“24 hours in a day, 24 cans in a case of beer. Coincidence? I think not.” This statement, usually spoken by UGA frat stars and members of the Duke lacrosse team, is written in white paint on the side of a bar in which politician, David Norris (Matt Damon), seems to frequent in The Adjustment Bureau.
The film itself questions subjects that have been debated by the great philosophers since the beginning of time: Chance, coincidence, fate, and freewill. Does everything, as many middle school girls' Facebook stati might indicate, happen for a reason? According to The Adjustment Bureau, there is a plan in order to keep World War III from taking hold, and it isn’t occurring at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. To the Bureau, the plan is taking place within each spilled cup of coffee, each “chance” meeting, and even in untimely deaths…. That is, until David Norris meets the love of his life, Elise (Emily Blunt).
“I didn’t have the heart to tell you this, but if you stay with her, her dreams die, too,” a member of the bureau tells David while Elise, a talented dancer, performs on stage. He goes on to say that Elise is about to become the most famous dancer in the world, and in turn, he will become president, but not if they stay together.
Choosing fame and success over love, David tries to leave Elise, but instead finds a way to re-write their fate along their journey together. Corny? Yes. Does David Norris get on the bus in Union Square just to get dropped off at The Coffee Shop in, well, Union Square? As Sarah Palin would say, “You betcha.” But despite the bloopers, and there are a few of them, the movie’s overall message is a good one: Extreme actions foster extreme results. If we are lucky enough to have freewill, we should utilize our freedom to its full potential and make each action count, so we can live in a world we are proud to be part of.
Like any good Disney movie (spoiler alert!), David and Elise, of course, end up together, but not without risking everything for each other in the meantime. So, lesson of the day: Be extreme, creative, and thoughtful in your actions. I hear they speak louder than words.
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