Just when I was about to retreat to my library and swear off any more uninspired Hollywood films, along comes a movie that restores my faith in originality and creativity.
So many of today’s movies are formulaic, rely on CGI at the expense of great story-telling, or want to tutor me with a political agenda.
Sometimes I just want to escape into a gorgeously filmed movie with an original story, fascinating characters, and philosophical offerings to rock my world.
What’s the movie that did all that for me?
Pig
Don’t let the minimalist movie title or the seemingly absurd storyline dissuade you. Sometimes thoughtful movies with tremendous life lessons come unexpectedly packaged.
Part of this movie’s packaging involves a small pig that lives in the Oregon wilderness with her companion, Robin “Rob” Feld (played by Nicholas Cage).
Feld is a famous Portland chef turned recluse who lives in a dilapidated forest shack. He and his beloved pig forage for rare truffles, which Feld sells to a young restaurant dealer.
But then the truffle hunting pig is abducted, and Feld returns to Portland on a quest to rescue and reunite with his pig.
I know, this sounds like a terrible plot. In fact, my wife and I almost didn’t rent the movie, but the artful cinematography (compliments of Patrick Scola) in the trailer won us over.
Does it give you wings?
So much of life involves mundane routine. Our dreams and passions often take a backseat to the needs of today. Years can click by and sometimes we start to feel dead inside.
Some people are shaken out of their life stupor by a tragic event, like the loss of a spouse, or getting fired from a job. Others reach a kind of bottom and decide on their own that it’s time to make changes.
You’ll have to watch the movie Pig to learn why Robin Feld is the way he is, but I suspect many will nod in agreement with Feld’s wise observations about life.
Namely, about what’s real and what’s not.
How do you know if something is real? That’s easy. Does it change you? Does it form you? Does it give you wings? Does it give you roots? Does it make you look back at a month ago and say, ‘I am a whole different person right now’? If yes, then it’s real. The evidence of truth and reality, lies in how much something can touch you, can change you, even if it’s from very far away. Distance is only the evidence of what can be surpassed.
— C. JoyBell C.
In the movie clip below, Feld (recently bloodied from an underground fight) seeks information about his stolen pig in a fancy restaurant. Feld asks to see the chef (played brilliantly by David Knell), who once worked for Feld.
Arguably the best scene in the movie, Feld is unimpressed with the pompous chef, who we learn has abandoned a personal dream and sold his soul for something he doesn’t even believe in.
How about you? What dreams have you set aside, because people, conventionality, or expectations buried your passion?
Journey towards the sacred mountain
Watching the movie Pig, and that exquisite scene with the chef, made me realize that what really matters is what’s inside of me.
The people I love. The dreams I have. My passion for writing, creating art, and black and white photography.
We waste far too much of our precious time on stuff that’s not real. Chasing likes on social media. Worrying about our status. Emulating others instead of teasing out from within our unique gifts and talents.
We fasten on to the surface of things, the facades, instead of going deeper where truth and meaning reside.
The reflection on the surface of the water is often mistaken for the mysteries that lie beneath. Likewise, the reflection of the moon is mistaken for its own light. In the quest for wisdom, each person must emerge from the illusions of the world and begin the journey towards the sacred mountain.
— Thomas Lloyd Qualls, Painted Oxen
So much of life involves superficial stuff. Probably because we need a bit of surface-level chit-chat to navigate our days more easily.
We ask people “How are you?” to be polite. We don’t expect a long answer about the person’s marriage, mortgage woes, lost dreams, etc.
The surface level is where a great deal of life plays out, much like Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
Except life is much more than merely playing our parts. Beneath each of Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man” are the dreams and passions that accompany our various stations through life.
Dreams and passions don’t care if we’re children, middle-aged, or elderly. They keep whispering in our ears because they want desperately to wake us. They want to prevent us from just living on the surface of things.
What’s inside of you
A friend of mine recently introduced me to the world of Dan Milnor.
According to Milnor’s website:
Daniel Milnor once worked as both a fragrance model and a hot tub installer but is better known as a reformed-journalist, photographer and writer who is now, once again, performing these duties in his role as ‘Creative Evangelist,’ for Blurb Inc., the world’s premiere indie publishing platform.
Beyond his photography and writing, Milnor is an outdoorsman who enjoys bicycling, fishing, canoeing, and overall adventuring. He’s also an avid reader with a sharp mind.
In one of the many Dan Milnor videos I watched, he told an interviewer something profound:
In essence, the only thing that matters is what’s inside of you, and what you’re trying to say in the way that you want to say it.
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Milnor’s observation rings true for me. The creative work I’m most proud of has always been my personal work. Because it’s the most honest. The most real.
We don’t get a lot of things to really care about
In the movie Pig, the pompous chef goes to great lengths to defend his food and restaurant, but it’s all a lie.
Robin Feld tells the chef:
They’re not real. You get that, right? None of it is real. The critics aren’t real. The customers aren’t real, because…this isn’t real. You aren’t real.
How can our lives be real if we’re not being who we really are? Who we know we can be or become?
Feld warns the chef:
Why do you care about these people? They don’t care about you. None of them. They don’t even know you, because you haven’t shown them. Every day you’ll wake up, and there will be less of you. You live your life for them, and they don’t even see you. You don’t even see yourself. We don’t get a lot of things to really care about.
Why do we worry so much about superficial things, like social media likes? I understand that growing a big audience can lead to lucrative financial deals, but will this be the work you’re proud of? The real you?
Popularity often has nothing to do with depth and authenticity. Clickbait and pornography attract more eyeballs online than poetry and poignant short stories, but which would you rather produce?
We don’t get a lot of things to really care about. — Robin Feld, Pig
Think about the truth of the above statement. Our lives are filled with many responsibilities. Work demands. Errands. Commitments.
If we’re not careful, other people will define our lives for us. They’ll set the agenda and expectations. If we deny who we really are or want to become, then we’re not living an authentic life. Nothing is real. We’re just actors on a stage.
We don’t get a lot of things to really care about. For Robin Feld, it was his beloved pig and simple life in the woods.
For us, it might be our families, friends, meaningful work, and unique passions. As Dan Milnor points out, the only thing that matters is what’s inside of you.
Work on being you. Hone your skills and gifts. Share your authentic self with the world, so people can celebrate who you really are.
Do this, and you’ll have fewer regrets and an authentic legacy to be proud of.
Before you go
I’m John P. Weiss, an artist, and writer. To get the latest essays and artwork, sign up for my Saturday Newsletter here.
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This post was previously published on Medium.
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Thanks, John. I have not yet seen Pig but it is now on my list. Glad I’m contributing something worthwhile and thank you for the mention! Onward.