Movies in Japan

Last night I watched a Japanese movie called "Smile." I really liked it. It was just what I needed on a Friday night, light-hearted comedy, a little romance, and elementary school kids playing hockey, yes, ice hockey! (Plus it had English subtitles which were pretty well done)

It filled all the formulas for a good movie, little scrawny kids learn to work as a team under a coach who has never even played hockey and win the tournament (sorry if I wrecked it for anyone:) Because of the win the rich girl's dad who owns the team allows his daughter to marry the unqualified and less than rich coach.

There was a twist that doesn't always happen in the American movies. A classmate who is in figure skating and likes one of the hockey boys gets sick. She gets leukemia, or relapses, and actually dies, during the final game of the tournament. So, when the guys are all excited about winning they find out she has died, the girl who gave them a reason to fight and win. As they stand there getting their medals they are all weeping because she has died.

I like that about movies in Japan, everything doesn't always turn out all right in the end. Just like real life. Sometimes we fight hard and try our best and still fail. But, that doesn't mean we give up on life. We learn to work through it. As Christians we learn to lean more heavily on God and trust His arms to hold us up, knowing that we can, knowing that He is trustworthy. He will not let us fall, even though it feels like it sometimes.