I was browsing through Netflix trying to decide which film I wanted to instantly view and I saw that Seven Pounds was available. This was a movie starring Will Smith that came to theaters in December 2008. It's the story about a man who, haunted by his wife's death, plans his own suicide and how he would help seven different strangers. I cannot remember the whole movie but I remember going to see the movie one day after work shortly after I moved to DC. I went to see it in the movie theater in Union Station, which is now closed. This was a couple of weeks after I was in that car accident. I think I had done a good job with compartmentalizing the accident and not thinking about what could have happened, but I remember a scene in Seven Pounds in which we see how Will Smith's character got into a car accident, which ultimately resulted in the death of his wife. The car flipped over several times before crashing. I think the image of the car flipping in the film triggered an indescribable emotion in me. While other people were moved by the film, I started silently sobbing, imagining that that was me in that car as it flipped and knowing exactly how it felt to be flipping. I was shocked by my reaction. I don't think I can ever watch this movie again for that reason and because it was incredibly depressing.
I had this experience watching "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" recently. The rape scene tore me apart because I had a bad experience as a tween. I bowed out when I was invited to see it again with another group of friends. I empathize with your situation; a movie involves all the senses as if the experience was happening in real time. It's impossible to observe something that emotional from a removed standpoint like it is just reading a headline about rape or car accidents.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're ok... accidents are terrible. The implications just how much are embedded within.