The Tree of Life

"There are two ways through life: the way of nature, and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow."

It was late one evening when I stumbled upon this movie trailer and tears streamed rampantly down my face. I don't know what it was, but the eery combination of celestial colors and forms alongside cuts of children laughing and playing spoke loudly to me. The cinematography alone will be tremendous even if the story leans towards new age beliefs. From what I can tell, the hammer will either hit the nail on the head or it will miss by only a few millimeters.

Below is the trailer and a synopsis from IMDB.

We trace the evolution of an eleven-year-old boy in the Midwest, Jack, one of three brothers. At first all seems marvelous to the child. He sees as his mother does with the eyes of his soul. She represents the way of love and mercy, where the father tries to teach his son the world’s way of putting oneself first. Each parent contends for his allegiance, and Jack must reconcile their claims. The picture darkens as he has his first glimpses of sickness, suffering and death. The world, once a thing of glory, becomes a labyrinth.

From this story is that of adult Jack, a lost soul in a modern world, seeking to discover amid the changing scenes of time that which does not change: the eternal scheme of which we are a part. When he sees all that has gone into our world’s preparation, each thing appears a miracle—precious, incomparable. Jack, with his new understanding, is able to forgive his father and take his first steps on the path of life.The story ends in hope, acknowledging the beauty and joy in all things, in the everyday and above all in the family—our first school—the only place that most of us learn the truth about the world and ourselves, or discover life’s single most important lesson, of unselfish love.

"One day we'll fall down and weap, and we'll understand it all. All things."