Photo Credit: HI Cookery

Unlike other film reviews this post is focused on the messages within the film and how they may help individuals with their personal issues. If you would like to know why I’ve decided to review films in this manner you can refer to this post: Cinematic Therapy.

Sleepless In Seattle (1993)

My wife was shocked when she learned I never saw this classic love story from the 90’s. I was shocked as well since I watch more movies then most people. You know when you’re a special kind of crazy when you’ve collected newspaper clippings of miniature movie posters. Even though I was a movie fanatic I was also in the 6th grade so I wasn’t really into the whole romantic comedy genre at the time. I was more excited about watching flicks like Jurassic Park and the countless other great movies that came out in 1993.

1. The Fugitive
2. Mrs. Doubtfire
3. Schindler’s List
4. The Firm
5. Cliffhanger
6. The Pelican Brief

No lie, I watched Schindler’s list with my grandparents who I had to wake up every 15 minutes during the movie. I didn’t think they realized how long the movie was going to be. So as you can see I love movies but I just wasn’t into watching Tom Hanks in Seattle.

When my wife made me watch it a few weeks ago I was optimistic and interested to see what all the fuss was about. What I realized is that the movie wasn’t really a love story but about dealing with natural changes that life will give you like death. I also learned that my wife can sleep through movies that she recommends for me.

The big take away from the movie is that it could be really useful for individuals who’ve loss a spouse and/or are dealing with being a single parent because of it. Here are some of the questions the movie raises that can be useful to reflect on:

1. When is it a good time to start dating?
2. How do you support someone who has loss a spouse or a loved one?
3. How do we support children who’ve loss a parent?
4. Why is it unhealthy to believe there is only one person out there for you?

Watching movies can be entertaining but it can also be therapeutic when viewed with the right perspective. I recommend that the next time you watch a movie to ask yourself these questions:

1. What character can I relate to and why?
2. What character do I hate and why?
3. What would I do differently and similarly in that situation?

Thank you for reading.