Two that I have yet to see, but are on my list (after I see Lincoln) are the movies Life of Pi and then The Impossible While on the surface these movies have a disaster as the impetus for the event, be it a sinking ship or a tsunami wave, the real draw of the film is in the story telling.
For one movie it is about trying to find food and at the same time not become lunch for a GIANT tiger. The dangers cause a reflection on what once was. The other is a tale of a family with a role reversal for mother and son and then reunification.
As we think about disasters and then the victims and survivors, behind each of them is a story that could be a movie. Families changed forever by disastrous circumstances. In the theater we munch popcorn while watching buildings fall and people be swept away. Then we walk out of the movie as observers and remark to our companion about what we liked or did not like about the movie.
In our emergency management profession we need to recognize that behind every disaster there are these same families torn by disasters. We cannot be detached and purely observers or helpers. We are now part of their life's stories. They are counting on us to play our role to the best of our ability. Let's give them the best, every day.
My goal is to have Tommy Lee Jones play me in a movie! I hear that he really has my haircut.
