MILLIONS

4 Stars – Inspiring

If you suddenly had a large amount of money fall into your lap, what would you do with it? Would you consider it a gift from God to be used for His purposes, or would you consider it a private windfall to be spent on your desires? Would you give it to the poor or use it for conveniences and toys? This question is explored in Danny Boyle’s comedy “Millions.”

These two choices are represented by the actions of two poorly supervised brothers of the Cunningham family whose mother has died and whose father works long hours to provide for them. Damian (Alex Etel) is a true believer with simple faith. At the age of seven, he not only believes in God but also in the saints of old with whom he is so conversant that he actually sees and interacts with them as the give him advice to help guide him.

Damian’s older brother is the polar opposite. Cynical and materialistic, Anthony (Lewis McGibbon) is nine going on nineteen. Willing to lie and manipulate, he approaches life on his own terms with his own goals.

Into the lives of these two brothers, a fortune drops. Literally. And now they must decide what to do.

Damian believes the money is from God and he seeks the counsel of his beloved saints. Anthony tries to spend the money to enhance his position among the other kids in their new school, as well as buy the toys he’s always longed for. This sets the stage for a fascinating study of what money can and cannot buy.

Among the many interesting questions and layers of meaning in the film, one of the most interesting assertions is that it isn’t easy to help the poor. Damian discovers that giving money to everyone in need doesn’t really solve the problem. Becoming aware that they still live in poverty, he isn’t able to make changes in the social and economic systems which create inequity. He also discovers that the money can become as much a burden as a blessing and that it can cause his family to become something less than saintly.

Though money itself is simply a tool of life, it is true that the “love of money” is the root cause of many evils. The journey is engaging as Damian finds a solution that not only sets him free from the evil but also helps him find the living water that nourishes his and his family’s souls.

Discussion:

It is easy to think that if we just had the money to help those in need that we could make a difference. Have you ever tried to help someone by just giving them money? Did it help? What was the real need in their life?

The choices of life are often not as clearly delineated as they are between Damian’s use of the money and Anthony’s. How have you found the care of your money to be more complex than this?

The counsel of the saints of the Christian faith are wonderfully present in Damian’s life. Collecting them and their statistics like baseball cards, it is easy to see their impact on his life. Who do you admire and how have they impacted you? Do you imitate the way they lived their lives, just as Damian followed St. Francis’ example and let the birds free?

When the final conclusion sets Damian and his family free from the money, there is a moment in which we go with them to a place where money could make a difference: the providing of a well for a nomad tribe. Have you ever given to help those of the third world? Who did you give to and why? Was it for short term or long term needs?

________________

Cinema In Focus is a social and spiritual movie commentary. Hal Conklin is former mayor of Santa Barbara and Denny Wayman is pastor of the Free Methodist Church. For more reviews: http://www.cinemainfocus.com.