Anyone who actively puts conscious creation/law of attraction principles into practice knows the cardinal rule of this philosophy: We each create our own reality through the beliefs we hold and the intents we put forth. Consequently, each reality is as individual as its creator, even where points of commonality exist, for the nuances (and sometimes even the more substantive elements) will always distinguish our respective materializations. When situations arise among creators where some aspects of their realities concur and where some differ, the differences are generally attributed to beliefs that produce variances in perspective. Examining such variances can be quite revealing, not to mention an engaging exercise, as illustrated by two new films, “A Serious Man” and “The Invention of Lying.”
In “A Serious Man,” the latest offering from the highly inventive Coen Brothers, we meet Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a hardworking Jewish everyman living in the Minneapolis suburbs in the late 1960s. Larry does all he can to support his family, to do a capable job as a physics professor, and to be a good friend and neighbor. But no matter what he does, it seems life always dumps on him. Whether it’s due to the incessant whining of his ungrateful kids (Aaron Wolff, Jessica McManus), the freeloading of his ne’er-do-well brother (Richard Kind), the subtle bigotry of his next-door neighbor (Peter Breitmayer), or the demands of his shrew of a wife (Sari Lennick), who openly plans to leave our hero for one of the couple’s best friends (Fred Melamed), Larry always ends up the butt of everyone else’s indignities. He gets stuck paying legal bills, funeral costs, and bail bonds for things that would appear to be not of his making. And when he seeks the advice of three rabbis (Simon Helberg, George Wyner, Alan Mandell) for guidance on the meaning of these seemingly unjust acts, he’s met with cluelessness, irrelevance or stony silence.
Larry feels justifiably put upon; others, however, somehow feel he owes them. So who’s right? Ultimately it depends on one’s perspective. But as unfair as these circumstances may appear to Larry, there are compensating factors, too. What’s more, not all those who would perpetrate acts of ill will against him wind up succeeding in their efforts. But even when all is apparently going well, that doesn’t mean the other shoe still can’t drop—and in ways far more devastating than one might imagine. Or perhaps not.
Perspective issues also fuel much of the narrative of the new comedy “The Invention of Lying.” Imagine a reality in which everyone tells the truth all the time. No one lies, because they’re patently incapable of it. Some might look upon a world like this as utopia, but consider what might happen to its inhabitants if they were exposed to nothing but unrelenting brutal honesty. Bluntness and blandness take over, eliminating tact, flattery, and even most creativity, eventually resulting in a reality devoid of character, warmth, compassion, or hope. (Still think it’s paradise?)
So consider the possibilities when sad sack screenwriter Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) suddenly invents a new form of expression and turns it lose on the world. His own fortunes take a radical turn for the better, as do those of many in society at large when he uses his new invention to introduce some revolutionary ideas to them. But lying has its consequences, too, as our protagonist quickly finds out—some surprisingly favorable, some unfortunate. In either case, however, much depends on how one views the fallout of such statements, for in some cases one person’s falsehood is another person’s epiphany. Again, it’s all a matter of perspective.
What determines the perspectives that we develop? Several factors come into play. As I wrote in Chapter 2 of my book Get the Picture: Conscious Creation Goes to the Movies, perception figures in largely, for it helps shape the beliefs we form. There’s also our power of choice, the ability that helps us decide which beliefs we’ll embrace. And then there’s our power of change, which allows us to shift our beliefs—and thus our perspectives—as the need arises.
All these considerations are addressed in these films. For example, at the opening of “A Serious Man,” a fable sequence unrelated to the primary narrative sets the tone for the larger story that follows. A husband and wife (Allen Lewis Rickman, Yelena Shmulenson) in an Old World shtetl are visited by a mysterious stranger (Fyvush Finkel). The husband sees the stranger as a Samaritan for having helped him out of a jam on his way home, while the wife believes the stranger to be a dybbuk (a malicious possessory spirit) and unhesitatingly stabs him. Because of his wife’s act, the husband is convinced the family’s life and reputation have been ruined; the wife, on the other hand, believes her actions have protected the family against a walking evil.
Once again, who’s right?
Similarly, in “The Invention of Lying,” Mark pays a visit to a loved one on her deathbed. Having lived a life in a cold existence full of unceasing honesty, she now sees her impending passing as a disappearance into a dark, meaningless void. To console her, Mark employs his new invention to tell her about the beautiful world that awaits her in the afterlife, an unimagined revelation that lifts her spirits immeasurably. Now, since Mark has not been to the afterlife as far as viewers know, and since he offers no conclusive evidence of its existence, one could argue that his words of comfort are just another lie.
But is it? And if so, is it really inappropriate under the circumstances?
In both of these examples, perception and choice considerations help frame the various perspectives that form. And, in the second example, Mark’s words are taken to heart by his loved one and the surrounding hospital workers so much so that they all spontaneously change their views about what happens after death. From these illustrations, it’s thus truly clear how much perspective really matters.
I can’t speak highly enough about “A Serious Man.” It’s by far the best picture I’ve seen thus far this year. It’s striking in every respect, and it’s a movie that I could write about considerably longer given all of the conscious creation considerations that it embodies, many of which I haven’t even touched upon here. Rush to see it.
As for “The Invention of Lying,” it has its good points, but it also has its share of weaknesses (uneven pacing, an overall episodic nature, a script that tries to encompass too many ideas, to name a few). To be sure, it raises some intriguing ideas and has some genuinely endearing moments, but I’d still recommend waiting until it comes out on DVD or cable to see it.
As long as we employ conscious creation/law of attraction principles to manifest our realities, we’ll always have perspective considerations to contend with. Their differences can yield frustration, even antagonism, but they can also help us see the world in a new light. And, in the end, this can help us better understand the nature of existence by showing that alternative views are not only possible but intrinsic to this thing we call life.
(“A Serious Man” —2009; Michael Stuhlbarg, Sari Lennick, Aaron Wolff, Jessica McManus, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Peter Breitmayer, Amy Landecker, David Kang, Simon Helberg, George Wyner, Alan Mandell, Adam Arkin, Ari Hoptman, Allen Lewis Rickman, Yelena Shmulenson, Fyvush Finkel, Michael Lerner; Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, directors; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, screenplay; www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/a_serious_man)
(“The Invention of Lying—2009; Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Fionnula Flanagan, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, Jason Bateman, Christopher Guest; Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, directors; Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, screenplay; www.the-invention-of-lying.warnerbros.com)
Brent Marchant
Author
Get the Picture: Conscious Creation Goes to the Movies
Moment Point Press, Needham, MA, www.momentpoint.com
ISBN 978-1-930491-12-0
Featured Contributor, Arts & Entertainment
VividLife magazine, www.vividlife.me
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