On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are escaping our confined garden shed prisons like the damn amazing champions that we absolutely are in the 2015 film from Lenny Abrahamson, Room.
Just the thought of being trapped in an 11 x 11-foot prison against your will for an agonizing seven damn years is enough to send a shiver through my spine. I can’t even begin to imagine the daily horrors that Brie Larson’s character, Joy Newsome, had to endure. I don’t want to imagine that, either. And yet, she had to not only imagine it but also live it.
She had to deal with the fear, guilt, anger, depression, and hopelessness that comes with this sort of imprisonment every single day for those seven years. She was subject to the craven and disgusting desires of her captor, Old Nick. Within those close walls, she had to live a terrible life that no one should ever be made to live. There was no choice in the matter, and she was never allowed to leave. Not even for a second. A true prisoner.
On top of that mound of awfulness, she was then forced to carry a child, give birth to him, and raise him. If her prison was small before young Jack came along, having to share it with another person undoubtedly made it that much more oppressive. Sure, she loves Jack and would risk everything for him, but people need to stretch to live a good life. They need the sun and the sky and earth beneath their feet. It’s impossible to live a good and fulfilling life when you’re trapped within four concrete walls.
But damn it if she didn’t do everything she could to give Jack the best life she could give him. And when the opportunity to escape presented itself, she did what she had to do to ensure that he had as normal a life that a person can have. When they did finally make it back out into the world, she eventually made sure he had what he needed to grow into a normal kid.
This film is still sticking with me as I write these words. We recorded this episode a few weeks before these show notes were written, but it feels as if I experienced this marvel just yesterday. With each passing day, you’d think this film would fade more and more from my memory, and yet, it’s still there. Fresh as the first moment I watched it. That’s the power of this story.
In the end, it’s not a story about two people being trapped against their will. It’s not even about those same people rejoining the world and learning how to live in it. It’s actually a story about the love that a parent has for their child. That’s a universal and meaningful story and it’s the reason why this film will stick with you for a long time.
(Recorded on May 03, 2021)
Links to Stuff We Mentioned: