How "A Serious Man" Changed My Worldview

This movie came along at an eerily perfect time in my life. In a nutshell, it's about bad things happening to good people and the punishing tests life presents. I've gotten to know these tests all too well this year. My dad was diagnosed with cancer, his week-long recovery from surgery turned into 9 months, my dog died--the list goes on. I'm not asking for pity, though. Things are getting better--much better. My dad is now home and continuing to improve every day. We've bonded more than ever before. Things seem to be looking up, but, as "A Serious Man" shows, this good fortune could stop right now and we could all be swept away by a tornado. There is no telling what life will bring or why.

The film's tale of Larry Gopnik, a man suddenly hit with marital, professional, and moral dilemmas, has taught me a valuable and liberating lesson: It's pointless to dwell on your misfortunes because more often than not, there may be no real reason behind them whatsoever. Everyone is vulnerable to them, even good people. There is no reasoning with the Devil before he works his deeds on you.

If you spend your whole life questioning what happens to you, you are not living to the fullest, you are not progressing forward. As a character in the film states, you sometimes have to "accept the mystery" and just go on living.

"A Serious Man" also points out that happiness is not a long term thing. It comes for the characters in small doses: listening to Jefferson Airplane in school, watching a few minutes of "F-Troop" before the TV gets fuzzy, seeing a son's barmitzfah. Those small moments shouldn't be taken for granted.

Many Coen Brothers' films share these sentiments. "The Big Lebowski" in particular is about embracing life and warding off negativity as much as possible. "You can't be worried about that shit, man. Life goes on," the laidback, fun-loving Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski says.

In short, as cliched as it may sound, life is precious, it is meant to be savored. In fact, punishment may ensue if it is not. When "A Serious Man" came to a close, I was completely shaken by these thoughts. Panic pulsed through me--I wanted to get out, leave my worries behind and start embracing life as quickly as possible. Although the film's ending is not a happy one, it is incredibly satisfying--refreshing in its refusal to give easy answers and provide tidy resolutions. The film does not explain life's madness. It simply, refreshingly, forces you to watch it unfold. It's real, not the stuff of utopian Hollywood fantasy. The audience didn't move or speak when the film was over. When the lights came up, they just sat there, still shaken from staring into the abyss, being confronted by ambiguity and their worst fears.

"A Serious Man" provides a cathartic experience. It sent me out into the night awake, alert, and strong. This film forced me to confront my deepest fears and by the end, made me feel like I had conquered them.