2 of 2

There are moments of humor, too, particularly when Mariane's male colleagues—including Daniel's boss, John Bussey (Denis O'Hare)—begin reading books on pregnancy and breast-feeding and discuss ways to get her to eat more, for the baby.

Children are, indeed, a recurring motif: Daniel, eager to see the birth of his son, asks a cab driver about his own children; and when one Islamist is apprehended by the police, he makes a thinly veiled threat against the Captain's own baby. The innocence of children and the universality of parenthood can bring us together, the film suggests—but the vulnerability of children can also drive us apart.

Mariane awaits news on her husband

Ultimately, however, the show comes back to Mariane—or, rather, to Jolie, and her performance falters at the precise moment when it should matter most, when Mariane discovers that her husband is dead. The primal screams that follow last so long, you become aware of the actress, rather than the character, and I for one was unfortunately reminded of Jolie's shrieking fit in 2004's Alexander—a problem that other viewers might not have, since virtually no one saw Oliver Stone's ancient epic.

Of course, once you become aware of the actress, you become aware of all the other baggage she brings to the role, especially when she has been more famous for her personal life than for her movie roles of late. (Boyfriend Brad Pitt is one of this film's producers.) Does the title A Mighty Heart refer to Daniel, as the book's subtitle ("The Brave Life and Death of My Husband") implies? Or does it refer to Mariane, who gets far more screen time, and through her, perhaps, to Jolie? Such are the questions that arise when movies tackle memoirs, and when celebrity tackles real life.

Talk About It

1. In one flashback, Daniel looks at Mariane's pregnant belly and says, "Amazing you can love someone you've never met." What is the larger significance of this statement? How widely should this "love" be applied? In what ways should it be applied? Is it ever wrong to "love" someone before you have met them?
2. Why does this film focus on children so much? In what ways do children bring us together? In what ways do children and family distinctions keep us apart?
3. Daniel openly admits that he is Jewish, even when people tell him it would be safer to keep this hidden. Have you ever been told to hide something, such as your faith? How have you responded? Would you have been as open as Daniel?

The Family Corner

A Mighty Heart is rated R for language, including a few dozen four-letter words. Guns are fired during the apprehension of some suspects, and one person is interrogated onscreen. The more extreme violence, including the fact that Daniel Pearl was beheaded and his body cut into ten pieces, is referred to but not shown. Mariane is seen making Buddhist prayers, and her wedding ceremony with Daniel, seen in a flashback, combines aspects of the Buddhist and Jewish tradition.

Photos © Copyright Paramount Vantage

© Peter T. Chattaway subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

• Plugged In
  
• Crosswalk
  
• Catholic News Service
  
• Past the Popcorn

first page |  2 of 2