I have just finished watching the movie, 'Signs', for the first time....
.....
yes yes....go ahead, laugh all you want. =(
Yes I know, it's a really old movie, and with all the re-runs by channel 5, I must be the wols-iest person around to have only watched it now. Actually, I have seen parts of it before, but never in its entirety. For some reason, I used to think that it's a senseless silly old flick about aliens and crop circles.
Well, not that it's entirely original, nor without plot holes.....but silly, it isn't. At least not to me. Within this M. Night Shyamalan's simple and straightforward tale of earth being invaded by a coordinated alien plan using crop circles as check points of sorts, I found a story that struck a chord within.
The crop circle phenomenom in the story and alien invasion actually took a supporting role here. You can tell when the movie doesn't show the attacking aliens and their retreat as a focal point, but rather uses subtle effects to give a hint of what the characters see and face, and forces you to read their expressions, or wait in suspense together with them.
What takes centre stage, is Mel Gibson's character, Rev. Graham Hess and his brother. From the initial discovery of crop and surrounding oddities, handling the paranoia that has hit the world, to holding the family and the kids together in sanity.
And at the backbone of it all, is the story of an ex-reverend who has not only lost faith in, but finds himself with a tightened fist against God in anger. We see a man who has strongly banished prayers at the dinner table, not wanting to waste another minute of his life on prayer. He is not embittered to the point of being angry at life and everyone around. He loves his family alot, but you can tell that if he were to lose another person, he'd probably lose it all, and join the church of satan or something.
The gigantic crop circles take up all of Graham's attention, while he misses out on the little things around.
A 'weird' daughter leaving half drunk glasses of water all around.
A son suffering from asthma.
A wife who got painfully dissected in a freak car accident.
A brother who stays over because of the accident.
All these little details and quirks. Who would know that at the end of the day, adds up to make sense of the whole picture. Some would find it cliche'd. But it showed me, what it means at times to choose to believe when everything around seems to tells you otherwise. That there can be a purpose to pain.
Graham Hess: People break down into two groups when the experience something lucky. Group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just a happy turn of chance.
I'm sure the people in Group number two are looking at those fourteen lights in a very suspicious way. For them, the situation isn't fifty-fifty. Could be bad, could be good. But deep down, they feel that whatever happens, they're on their own. And that fills them with fear. Yeah, there are those people.
But there's a whole lot of people in the Group number one. When they see those fourteen lights, they're looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope. See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?
I know it all sounds easier on paper. Have faith and believe.
Especially when you're in pain. When someone close is in pain. When you just can't seem to make sense of it all. When you just can't see any good no matter how hard you try. When every nerve in your body just screams out at you the futility of perservering and holding on.
But we're told to. He promised.
That's why...my utmost respects to those around who fight to hold on and believe, and lives to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
But to those around who fought a whole life time to be faithful, and have not lived to see the fulfillment or fruits of their labour, I think, anything less than a standing ovation, just doesn't quite cut it.
Do you see the signs?
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[Signs] - Michael W. Smith
You're weighed down with regret
You can't see the road ahead
Or the burden on your back
It seems the trek will never end
The winding paths that still descend
And up above a sky washed black
You just can't bear to look at that
Follow the signs
Open your eyes
Read between the lines of what you see
Look into the soul of reality
Open your mind
Look at the signs
Never look back at yesterday
Keep your gaze steady on the narrow way
Now you've found the sacred tree
You kneel upon the broken wheat
You watch your burden fall away
And all the things you once sought
Now are counted less than lost
For now you see the light of day
The signs were pointing all the way
Follow the signs
Follow the signs
Open your eyes
Look at the signs
Open your mind
Follow the signs