Have you ever watched a movie and felt like it resonated with your life more clearly than things happening in your day to day? Like you’re learning lessons while you’re watching the film? It happens, probably more than you realize, and if you sit down and think about it – you can learn a lot from the movies. Recently I watched a film called “Me Before You,” and it really got me thinking and it’s been replaying in my mind ever since.
If you haven’t seen it, here’s the scoop on the movie that was based on the book by Jojo Moyes, via Wikipedia:
Louisa Clark is an outgoing woman in her mid-20s who is compelled to find a new job after being laid off from a café she had worked at for six years. With some help, she finds work as a caregiver for Will Traynor, a cynical former banker who becomes completely paralyzed by a motorcycle accident two years prior. At first, he reacts coldly to her spunkiness, and he treats her with contempt. Soon enough, however, the two begin to bond and they eventually become close friends and develop feelings for each other, even though Louisa has an unthoughtful, marathon-running boyfriend named Patrick.
While at work one day, Louisa overhears Will’s parents and she learns that Will has given his parents six months before they must bring him to Switzerland for assisted suicide. Will cannot deal with the pain and suffering of his disability and wishes for his old self to come back, but because this isn’t a possibility, he asks for his parents to do this one thing for him. Upon learning about this, Louisa secretly makes it her mission to change his mind and she takes him on all the adventures so that she can prove that life is worth living. However, at their final trip in Mauritius with Will’s physical therapist Nathan, Will confesses how he still intends to follow through with the euthanasia and asks for her to accompany him one last time.
3 Life Lessons from “Me Before You”
This movie was incredibly moving, in fact there wasn’t a dry eye in the house – but not because it was so sad, more related to the beautiful relationship between Louisa and Will. Here’s a look at what I took away and why I haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Anyone can make a difference, it just takes heart. Louisa is a young and cheery girl who has spent her career working at a café. When she finds herself with a new career working as Will’s caretaker, she doesn’t know just how instrumental she will be in his life. With a whole bunch of heart, lots of persistence and a dedication to what she believes, she makes an imprint on his life that’s undeniable. The lesson here: any of us are capable of making a difference, it doesn’t matter who we are or what our background is. When you care about someone or something, you can change minds and hearts.
Life is incredibly precious and it can all change in an instant. When Will is in an accident, his whole life changes in the blink of an eye – and everything as he knows it is gone. He can no longer care for himself and he’s overcome with grief about his new way of life. This movie is such a reminder to cherish everything we have and everyone we love – life is unpredictable and each day should be treated as the most special day we have.
Love is found in the most unexpected places. When Louisa accepts a new job as a caretaker for Will, she has no idea that what she’ll really find is a whole new level of love she never knew possible. And, you know what? That rings true for all of us. Love and friendship is often found when we aren’t looking and those relationships are many times the most intense, passionate and long-lasting. Just remember, you never know who may meet along the way.
Have you found that movies often leave you thinking about life and the lessons that happen along the way?
