I just discovered a new favorite movie: August Rush. I know it’s not unusual that I gush about movies, but this time I’m turning up the gushing one more notch. August Rush is an absolutely beautiful movie.
I’ve had a copy of this 2007 film in my external HDD for a while now, but never got around to watching it (because I haven’t heard of it before and didn’t think it was anything special) until that night when I told myself I should sit through it. And I’m so glad I did!
If you look at the big picture, you’d see that the story is about an orphan boy who came looking for his mother and father whom he haven’t met yet. And he does eventually find them. But what makes this story unique is how he finds them. Or to be precise, how they find him.
Yet the story is not just about a boy whose one wish in the world is to be found, it is also about a mother who, after 11 years, still haven’t moved past the terrible experience of losing her baby. She lived her unhappy life trying to fill the void brought on by what she thought was a miscarriage. She later learns that her son is alive and sets off to find him.
The story is also about a father who, oblivious to the existence of a son, have not quite gotten over that girl he met 11 years ago at a rooftop. From time to time he is reminded of the love they could have had but lost due to some complications.
What eventually makes these three paths meet is their love for music. The mother and the father are both musicians, and the son, while growing up, develops an extraordinary passion for music even though he hasn’t played a single note in his life. He claims that the moon told him to follow the music. And he believes that if he learns how to play the music, his parents will hear him, and they would know he was theirs.
Below are some of my favorite quotes. I’d like to think that “music” and “faith” are interchangeable.
“Listen, can you hear it? The music, I can hear it everywhere. In the wind, in the air, in the light. It’s all around us. All you have to do is open yourself up.”
“Sometimes the world tries to knock it out of you, but I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales.”
“I believe that once a upon time, long ago, they heard the music. And followed it.”
“I don’t know where it [music] comes from, but it’s what I hold on to. And I can’t let go.”
“Do you know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe. A harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars.”
“You got to love music more than you love food. More than life. More than yourself.”
“I could hear it. Sometimes I wake up and it’s there. I hear it when I’m walking down the street. It’s like someone’s calling out to me. Writing it all down is like I’m calling out to them.”
“You can’t learn music from books. It’s out there.”
“You never quit on your music. No matter what happens. Coz anytime something bad happens to you, that’s the one place you can escape to and just let it go. I learned that the hard way. And anyway, look at me. Nothing bad’s gonna happen. You gotta have a little faith.”
“The music is all around us. All you have to do is listen.”
Okay, enough spoilers! The movie is starred by big names such as Keri Russell, Robin Williams, and Terrence Howard. If you haven’t seen it, get a copy now. After you’ve watch it, rush back here and share your thoughts. =)