Lovely Movie

I watched this lovely film yesterday with my sister. While I had heard good things about the beauty of this “low budget” film, I had no idea of the powerful effect that it would have in my life. I especially enjoyed the controversial nature of the characters (especially within the Catholic/Latino America) and the interwoven relationships that they had with one another. In the end, I think that I will most vividly remember Tio (played by Chalo Gonzalez), Magdelina (played by Emily Rios), and Carlos (played by Jesse Garcia). These three characters demonstrated to me the ability to love, to forgive and to persevere in the midst of a potentially toxic atmosphere. The small community that they formed represents for me the type of people group that I want to be a part of. Tio was the head of this community and ultimately was the glue that not only held the “trinity” of characters together, but also encouraged the other two in more of a positive direction. On the IMDB website, under “Fun Stuff”, it is written that Tio’s character was based on writer/director Wash Westmoreland's great uncle. While I respect this, and would have loved to have met Westmoreland’s great uncle, Tio’s character to me was a strong metaphor for who God might be. Within a culture that seems to often proclaim a god similar to that of Magdelina’s father (the preacher), it was wonderfully refreshing to have Tio as a metaphor for whom God may be in my life. While Magdelina’s dad was divisive, harsh, and unforgiving, Tio was uniting, gentle, and forgiving. Three characteristics that I believe are central to the inner most being of God.