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Three Different Geographical Points; One Basic Premise

 

There are three films set in different states that are remarkable, timeless, and unforgettable:

Starting up north, we have The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. It’s the story of a working-class family, which experiences the ups and downs of a woman constrained by her duties as a mom with very little means, many children, and a loving, but irresponsible husband. She is constantly participating in different contests, and miraculously she manages to win. It seems to be telling the story of so many women in the world.

The film Nebraska (2013) depicts an old man, who refuses to accept the reality that surrounds him, and set himself to create his own reality, reassured by a prize he supposedly won, and which is only an ad to entice people to purchase their product. By going in pursuit of this dream he sets in motion a series of events that involve his entire family and those around him. It’s a heartbreaking story of delusion, love, and the firm belief that there is more out there; it has to be.

The one set in Oklahoma is called August: Osage County. Grown-up children go back home after their father’s suicide and have to face a mother hooked on pills, unable to take care of herself, and blaming everybody else for what she has to go through. The story is deeply rooted in reality, and there is no room for phony and manipulated happy endings, but in a way manages to deliver a reasonable conclusion—the moment the new generation goes in different ways, understanding that they have to keep going forward, no matter what.

Each and everyone of these movies help you to not be afraid to see people for who they are, and love them anyway.


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