I
t is not too often that I take the time to sit and watch a movie, that may seem bad, but there are too many things that I really would rather do instead. I know that I have missed a lot of great films because when the academy awards are on I do not know one film that is being nominated. The only time that I do watch a film is when I am on an airplane flight and there is something playing that catches my interest. As what happened on my recent flight home from Europe.
I flipped through the flight service magazine to see if there was something that I might like to watch and nothing really jumped out at me so I decided to read. Occasionally I would look up at the screen that my son was watching and the movie he was viewing looked pretty interesting. The story took place in the 1930’s in Paris, the main character was an orphan boy named “Hugo.”
As the film played again I decided to watch it. I tend to be somewhat critical of movies, but this film held my attention. I am always looking for the lessons learned whether it be in day-to-day life, a book or a film. I want to know what can I learn from it if I am investing my time. What pearl would I find?
Without spoiling the movie, this orphan boy has a passion for a wind-up doll that was to be able to talk when fixed. This doll was all that he had left of his father who had been killed. He felt it was his purpose to fix it because he thought that once it was repaired that it would speak a message to him about his father.
It was his passion for his purpose that really moved me. A young girl named Isabelle befriends Hugo and they have a wonderful adventure together. Isabelle questions Hugo as to why he passionately fights a struggling life to fix this mechanical doll and Hugo tells her it is his purpose. She really doesn’t quite understand and then he states “If you lose your purpose it is like you are broken.”
That was it, that was my pearl moment, I quickly got my pen and scribbled down the quote from Hugo on my drink napkin. How many people have lost their purpose and are broken? I know for myself that it has happened many times. I just never thought about it like that, being broken.
Our purpose is like our internal GPS, it keeps us going in the right direction. We need to cultivate and nurture our purpose as it grows and changes. It was amazing how the whole movie seemed to change once I heard that explanation as to why Hugo pursued his quest. I could relate.
This was a children’s film, but I wonder how many other adults who watched it drew out such prophetic advice from Hugo Cabret? If you have the time try to watch it and see what you draw from it, or if you have seen it I would enjoy hearing your take on the movie.
08/06/14
Comments