Lars and the Real Girl is a story about a man is so lonely that he buys an anatomically-correct doll that he can call his girlfriend. The doll's name is Bianca. At first everyone in Lars' community is really weirded out by the idea of him having a fake girlfriend, but soon came to accept that Lars was lonely and needed to overcome his issues from his parents' death in his own way. The community began to incorporate Bianca in activities such as "modeling" and "teaching". As Lars' loneliness subsides he declares that Bianca is sick and so she eventually dies.
This movie shows us that humans are created as social beings. No matter how hard someone tries to be alone, they always long for companionship; even the loneliest people talk to themselves as some form of interaction. This movie shows us that we live in a fallen world, but that God's kingdom will fulfill our longings. When Lars first orders Bianca he is looking for companionship, much like humans who try to fill their lives with things. After awhile Lars discovers that there is no substitute for an actual, interactive relationship after he begins to notice a girl from his workplace. This can be compared to God's interactions with us and how we only feel fulfilled through an interactive, two way, relationship with Christ.
I believe this artifact is crying out for the kingdom because it promotes the idea of having an actual relationship with God instead of trying to fill the "God-void" with material things. Just as Lars wasn't fulfilled by his relationship with Bianca, we cannot feel whole when trying to focus our lives around other things besides a living God. Lars and the Real Girl encouraged me to hope and desire a better relationship with God. I could accomplish this goal by searching for God in my life instead of waiting for moments when I feel like He's reaching out to me. No relationship can be successful or grow when it's one-sided.
The origin of sin in this movie is Lars' loneliness. Loneliness itself is not a sin, but is a product of a sinful world. Lars feels he is not worthy of love because he "killed" his mother during childbirth. Redemption in this Lars and the Real Girl is found when the community gathers around Lars to make Bianca feel welcome, which in turn makes Lars feel welcome and safe within the community. When Lars realizes the love around him he no longer needs Bianca and finds love in a real girl.
1. What is good about community based on this film synopsis and discussion?
2. Can something be presented as a sin even if it is not an "Actual" sin?
I really enjoyed reading this post Maggie! Lars and the Real Girl is one of my favorite movies. The first time I watched the movie I thought it was the weirdest things I had ever seen. My sister had shown it to me in high school my freshman year and I didn't really understand it or get the point. I thought that Lars (Ryan Gosling is a great actor!) had just bought a doll to keep him company because he was lonely, but I realized that not only was he lonely, he was also longing. Longing for someone who understood him. The community finally understood why he didn't talk to people and was shy. He just wanted them to know that he okay. To answer the second discussion question with my opinion, I would say yes. For many people, buying the "porn doll" like Lars did would be wrong and a sin. But because Lars didn't think of the doll as that, the "sin" was not in fact a sin. I would say that the thought behind what is being done is a big indicator as to if its a "sin" or not. God knows what he believes and if it is a sin in his eyes and we know what we are doing is wrong it is a sin. Thanks for your take on the movie. Maybe I will have to watch it again!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about this film, Maggie. Makes me want to see it again! It's an interesting extension of the film's story to think about how it applies to our relationship with God. However, I do think it's enough that the film says something profound about human character and community. Don't feel too much pressure to find a "God lesson" in every story--art can be true even if it's not speaking directly about God.
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