
Maybe there is something about how young boys are raised because we tend to have these visions of grandeur from an early age, and sometimes they don’t entirely go away. Whether it is via sports programming or our favorite entertainment media, the message is clear: go out and win because you can or because it is your destiny. This gets enforced by the message that all children hear: you can be/do anything you want to. We are special to our parents, to those around us, and the world.
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There comes a time where this personal fable must end and “maturity” must be embraced. This usually shows up sometime around the end of college, having a child, getting married, or landing a good job. We must lay down our sword and shield to tackle a new beast; the real world and all its demands of us.
Aidan faces this crisis in the movie and is hard pressed to make a decision. He doesn’t want to give up on his dream of becoming an actor but also knows that it might just destroy his family in the process. While chasing dreams has become the feel good point of many stories, Aidan instead chooses to be there for his family. In a way he gives up one adventure for another.
Sure I can chase after my own visions of glory but I don’t ever want them to come between me and the wonder of the world I live in.
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All of our aspirations would mean nothing if the means by which they are achieved also brought the destruction of everything and everyone around us. It is a wonderful thought to shout “You Can Do It!” to someone who is going after their dream, but if that leap of faith is taken haphazardly then the possible fall may bring that much more destruction. It is not as fun to encourage someone to embrace the world they already are in; it is much harder to appreciate the view we have seen a thousand times.
In some ways it might feel like Aidan, and some of us, “settled” into a life that misses the mark of our dreams. To some extent this may be true, however there is still nobility to be found in being a loving father and husband and a good worker at a job that might not be that fulfilling. There is excitement in having a family and to living in relationship with others; there are demons to slay and rewards to be gained even in the day to day of a household. If our dreams pull us away from the ones we love then they are more akin to nightmares under a thin veil of silver and gold.
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I know it goes against all the indoctrination of my youth, the media, and the shame messages my mind brings up as I write this but maybe I am not meant to be the hero. That hurt to say. I want badly to be a victor that is adored by the masses but that doesn’t mean it will happen one day. Sure I can chase after my own visions of glory but I don’t ever want them to come between me and the wonder of the world I live in. I can still write, which is what I’m doing now, while not putting an unfair burden on my loved ones or forsaking my health. Something of mine might not ever get printed millions of times, but that doesn’t have to be the end of the world. I’m not necessarily giving up on my dream but rather focusing on the stuff that I know is good and already mine; my beautiful wife, my stable job with great coworkers, my family, and my friends.
I love Zach Braff and his work, and that holds true for Wish I Was Here. It might not be everyone’s favorite and at times a little thin in certain areas, but it is still a fun movie that brings home something that I need to hear from time to time. While it may not be as groundbreaking and memorable as Garden State or other movies it is always good to see a simple movie that is well made. Go check it out and be reminded that it’s OK to let someone else do the saving.
–Photo Credit: Trailer
This could apply to life as a whole in so many ways, like Education, Employment, Politics,etc
This is too good and too relevant not to generate some comment here, so I’m commenting. So much of my dream is tied up in being heroic, or if not precisely heroic, then extraordinary. I can think of a variety of ways to be heroic or extraordinary, but my dream doesn’t really include things like being a good parent, friend, or co-worker. I do those things, and I value them, but I don’t dream of them. I dream of
slaying dragons.
I wonder how much of life I’ve missed looking for dragons to slay?