Life is often symbolized like a book, a series of chapters that make up a story of one's life. Never have I heard of life being a building that has stories in the shape of windows to tell the tale of life.The movie Rental Family did just that.
In short Rental family is about a man named Phillip who has the opportunity to play a role in someone's life, not as a person, but as an emotion that supports their dreams. Why am I writing this paper/review/op-ed about a film about a token white guy? Well, because it struck a cord within me that either changed a perspective that I had, or enlightened me about my own role in others lives. Rental Family does an excellent job exploring others lives and situations through the lens of an outsider looking inwards on a family, unknowingly within their own home. In an earlier scene we can see Phillip (Brendan Fraser) after a rough day, sitting with beer in hand, looking out his window peering into the building across from him, with emotions and situations juxtaposing those with his own. We see a family with a newborn child getting ready for dinner, we see an old couple getting ready for bed, and finally we see an elderly man resting as if he lived his life to the fullest with no regrets. This was not only to show how unsatisfied and lonely Phillip was, but it was to set up the story the film was going to tell, it foreshadows what Phillip has to overcome within his own story. How the film was shot and portrayed, you can easily look back into your own life and see how important you are to your own relationships. Just like Phillip plays a role in a customer's life, we play a role in our relationships. This is why the film stuck with me. It made me see that I was gliding through my role, on a freshly polished ice rink. My role is made to be in the moment, I need to take every breath with attention and acknowledgement. We need to bask in the moments that shine so bright that we nearly blind ourselves.
So I implore you to take your time and watch Rental Family, not just because it is an excellent story, but because it will show you the importance of taking your time with every floor, door, and window of your own building of life.