I recently watched one of the most through-provoking movies I’ve ever seen. The movie is called ‘Here’ and it stars Tom Honks and Robin Wright as Richard and Margaret Young, a couple whose lives unfold within a single room over multiple generations. The movie explores the passage of time, capturing moments from prehistoric eras to the 21st century, all centered in one location. It’s meant to make viewers think about the importance of place, and how our individual stories are impacted and interconnected with previous generations. It’s a powerful movie.
As I was watching, I was reminded of the famous line from Wendell Berry: “If you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are.” His point is that our identity as people is rooted in the places, spaces, and communities we are a part of. None of us are self-made.
The movie ‘Here’ depicts this beautifully. Here are two people—Richard and Margaret Young—who spend most of their adult lives living in a modest home in New England. Making love, arguing, raising children, grieving losses, and enjoying ordinary life in rural America. There is nothing remarkable about these two people. In fact, the only thing extraordinary about them is their simplicity. They don’t have fancy things, take extravagant trips, or work desirable jobs. They are just two people who live their lives in one place for a long period of time.
But what makes their lives—and the film itself—so beautiful is that we witness their entire adult journey unfold in just an hour and a half. As we do, we can’t help but be moved by the profound significance of their home—especially the living room, which serves as the film’s constant backdrop—in shaping their lives. It’s why the end of the movie is so powerful (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you).
What’s the lesson for you and me?
Don’t downplay the significance of place.
Your home is an arena of memory-making. Your town or city is the soil in which nostalgia grows. In a culture obsessed with transition, mobility, and movement, the movie ‘Here’ reminds us that the ordinary places and relationships God has placed us in matter. They shape who we are becoming, and can fill our lives with meaning as we walk through the highs and lows of living in a fallen world.
So, today, take a stroll through your home. Think about the memories you’ve made and will make there. When you drive through your city or town, slow down enough to take in the smells and sounds, and allow them to take you by the hand down memory lane. Look into the eyes of those you love, and stare just a bit longer. Because you never know how much longer you’ll be t(here).