.png)
One of my biggest comforts in life is film. Since college, I do not have the time to watch as many movies as I used to, but there is a misconception that movies are just vessels for entertainment. This is false. Film is one of the finest ways to show the complexities of human nature and our environment in a way that is available to the general public. My father is an avid movie watcher and he exposed me to many of the films that I saw as a young girl. To him, movies were the way that he acclimated to the United States when he first immigrated in his 20’s and he credits movies as a reason that he learned the language. As a result, I was allowed to watch many different types of movies, may it be thrillers, classics, silent, action, romance, and foreign movies. And as I entered a performing arts school as a theater major, I had to watch a lot of movies and plays that were considered revolutionary in their respective fields. Now, I proudly have an 11-page list of movies everyone should watch at least once, and I love to recommend it to my friends and family. However, I always find myself recommending one film in particular.
I remember the first time I watched the movie “Amelie”; I was 12 years old and I had frequently listened to the soundtrack whenever I was growing up. There was concern that it may be too mature for me but I became immersed in the movie as soon as I laid eyes on the title screen. Amelie premiered in 2001 and was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, it is a French film and it has been recognized nationally as one of the best movies to release in the 21st century. The film won four Cesar awards and it was nominated for five academy awards including best original screenplay and best foreign film. It is a seemingly comedic story about a young girl in Paris that discreetly organizes ways for the people she meets to find happiness and in turn, realizes to also find happiness of her own through love. However, it is so much more than a comedic story, it is one of my foundations for how I should go through life and treat the people around me.
Amelie is one of the kindest characters in cinema, as she constantly does many small favors to the people around her even if they are strangers to her. It all starts when she finds an old metal box of childhood memorabilia hidden by a boy who lived in her apartment many years earlier. She decides to track down the boy and return the box to him and if it makes him happy, she will devote her life to bringing happiness to others. After going through various events to find this boy, she finally gives him the box back which moves him to tears and he decides to reconcile with his daughter and meet his grandson. From there on she keeps a boy from getting bullied, guides a blind man across Paris and acts as his “eyes” for the day, and helps people find love. These gestures have influenced me in the way I treat people and really showed me that kindness, even if it is small, can play a major role in someone’s life.
My biggest takeaway from the film when I was younger was to always do something for others even if it was small. However, as I adjusted to living on my own, one of the biggest lessons I learned from rewatching it was to focus on yourself as well. Amelie at the end of the movie becomes friends with her neighbor who is an artist with bones described as being as fragile as glass because he is lonely, but he realizes that she is lonely as well and pushes her to find love with a boy she met at the train station named Nino. Throughout the entire movie, Amelie always focuses on others but she never thinks to find happiness for herself till the end of the movie. This meant a lot to me because I struggled with helping others before myself and this was evident in my first year in college which took a toll on my health. When I rewatched the movie this summer, as I saw her try to find happiness for herself, I decided that this year I would continue to help others, but not if it meant that I was neglecting my own needs. As a result, I have been much happier than I was last year and part of that was finding that crucial balance.
Again, I recommend Amelie for so many different reasons, it has one of the finest cinematic soundtracks, the acting is phenomenal, the cinematography is absolutely whimsical, and it immerses you in the beautiful city of Paris and French culture. Nonetheless, the main reason you should watch is because it changes your perspective on life. Amelie Poulain was one of my main role models for what a person should be and she taught me how you should look at life. Most of all, this movie helped me whenever I was in any hard times, and it can be a source of comfort and wisdom for you if you decide to watch one of the most wonderful movies ever made.
Yelena Bagdasaryan is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2024. She is studying biology and political science at the University of Louisville.