Lions for Lambs

Last week we watched a film called "Lions for Lambs" in the English class. The film is an American drama from 2007 focusing on America's fight against terror. Tom Cruise, Robert Redford and Meryl Streep are the three famous stars in the cast.

The youth generation today is often described as "generation ME". "The youth today only care about themselves, and they doesn't participate in anything that doesn't involve themselves." This is how many people see us. Self- centered and blind for everything happening to anybody outside our little bobble.

We complain about everything as well! "I hate my teacher, he gives too much homework", "My hair looks terrible today" and "The school cafeteria is so bad, they don't even got plain sandwiches".

In "Lions for Lambs" we meet an university student, Tod, and his professor Stephen Malley. Tod is a smart student with a lot of potential, but lately he has started to miss classes and he use more time on his fraternity and going out to party with girls than with his school work. Tod's professor can see his potential, and he want him to participate with more than just being the leader of his fraternity, and using his money on girls. Professor Stephen Malley gives Tod an ultimatum: Either show up in every class for the rest of the semester and participate, or never show up at another class again and get the grade B.

In the movie we also follow two young American soldiers on a mission in Afghanistan. These two soldiers is later in the film reviled to bee two of professor Malley's old students. Professor Malley bring the two soldiers up in his conversation with Tod, and he explains how eager they were to participate in something important. He made it clear that he never wanted them to join the army, that was their own idea, but he just wanted them to get more involved in the social issues in the world.

I find the scenes with professor Malley and Tod really inspiring, and it feels like Tod is representing all the youth around the world, and that professor Malley's speech is in fact a speech to everybody with the message to participate and get involved in something that's not only concerning you.

But what can Tod do? Joining the army and risking your life for the country is not the only way to participate. Tod could participate in his home community or at his school for example. He could raise money for charity, work as a volunteer at a homeless shelter, join a political party or just use his voice to speak up for what's important to him. We don't get to see what Tod chose to do, but that's not the point either. The point is to open up the eyes for participating and for getting involved.

I felt that I could relate to Tod in many ways, and I think that a lot of young people watching this film feel the same way. I think that the message of participating in this film really gets through to people, because we can relate to the characters in different ways.

Here you can watch a scene from the film where the professor is giving Tod a speech about his choices in life, and how the decisions he makes when he's young will affect him the rest of his life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1jUjvFP978

I think the message in this film is extremely important, and I will recommend everybody to see it. Lions for Lambs show you a reality that need to be changed, and the only people who can change this reality is us.

Are you willing to participate more?