“All About Steve” (Jan. 7, 2010), Carol Wong

I am going to go a little off the main road here and write a review for a movie that is not in the theaters, but is out on DVD.  It is Sandra Bullock's "other movie that came out earlier in the year, "All About Steve."

I know it's not a major blockbuster type movie but I think if you decide to rent it you’ll find it has some very good things to say.  Plus, you get to see another in  a  wide range of characters Sandra Bullock is able to play and why she is so good in the movie I previously reviewed, "The Blind Side."

Sandra plays one of those "oddball" female characters which she is so good at portraying.  Her name is Mary, a quirky woman who lives at home with her parents and works for the local newspaper making weekly crossword puzzles.  I never even thought of the maker of the crossword puzzles as being a "real" person, but if I did imagine this person, it probably would be someone like Mary.  The reason is you have to literally think "inside the box" to make these things up and that is no easy task.  Mary is quite intelligent, she has to be in order to write these puzzles, but she does not appear very solid emotionally or wise in the worldly sense.

Worried that Mary is going to end up alone, her mom sets her up on a blind date.  Guess who the blind date is? That's right.  His name is Steve and because Mary is so enamored with him, he ends up becoming next day's crossword puzzle (hence the movie title).  When her boss finds out he fires her for mixing work with her personal life, even though you know he realized a long time ago Mary is not operating with all 6 cylinders.  Mary now has more time to think about her life since she no longer has to write crossword puzzles.  As a result of staying home, she recalls something Steve said to her as he broke off their blind date early in the evening.  He said he wished Mary could come with him on his next assignment but he knows she has to go into work.  Instead of understanding this as a  brush-off line, Mary takes this to heart and follows Steve pretty much to the end of the movie.

I wanted to point out some key moments for me in the movie.  Sure there are places where nerds and geeky people are put down verbally; Mary is included in this group.  But there is also a moment when Mary personally shared her philosophy of life and the importance of words.  She spoke of how words have meaning and also how people use words to help make a point in a conversation.  But there is something else people use words for, and that is to hurt other people.  Mary recalled the words that hurt the most growing up from her parents.  Words like “why couldn't she be like other girls?"   In other words, why couldn't she be normal or just like other people?  That was the turning point for me in the movie. 

Think about all the words that people have said to you.  What are the words that you remember the most?  It is the words people used to put you down or make fun of you.   Sometimes we think we have forgotten the awful things people have said to us, but in our spirits, those words still cut into us and cause us pain.    I know I have been on the giving and receiving end.  I have heard my mom say or insinuate that whatever I did was never good enough.  And I have said words that were hurtful and damaging to my husband, my kids and plenty of other people....

I have been reading and learning more about how important it is to say words of life over people in order to bring healing and hope.  This is so important when we speak prophetically and why we try and listen to what the Lord is saying every time we give a prophetic word.  What prophetic words can we give the "Marys" out there?  How can we be an encouragement to someone who is trying hard just to "fit in?"