Month: July 2024

The two movies that this title is talking about are “Tender Mercies” and “Driving Miss Daisy”. In what ways are both of these movies about grace: gifts unearned by the recipient? Here is a quick summary of each movie:

 Tender Mercies: According to Google, Down-on-his-luck country singer Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall) has nowhere to turn when he wakes up in a motel, short on cash. So he takes a job from Rosa Lee (Tess Harper), the kindly widow who runs the place. Mac begins to fall for Rosa, who helps him confront his drinking, and also finds an unexpected bond with Rosa’s young son (Allan Hubbard). When the opportunity for a career comeback surfaces, Mac must choose between his new life and the life he let slip through his hands.

Driving Miss Daisy: According to Google, Daisy Werthan (Jessica Tandy), an elderly Jewish widow living in Atlanta, is determined to maintain her independence. However, when she crashes her car, her son, Boolie (Dan Aykroyd), arranges for her to have a chauffeur, an African-American driver named Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman). Daisy and Hoke’s relationship gets off to a rocky start, but they gradually form a close friendship over the years, one that transcends racial prejudices and social conventions.

In Tender Mercies, when Mac is given a job from Rosa, Rosa is giving Mac grace, since she has barely any money anyway. She is giving him grace by giving him a job. She also gives him grace by helping him control his drinking problem. This movie shows that grace can change lives, just like it did here.

In Driving Miss Daisy, Daisy is a ‘grumpy old person’. She thinks she does not need any help, but her friends keep giving her grace, even when she is mean to them. And in the end, she is no longer a grumpy old person. She is now a kind old lady. This movie shows that grace can turn a mean person into a kind person, given the right amount of time. In this movie, it took years!

Now, I know that these are fiction movies, and that they may not not ever happen in real life. And they may not, but grace exists in everything. Grace means giving someone something that they do not deserve. In Tender Mercies, Rosa gives Mac a job that he absolutely does not deserve. And in Driving Miss Daisy, Hoke and Daisy’s son gives Daisy grace by being kind to her, even if she is not kind in return. And in both of these movies, grace ultimately changes these people’s lives. And grace does change lives. Sometimes it’s showing grace to a stranger whom you may only see once, and sometimes it’s showing grace to a sibling you see every day. Either way, grace can change lives. And these movies (despite being fiction) are perfect examples of what grace can do to someone’s life. We are to give grace to everyone, just as Jesus died on the cross for us, even though we did not deserve it, and now He’s alive and preparing a place for those who believe in Him. Now that’s grace!

The movies referred to here are “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “In the Heat of the Night”. I think what the title is saying is as an observer is I am a part of the audience. You know, I am watching the movie, following along with it, etc. But what does the title mean by a participant? I do not think it has anything to do with me helping to make the movie. I am not entirely sure what my teacher means by participant, so I am going to guess based on my best judgement. I think that it means that I watch the movie, I follow along, but I also feel what the character feels, I am watching it intently, not wanting to miss a single detail, being drawn into the movie, I think you know what I mean. I get both of these “feelings” whenever I watch a movie, which one I get depends on the movie I watch. Before I answer the question “To what extent was I pulled into each movie as a participant rather than as an observer?”, I want to give you a quick hint of the plot line of these movies. First is “To Kill a  Mockingbird”, and next will be “In the Heat of the Night”.

First, “To Kill a Mockingbird” According to Google, “Scout Finch (Mary Badham), 6,and her older brother, Jem (Phillip Alford), live in sleepy Maycomb, Ala., spending much of their time with their friend Dill (John Megna) and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley (Robert Duvall). When Atticus (Gregory Peck), their widowed father and a respected lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) against fabricated rape charges, the trial and tangent events expose the children to evils of racism and stereotyping.”

Second, “In the Heat of the Night” According to Google, “African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.”

To what extent was I pulled into each movie as a participant rather than as an observer? You know, I am not really the kind of person who is easily pulled into old movies, like these. These movies were interesting, but I did not really feel like a participant. I was just watching them, making me an observer, but I did not feel like a participant. Some other people might feel like a participant when  they watch these movies, but not me. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 as observer and 10 as participant, I felt like a 3. Other people will have different opinions, but mine is I did not feel like a participant, only an observer.