I critique movies using one simple question: is there anything I can take away from the two hours of my life I just wasted? A satisfactory answer doesn't necessarily indicate intricate plot lines, quality acting, or impressive cinematography. If a movie causes me to ask questions and evaluate life, it passes my test and I consider it two hours well spent. My favorite movies are usually the ones that are unappreciated, low-budgeted, and unknown. In other words, I am a sucker for indie films.
Last weekend, we watched an indie movie called Dakota Skye. Even though my friends are sure to ridicule me for this comment , I actually liked the movie and watched it again because it made me think. The short synopsis is that Dakota is a teenager with a super power. She can tell whenever anyone is lying, and automatically knows the truth. As a result, she is rather indifferent toward most things in life because everyone around her is a liar- including herself. When she meets a guy who never lies, she falls in love with him...
Looking past the amateur acting and at times poorly constructed dialogues, this film brings awareness to the facades of the world in which we live. I am a perceptive person, and lying to me usually is not a great idea... but I cannot imagine having the superpower of knowing the truth behind the lies. What if you knew exactly what everyone meant every time they spoke? That's a scary thought.
What scares me though isn't the idea of knowing the truth of what others meant by their words. What terrifies me is the thought of someone knowing exactly what I meant by each of my words. I wonder how many lies I tell on a daily basis. I rarely intentionally tell blatant and deceptive lies, so the prospect of those being revealed isn't intimidating. What alarms me is the possibility that every untruth, no matter how close to the actual truth, would be revealed. What if every half truth, hyperbole, ounce of withheld information was exposed? What if the truth was always made known? How would that impact my relationships with others? In some friendships, I know that a verbal spewage of truth would actually strengthen my bond with individuals. With others, being brutally honest could possibly mean greatly damaging that relationship, and that terrifies me.
"It's great to see you..." suddenly becomes "I normally like you, but today you were annoying me. It's great that we are done chatting now." My answer to " How are you?" translates from "Alright" to " exhausted, kinda frustrated, and fighting depressive tendencies... so I really need a hug". "I have decided to follow Jesus" sounds a bit more like "I am struggling to follow Jesus because I am afraid of where He may lead me and uncomfortable with the idea of being labeled a Jesus freak."
The reality of a world without lies sounds like a nightmare. Hmm, what does that say about my heart?
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