"Cars"

Over the holiday we took the kids to see "Cars". Being a children's film notwithstanding, I had heard from several adults that this is a "you don't want to miss" film.

They weren't kidding.

In the spirit of Toy Story and the other Pixar legacy films, it was splendidly animated, with tons of expression and lots of fun (innocent) little quirks meant for the grownups alone. With a great soundtrack and awesome storyline, it was far and away the best film I've seen in a very long time. Even my husband said so, and he's not generally a kids film fan.

If you haven't seen it you might want to skip this post. I don't plan on major spoilers, but I can't say what I want to say without providing some background.

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So the movie is about "Lightning Mc Queen", a top-notch rookie racecar. Having had an excellent and nearly winning season, he's become self-important and somewhat conceited. He's into lights and media and fans.

On his way across country to his last race of the season, The Big One - The "Piston Cup", he becomes sidetracked. He makes a mistake and has to pay a price for it. In the course of righting his mistake, he learns valuable lessons about being responsible, not judging others, being a friend and humility.

It's what happens at the big race at the end of the movie that really impressed me.

My husband said it's the first movie like this (kids movie with all kinds of morals) that he's ever seen where the good guy doesn't WIN in the end. Instead he does the RIGHT thing, even at the expense of the one thing that was most important to him. He realizes the superficiality of his dream achievement and decides it's not as important as someone else's feelings.

I'm sure other such movies exist, but I can't think of one. Maybe this one just tells it best.

Just been thinking about that moral.

Not to read anything spiritual into the intentions of the folks over at Pixar and whoever else is responsible for the storyline, but when I look at this I cannot help but think about my faith.

Maybe you can't understand until you have seen the movie, but I just wonder how often I put my "most important things" ahead of the feelings of others. I also wonder how many times God deliberately sidetracks me because I have become self-interested. I know I have learned those lessons over and over ( I believe selflessness and humilty are lessons we are always learning) and I have begun to see how God will throw a wrench in things just to make me stop and think.

Mostly I was thinking how likely it is that I would be willing to sacrifice my goals in order to make someone else happy - in order to do what was in their best interest. I'll have to think on that one, but you can bet it would be dependent on what the goal was that I was losing out on.

In the case of the movie, the goal sacrificed was the one thing Lightning had wanted all his life, the one thing he wanted most. He had it in his grasp, but chose, in the end, to stop and help someone who was struggling, and watch as his rival took the win.

I understand it's just a story, but still, the moral is there.

The moral(s) of the story:

Sometimes you will end up in the last place you want to be because you're supposed to learn something there.
Sometimes you will find friendship in the unlikeliest places.
Sometimes it's better to help a friend than acheive your goals.

Sometimes you win even when you lose.