Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Denethor and Do-Overs

Remember the scene in The Return of the King where Denethor sends Faramir off to his death while eating his roasted chicken and cherry tomatoes? I feel like Denethor sometimes.

I warmed up some KFC for lunch today. And I achieved that heavy-browed, John-Noble stare and that ill-mannered chewing, and of course I couldn't avoid the greasy fingers. I was only missing the great fur cape, the cherry tomatoes, and a small tenor hobbit. (A couple of baritones were lying around, but what good are they?!)

And while it was all play today - Avery and Will laughing and telling me I wasn't using my manners - as I sat there play-acting, the clothes seemed a little too comfortable, too familiar.

And I think of how we are murdering our children with impatience and anger and harshness, how we muddy these pure springs with our busyness and inaccessibility.

What I wouldn't give some days for a do-over.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I have a lot of criticisms for the film version, but that was one of my favorites scenes. It is definitively Peter Jackson-esque.

Unknown said...

I agree, Chad. The films would have been better had they been more like the books - especially with characters like Faramir.

That being said, Return of the King is still, perhaps, one of my top-ten all-time favorite movies. But, then, LOTR is one of my favorite books.

truevyne said...

Let's check in with St. Benedict about do-overs with our children...
Every moment is the chance to begin again, start anew.