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Changing Lanes
Review by Mike Furches (Mike's bio)
Directed by Roger Michell
Story and screenplay by Chap Taylor
Cast overview:
Ben Affleck .... Gavin Banek
Samuel L. Jackson .... Doyle Gibson
Toni Collette .... Michelle
Amanda Peet
MPAA: Rated R for language.
When viewing this movie there were immediately a couple of songs that popped into my mind . The first was the country song by Toby Keith, "Wanna Talk About Me" which focuses on an individual whose primary focus is themselves. You begin to think after awhile from listening to this song, "Yea, what about me?" The other song which came to my mind was written by a dear friend in the Christian Market who passed away a few years ago named Mark Heard. Mark had a album and song titled, "Faces in Cabs." In this song Mark talks about how the faces we see every day, even the faces in cabs are people with real feelings, real concerns and real souls just like ourselves. The problem illustrated in this song is that we seldom concern ourselves with the lives of others, we are thinking too much about ourselves. The movie Changing Lanes in many ways parallels the journey in meaning and content of these two songs. There is one prevalent scene in the movie that Doyle Gibson (Samuel L. Jackson) appears to Gavin Banec (Ben Affleck) as a face in a cab. Baneck learns quickly that Gibson is far more than just a face in a cab. It is then that we as audience members are also beginning to understand the seriousness of the relationship between the two.
The movie starts off with the viewer being drawn into the world of these two characters. Gibson is a struggling alcoholic father who is making desperate efforts to pull his family back together. His wife has left him and is seeking custody of the children. He appears to have everything going well and things look promising for the first time in his life. He has been approved for a home loan and he has every intent of providing the best for his boys and if his wife doesn't want him back as a result of his past that is okay. At least he will be able to keep his family from moving out of New York City to Oregon where he will be greatly limited in the amount of time he can spend with them. Everything looks promising until he has a unexpected car accident on the way to the court hearing to determine custody of his children.
Baneck is an up and coming attorney for a large law firm in the city. The company represents high profile clients and Baneck has recently married into the family and has been made a partner. He doesn't know quite why but he has been selected to argue a case in regard to a former high profile client's estate. It seems as if the client left the attorneys in charge of the estate and in the process the firm he represents has gained millions of dollars. It is on his way to the case and while shuffling through papers that he causes the accident with Gibson. In Baneck's attempt to get to court he gives Gibson a blank check but refuses to stick around and as Gibson states, "Do things right." As a result he doesn't have the name of the person he just left on the side of the street and he drives off with little concern as Gibson literally begs to get a ride to the courthouse where his case is being heard.
The inability to be concerned with the other person involved leads to drastic events in the lives of these two men which occur over the next 24 hours. Baneck mistakenly gives Gibson a file which could ultimately result in himself and his law firm partners being imprisoned and Gibson, because he is 20 minutes late to his court hearing loses apparently all hope of keeping his family in New York. He has lost the family he cares so desperately about. What results for both characters is the desire to satisfy their own concerns and demands while at the same time caring little about the other person they are hurting.
Changing Lanes is filled with analogies. Throughout the film light and dark have dramatic impacts as does the spiritual symbolism. While we the viewers can see that both of these men, who have some good attributes are being turned toward evil, we also see them getting drawn into the evil which they are doing. We want so desperately for them to see and understand the other character but for some reason we also see how they are drawn into their own selfish desires. For Baneck he only begins to change his attitude as he arrives at a church. While at the church there is a close up image of Jesus on the Cross, complete with nails driven through Christ's hands. While Baneck has some conflict with the priest, this is the beginning of change. During simultaneous scenes in the movie, Gibson is talking to his wife in the house he has bought for them. He is struggling at letting her know of his love for her and the boys, and of the willingness to make sacrifices for others in his actions. Directly behind his wife is a portrait of a broken hearted Jesus. We tend to see and understand that the underlying message is that only Jesus can change attitudes and hearts.
Changing Lanes is a movie that will surprise many. Despite the theatrical trailers it is not a fast paced action thriller. What it is however is an exploration to humanity and the desire to satisfy self over the need to recognize others. I won't give the story line away other than to say that this is a movie that you will think about for sometime after viewing it. It is a movie that has ample opportunity to discuss spiritual issues with others who see the film. There is some harsh language but the content of the film makes it well worth watching. Affleck and Jackson do wonderful jobs in their roles and are memorable characters that you actually care about and want the best for. It is a movie I can recommend with no hesitation, and while not perfect it is still well worth the price.
There are no less than 8 wonderful spiritual discussion topics covered in this movie. For that reason I am giving it an 8 out of 10.
Copyright 2002, Mike Furches. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
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About Mike Furches: Mike is the senior pastor of United at the Cross Community Church in Wichita, Kansas. The church, located in the inner city of Wichita has a unique ministry to former gang members, drug addicts, prostitutes and others often neglected by the church. Mike also is involved in freelance writing and speaks nationally. Check out his web page for more information: http://www.furches.org/ E-mail Mike |
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