Observer--Reflections and Sermons: March 2009

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Reflection: Nixon-Frost--the movie: The magic of full discussion and debate

Last week while I was on location in Minnesota working on a story, I happened to watch the Nixon-Frost movie with some family and friends. As the movie progressed, I began to wonder whether there would be any action---after all, I had grown accustomed to action, and action every minute Bourne style was best for me.

After a scene where Nixon called Frost on the telephone in the middle of the night, the whole movie became pretty intense and things got complicated---you will have to see the movie and get details. After the first several meetings, it appeared that it was going to be victor and vanquished, Nixon over Frost, and winner take all.

Out of the full discussion came a result the viewer of the movie, or at least me, did not expect. Both parties achieved something positive and surprisingly so.

In the final scene, Frost visits San Cemente on a final farewell, and gives Nixon some shoes. That scene provoked some discussion from the family. What's with the shoes? I will leave you to weigh in on that question.

My take on it all is that when a nation, family or community can have a full, fair, free and open discussion the result is one that elevates everybody. Even locally in our community where there has been decades of closed bikering about cetain issues, when a full, open discussion, and a heatly divided one is held, a healing and positive result is attainted. That should not be a surprise...yet it is surprising because the "lets not talk openly about the issues" folks are the majority of us.