Slumdog Millionnaire: Here’s a movie for our times

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 29 January 2009 14:40

With Oscar season in full swing, theaters are showing offerings that will be contenders for the honors. This week, The Reel Dad visits the new film, Slumdog Millionnaire.

I often suggest to my sons that any film should be viewed in the context of its time. The impact of Gone With the Wind, I tell them, was heightened by a 1939 America that was sobered by financial depression and afraid of impending world war. The Sound of Music, in 1965, helped Americans escape from the reality of a war broadcast on the nightly news, and Rocky, in 1977, gave people hope amidst a slow economy and high interest rates. All three were named Best Picture at the Oscars.

It’s no surprise that, this year, the race for Best Picture reflects the priorities of the moment. Last year’s Oscar race pitted the bad people in No Country for Old Men against the bad times in There Will Be Blood. But this year’s nominees are filled with hope. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button inspires us with a fairy tale of one man’s unusual life, Frost/Nixon returns us to an innocent time before reality television, and Milk reminds us what one brave man achieved. No nominee better reveals where we are today than Slumdog Millionaire, the surprise hit about a young boy who defies the odds to create a better life for himself.

Call it this year’s Rocky. Like that Oscar winner, Slumdog focuses on a down-and-out survivor who fights his way to a better future. Reflecting how small our world has become, Rocky’s streets of Philadelphia are replaced by Jamal’s streets of Mumbai, India. That’s where a daring 18-year-old orphan perseveres, despite every possible setback, to compete for the top prize on a television game show. Magically this penniless man, without formal education, discovers his scrappy life has given him a wealth of knowledge. No matter how much adversity he may face, he never loses hope, never stops believing, never doubts the outcome. And, through his journey, he gives his nation hope that, regardless of today, tomorrow can always look brighter than today. For us, the film may be just the anecdote that many of us need right now. We can all use a little inspiration.

Slumdog is, as well, a beautifully made film. Director Danny Boyle, who created the brilliant thriller 28 Days Later a few years ago, gives the film a visual energy that sustains a lightning pace from start to finish. Filling the screen with vibrant colors, pulsing music and accessible characters, Boyle never gives in to the easy emotion of the situations nor apologizes for potential contrivance of the plot. Much like Scarlett and Maria, who both found that drapes could work in a wardrobe, Jamal quickly learns to be scrappy, endearing and persistent. And, much like Philadelphia’s boxer, he never forgets how to defend the small pieces of turf he earns. The film creates a convincing world where right can overcome wrong, people can find their next meal, and negative forces can be contained.

Best Picture Oscars are rarely awarded on the basis of cinema achievement alone. What makes any film stand out in any year is a matter of what an audience hungers for and what a film serves on its plate. Slumdog Millionaire offers a complete serving of entertaining, inspiration and hope. And it couldn’t come at a better time.

Slumdog Millionnaire

Five Popcorn Buckets

* Content: High. The film offers a detailed, and at times wrenching, view of life on the streets of Mumbai. There is much to observe and learn from.

* Entertainment: High. Regardless of how desperate the circumstances may become, the optimism of the lead character keeps the spirits high. And the game show sequences are great fun.

* Message: High. At this time in our world, when so many have so many challenges, it’s refreshing to spend two hours at the movies experiencing what magic can happen for people.

* Relevance: High. No matter its whimsical framework, the inspiration of this film is ideal for where we are now in our world.

* Opportunity for Dialogue: High. In fact, the film can prompt several conversations, focusing on the culture the film depicts, the challenges the hero faces, and the inspiration the film creates.