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Blue Ridge Area of Virginia
Alicha McHugh is author of "Daughter of the Promise" first in her: Numbered Among the Stars series (available on Amazon.com). She is a homemaker to her husband of 15 years, homeschooler to their children. Writing, enjoying tea and creaming Raw Honey are three of her current pursuits. Grabbing time to read is always high on her list of priorities! If you'd like to contact her, she'd love to hear from you! Just email: alichamchugh@gmail.com

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Review of "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" Part One

There have been moments in my life when a word or phrase has altered my perception of reality, and with that my hope and fears, thereby altering the course of my life. Doubtlessly, you have those memories too. Contrary to Simon & Garfunkel's famous song, we are not rocks or islands. We are organic by design, we effect each other.

For me, the wonder of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium can be summed up in one verse: Proverbs 25:11, A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

I watch in awe as Mr. Magorium, played by actor Dustin Hoffman, this wacky, zany, "off" guy,  makes the most compelling, meaningful statements about life and death, reminding me strangely enough {despite the author's ambiguity towards heaven and, at one point, open disregard for God, our God} of Jesus. Jesus, whose words are "quick and powerful, sharper than any two edge sword...a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb. 4:12

Just like Jesus, every word Mr. Magorium speaks, from the moment of his appearance on the screen til his exit, has purpose. The direction of his words are pointing ever forward in hope, even as he speaks about his death, responding to the question, "Are you dying?" He says, "Light bulbs die, my sweet. I will depart."

The beauty of this character is that he seeks to instill hope in those around him. When he speaks, it is to elevate the person before him from the thought that life is made up of trivial, dismissible moments and to project into them the idea of the "Wonder" of life itself. Just as in the opening scene when the main character, Molly Mahoney, asks impishly "Are we going on an adventure?" and he answers, "Oh, my dear, we're already on one!".

But unlike real life, you can re-watch the movie to get the point that Mr. Magorium isn't talking about the adventure of a certain tale from a certain day or period in time which is unfolding before us on the screen...he's talking about life, about living. He's talking about the NOW.

For example: [after he and Molly have set all the clocks forward ~ in a clock shop~ to strike noon at the same time]

Molly says, "Now we wait."
Mr Magorium counters "No. We Breathe. We Pulse. We Regenerate. Our hearts beat. Our minds create. Our souls ingest. Thirty-seven seconds, well used, is a lifetime."
The last scene, in Mr Magorium's departing monologue is perhaps the most brilliant and poignant summation of the life, not the death, of Shakespeare's King Lear. It's worth quoting here:

"When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written "He dies." That's all, nothing more. No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of dramatic literature is "He dies." It takes Shakespeare, a genius, to come up with "He dies." And yet every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words "He dies." but because of the life we saw prior to the words."
My dearest friends and family, some of you I know are hurting terribly, having had deep losses in the past few months and continued wounds from loved ones taken at what would be a time deemed "too soon"...my wish for you in reading this is to realize that part of the tragedy in King Lear and the joy of Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium is found in the storyline itself, unspoken but evident. It is the love that was bestowed upon each respectively. These two fictional characters, Mr. Magorium and King Lear were loved greatly.

Our departed babies, sisters, mothers and friends...they were loved greatly...by you...by me. We are the evident treasury of their lives, however brief they may have been. And Beloved, as significant as our love is, may I present to you a comforting truth~ our love pales in comparison: "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us..." Ephesians chapter 2 ~ the verse is worth uncovering as He shows how he has loved us.

May you know that great love in your own life...May it effect your life to make of it a joyful journey, not a woeful tragedy.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely beautiful! You are an amazing writer, who has captured the true essence of Mr. Magorium Wonder Emporium. This review makes me LOVE the movie even more.

Alicha McHugh said...

See Review #2 in comments below!