Best this month Boyhood
Thinking about our youth helps
us get in touch with the triumphs, defeats and mysteries that have shaped us. Films can be powerful reminders of the turning points in our coming-of-age. That’s certainly true of this drama directed by Rich- ard Linklater, who also gave us the extraordinary trilogy Before Sun- rise, Before Sunset and Before Mid- night about the joys and complications of relationships. Boyhood, a nearly three-hour film, follows an East Texas
boy from elementary school through his arrival at college. Filmed in sequence across 12 years with the same actors, it captures and conveys the everyday lives of children as they grow, change and struggle with events they can’t foresee or control. As he interacts with his single mother, sister, dad, two stepdads, friends and teachers, Mason (Ellar Coltrane,
Share Bunny’s mo t h er
reminds her that her little cousin is coming to visit: “Please remember, it’s important to share.” But the toddler turns out to be quite irritat- ing, ruining everything Bunny tries to do. Play- ing dress-up, he breaks her beads. At lunch he breaks a plate. Bunny
pleads, “I’ve had enough.” Her wise mother notes that her cousin just wants
Author bio:
The Brussats publish the website www.SpiritualityandPractice. com where you can find more information about the items reviewed in this column.
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www.thelutheran.org
to be like Bunny, and that’s why he copies whatever she is doing. In Sally Anne Garland’s universal story about deal- ing with difficult people, Bunny learns how she can better connect with others. Her cousin turns out to be her spiritual teacher (Owlkids Books, www.owlkidsbooks. com).
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
above) learns to loosen up, look around and master the art of improvisation in a world where, as his father puts it, “every- body is just ‘winging it.’ ” The emotional high point of the movie is the party for
Mason’s high school graduation. He realizes that he will always have those who cherish him to turn to when he needs help (IFC Films, R—language, sexual references, teen drug and alcohol use).
The Grace in Aging: Awaken as You Grow Older
Kathleen Dowling Singh is a psychologist and psy-
chotherapist who lectures widely on death and dying. This book is a healing invitation to walk in the last years of our lives on a spiri- tual path that is overflowing with m eaning and fulfillment. As we age, we come to accept the reality of impermanence and the breakdown of our bodies. At the same time, we yearn to fill our days with spiritual practices that draw us nearer to God, our loved ones, our neighbors, strang- ers, nature, animals and the whole universe. Setting things in order
becomes a priority. Singh draws from several spiritual backgrounds, recommending the practices of silence, solitude, forgiveness, presence and commitment. She also devotes a chapter to the important task of life review and resolution (Wisdom Publications, www.
wisdompubs.org).
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