Film - Hidden Places

Introduction

This film was set in the inter-world war years of US economic depression in a small rural town probably around California. The main characters form around a family of 3 generations including a deeply worried under-40  widow (Eliza) with her two children (Becky and Luke) both under 11 years old; a cantankerous widowed, farmer and grandfather (Frank) who owned a fairly large orange orchard and faithful aunt, sister-in-law and grandfather’s sister (Beaty). The sudden death of Eliza’s husband and the collapsed economy poisoned the home with grief, worry, uncertainty and near-despair. Upon this social structure rooted in the town community (devoid of young people) did authentic spirituality play out through events, activities, actions, reactions, frictions, empathy, faith and hope. These dimensions also include intelligibility, truth, goodness, beauty and love.

Summary

The film opened with Eliza's morning exchange on the porch with Frank over coffee as the latter took a break from work. For Becky and Luke, pre-school breakfast was interrupted by Frank’s sharp reply to Eliza to get the children to help out in the farm. Frank never smiled or listened deeply rather was consumed by his son’s death and economic woes. Eliza, wrapped in that darkness, returned to plead gently for them to temporarily suspend school arguing that their grandfather meant well despite his unkind tone. They reasoned with sad but childlike acceptance, changed clothes and joined the orange picking. A short while later, Frank collapsed from heart attack. Becky rushed out crying out to her mum while Luke looked over him. Frank didn’t recover and Eliza sank immediately under the weight of another death. Aunty Beaty with her radiant smile held Eliza (drowning with tears) with empathy and compassion tenderly encouraging her to cling to faith even in dense darkness.  

The community led by the sheriff (John) rallied together to give Frank an affordable burial. He brought along a young, unemployed and mobile WW1 veteran (Gabe) to dig the grave to be ‘promoted’ later as a hand to Frank’s farm. His wage is free food and free accommodation, to which he was forever grateful. A kind, sensitive and tormented man haunted by the war and its ugly consequence on his self-identity.  He worked hard on the farm, harvesting, parking oranges, chopping wood and doing every physical task around. Irreplaceable man’s job!

Initially Eliza forbade him rightly from sharing their home so he slept in the barn until sudden fever provoked a pointed question from Aunty Beaty, “What are you going to do if this man leaves?” She relented. On his first breakfast inside, he led the grace drawing all closer in the supplication net. He helped the children with their school work, played with them and added laughter into the home. On one of his visits, the sheriff made it clear to Gabe that his promise to Eliza is personal to him (John), he must fulfil it. Gabe assured a double commitment to keep his word. Truth as a category resonated in the home and community despite the limited material resources and withering economy.

The first post-burial challenge came with the mortgage loan recall by the bank under 30 days. The elderly local banker sold the loan to a bigger bank, assured Eliza of sufficient profit to cover the debt with enough cash to settle elsewhere once the farm is sold. Grief prevented her from suggesting alternatives, bewildered by the bank’s insensitivity and haste to conclude a deal before harvest; she respectfully deferred to the old man. She shared it with Aunty Beaty and Gabe, and both concurred on faith and hard work as the way out. So their days are filled with orange picking.

Then one day Aunty Beaty approached Gabe, “Why is an intelligent and handsome young man like you moving from place to place? Isn’t anyone waiting for you?” Gabe gave her a short and polite response but the old gal encouragingly wove her words on him to open up to Eliza regardless of his baggage. She curated the same magic on Eliza gently and tenderly, reminding her that faith demands that she open herself in small steps to this kind man. Aunty Beaty made clear that she’s a good judge of human character, quite a rich discernment by a wise woman of faith and hope towards a strategic matching of persons for the common good of family and community. Grief can be resourceful, of course with patience.

Amidst stabilising routines and slow collective empowerment; Eliza’s growing confidence led her to read Gabe’s journal without his consent. She discovered dark secrets despite the autobiographical account in 3^rd person with a proxy name. Artistic excellence, rigorous command of prose and evident depth of culture; all raising questions and confusion. This new boldness fell hurtfully flat when her 1-2-1 meeting initiative in Gabe’s room shattered her illusion that poor judgement can excuse romantic intentions. Gabe stood her down and it ruffled both in different ways. A needed friction to start things on their proper footing!

Gabe figured out that his livelihood depends on this family. He isn’t returning to his own family who wordlessly rejected him and this family offered him something to fight for and an opportunity for “making new memories”. They both accepted that their unity is tied to hard work to prevent the farm’s foreclosure so they must meet the deadline linked to finding a buyer for the oranges. As a show of care and magnanimity, Eliza gifted Gabe a new shirt and a pair of trousers. A gesture of tenderness and expression of affection melded together! Full appreciation was reciprocated, of course in words and deeds. Correct dose of ego, and nothing dirty!

Prior to the bank’s visit, Gabe suddenly vanished reopening wounds of uncertainty and fear in Eliza as she nearly collapsed if not for Aunty Beaty. The children were distraught while Aunty Beaty cautioned against rash judgement. Eliza was inconsolable, tormented and despaired almost. Is this the reward for self-opening, for trusting and exploring faith? What does hope look like when there is apparently nothing to hope for? Too heavy to bear when it seem like one is surrounded by wolves of situations. Time too short to allow patience and hope to work their ways to dissolve darkness imposed by suffering and tragedy.

Then one bright morning Luke heard men’s voices outside, observed them from the window and rushed off to tell his mum. Troubled Eliza rushed out in pyjamas feigning boldness, asked the intruders to show their faces. Slowly strange men started ‘falling out’ of the orchard until one of them pressed forward, Gabe. Love has power, only those who haven’t been touched argue otherwise. Hope is rewarded with huge dividends! Eliza was suddenly energised to leap on Gabe with the tightest embrace moulded in tear-earned compassion. Aunty Beaty and the children joined, and the new work party got breakfast before launching harvest assault on the orchard. 

By the time the bank crew arrived with anticipation of a rich picking, the harvest was not only ready but the buyer was present to write the mortgage payment check to the disappointed crew. You could swim in John’s delight smirking his earlier warning that he’s not the bank’s accomplice or debt collector. A treasured image of a government official allergic to colluding with big business to hurt the common person! This is one of the best images of the film, a show of solidarity, bold cultivation of goodness, defence of human dignity and bold defiance of injustice. Life’s beauty couldn’t have been more displayed in a simple healing family and a hopeful community.

Penultimately Gabe exchanged marital vows before a priest and the community, as everyone finally partook and participated in the crowning rewards of enduring faith and fervent hope that never declined or refused to anticipate future goodness from the membrane of divinity. Yes, they didn’t come fast or rather didn’t concentrate quick. Both took a slow coach dripping each day in small, discrete and irreversible volumes.

Conclusion

This story show rich actions of the strong, powerful and wealthy. Particularly the strength and wealth of women! And children! Of course, not in the ordinary sense of the contemporary imagination. A higher order of attention, presence, silence, listening and actions weaved their ways reasonably and responsibly through unexpected vagaries and massive obstacles in lived ordinary experience. Relationships grounded in solid reputations enriched and fomented by hope aligned with critical consciousness of solidarity rose to the occasion when needed.

Faith is not a word, is bleeds with action. Hope isn’t optimism, it is barefaced expectation of goodness even when viable case for it vanishes. As for love, each person lived it selflessly in mutual reinforcement while successfully navigating the sharpest bends deviously inserted by pressure and obnoxious eruptions of human desires. Finally, this is a testimony of life’s beauty particularly in a simple healing family and a strong community.  Watch it.

Life is beautiful!