Our Souls at Night

Our Souls at Night is a Netflix original released in 2017, based on a novel published in 2015. This will probably seem like too long ago to be relevant to you, but don’t overlook it just yet. I did at first, and it definitely was a mistake. As you know, I love old, simple movies and this movie and book are exactly that. It revolves around two older people, Addie and Louis,  who live in the same neighborhood who begin sleeping (yes, JUST sleeping, if you watch the movie) together to help combat the loneliness after they both have spent many years alone after the death of their spouses. We also see the influence that older adults have on young children, which is also a lesson I hope by this time you have been exposed to. What I hope you learn from this is the importance of listening to what others think and then doing what you believe is right, and to ALWAYS read the book.

I hope by now you have learned from me to ALWAYS read the book. If you see a movie and like it, read the book too! Books outright convey what movies try to tell us through their imagery. They give us more information and allow your mind to create your own story. I watched this movie on a whim one night, and thought it was okay (I’m not big on movies, but I’m learning), but when I listened to the audiobook one night coming home from school, that sealed the deal for me, and I fell in love with it. Give things a second chance, especially when you like it the first time. I could tell that the plot line was great from the movie, however the execution of that was not my favorite. I believe they left out some important details that helped with the cohesiveness and understanding of the movie. In the book we read about a trip that Addie and Ruth, Addie’s elderly neighbor, take to the grocery store and the judgement that both Ruth and the clerk pass on to Addie about Louis. After this initial contact with Ruth, we see her appear at least twice more in the book, until her death. In the movie, we see Addie, Louis, and Jamie, Addie’s grandson, at Ruth’s funeral. This doesn’t make clear sense in the movie why they are all there and why Ruth is a significant character, but in the book it makes much more sense. You should always find out the whole story when something is confusing you.

From the beginning, Addie acknowledges that others will talk, but how she has used her whole life to listen to what other people think and she is just going to do what is best for her and take up companionship with Louis. This kind of relationship is uncharacteristic to talk about and especially in a small town where you know everyone and their connections. We see them go out to lunch, choose a table in the middle of the restaurant, both while wearing bright red to catch people’s attention. Louis also chooses to sit next to her, instead of across, just another thing out of the ordinary that people would talk about-but makes them happy. Do things that make you happy, even when you know people will talk about it. Hiding from people will only make you feel worse, especially if it is something that you are proud of. People will talk about you regardless, but by showing people what you love, you can sometimes redirect them towards your passion instead of focusing on you. The only opinion that truly matters is your own. Striving to make others like you can only bring you happiness if you love yourself and like the choices you are making. Little life messages like this are spread throughout in the book, ones that take most people years to understand and accept. By surrounding yourself with a multitude of people as you live your life, their various characteristics and beliefs you are better able to understand and see things through their lives, how they would see them. The ability to do this is severely underrated, being able to put yourself in other people’s shoes. Overall, my biggest takeaway from this is to read both the book and watch the movie, and be proud of who you are.