A Terrible Waste

Whoa, this is my third post of the week, that's rare!

SO, many of you have probably seen the movie "In Love and War", with Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell. I'm posting this off the assumption that any who may have wanted to see this movie have, since it's 14 years old, and any who haven't, don't plan too. Now, I've seen this movie before, but it's been a long time, so the other day I pulled it up on NetFlix and decided to watch it again since I really couldn't remember it, and this is what I have to say about it.

This movie sarts with a nurse (Sandra) and a young, non-battle, soldier (Chris) going to Italy to help with the red cross and morale during the first world war. Chris' character is actually Ernest Hemingway (the writer), and he is a flamboyant, spirited young kid with his whole life ahead of him. Ernest falls for this nurse, Agnes, and after some time he woos the nurse (8 years his senior) and they have a bit of a fling. Ernest goes home some time before Agnes, and in his absence, an older Italian doctor woos Agnes, and they become engaged. Agnes writes Ernest and tells him she's sorry, but she is going to marry the doctor, and wishes him well. Ernest is crushed and flips out and breaks everything in his room in a rage, and begins to lead the life of a drunk, living in his fathers cabin on a lake and writing angry peices of literature. Eventually, consumed by her feelings for Ernest, Agnes breaks off her engagement, and through the encouragment of a mutual friend, returns to the U.S. to find Ernest. Agnes finds Ernest, appologizes and asks for his forgiveness, telling him that she DOES love him and always will, for the rest of her life. Ernest refuses to forgive her and lets her leave without a word. The movie ends and they tell us that Agnes married about 10 years later, and remained so the rest of her life and dies at age 92. Ernest, married 4 times, and finally killed himself at age 62, an angry bitter man.

I decided I didn't like this movie, if only of the ending. I was SO irritated, that he allowed himself to be so consumed with pride and rage that he could not forgive someone for breaking his heart, and he allowed it to fester and ultimatly ruin his life. Sure, he published many great works and was considered the best writing of his time, but what is fame without love and happiness? I was go glad the Agnes was able to overcome what she considered to be a mistake in letting Ernest go, and allowed herself to love again, and live a long and happy live.

How could someone who was once so full of life snap at a trial of the heart, and allow himself to sink into the depths of despondency, never to emerge again. Was he already depressed, and there was just no cause for it to truly materialize until he experienced what he considered to be a great loss? Perhaps. Was it the sadness he carried from seeing people die before him in the hospital in Italy that had really mared his soul, and his last bit of hope he carried for happiness with Agnes tipped the scales when lost and the flood gates open for all the pain he carried from seeing friends die alone? Maybe. I don't know the reason he allowed himself to be so consumed with animosity, I logically have to think there had to have been something deep inside him causing it, because why else would he throw his life away over one person. I think it's tragic that such a young person (19) lost all hope and focus on life so suddenly and was never able to recover.

Part of me wanted to reach back in time and shake some sense into him, and part of me wanted to be mad that he did that to himself, but I know there are things that people suffer from that I will never understand, yet I can't help but feel sad at the loss of a life to such unhappiness, it's a terrible waste. I hope that I never allow myself to become so consumed by an experience that I allow it to ruin my life.

Anyway, those were my thoughts while watching that movie, and I felt the need to share.