A Movie for our Times

I’m not one to blog about movie celebrities (especially when unrelated to the topic of this blog), but there are a few actors who stand out for me because of their work and their public stance on issues of real importance, like our communities.

George Clooney is one of those individuals.  He has spoken out on the outrageous destruction of human life and communities in Darfur. And he has lent his support to various political leaders who in his opinion will make a difference (see picture at left featuring Clooney with Senator Barack Obama).

 We recently saw George Clooney’s latest movie Michael Clayton and I found myself moved by one of the simple yet meaningful messages in this film.  You can only fool yourself for so long – do the things that you know to be right and true for you – you’ll never rest otherwise.

I think the whole “green movement” is fueled by individuals doing their bit according to what they believe is the right thing to do. Every day we make decisions that are driven either by others’ opinions or what we believe to be right, according to our own moral compass.

I’m a little bit of a Pollyanna in that I think every human being has a decent moral compass. Unfortunately for some, that moral compass becomes damaged through experiences in life.  In the movie “Michael Clayton” George Clooney’s character has a somewhat damaged moral compass that is not beyond repair.

Clayton, a despondent lawyer at a large New York firm, becomes aware of the real link between a large agribusiness client his firm represents and the death of folks in a small Wisconsin community. When the lead litigator on this case has a breakdown after years of bamboozling the victims in this case Clayton is called in to use his unique talents to “fix” the situation.  Through a series of events that cause pain and intropspection, Clayton is finally moved to make the kinds of moral decisions he should have made about his life and career years ago. 

This movie is great on two levels.  First the personal one around how we choose to lead our lives.  And the second one around corporate greed and how we need to not take things at face values.  It seems on a regular basis the powers that be are finding out about the dangers of substances in our food and products that we buy for ourselves and our kids.  Don’t take anything for granted.  Keep informed, read credible news sources, compare information, talk with friends…then think about your decisions and make choices that are truly right for you.