Lion

/ Jodi

Lion.

Have you seen this movie?

After a busy few days this wonderfully long holiday weekend, hubby and I settled in by a warm fire, Christmas tree lights lit (yep – I put it up this weekend), pizza delivered from our favorite shop in Mars (Posti’s – Bacon, Onions, Mushrooms on hubby’s half, and extra cheese!), and a tall pour of red wine, and we watched one of the most amazing movies I’ve seen in a long time – Lion.

I really had no idea what it was about, which is unusual for me when watching a movie.  Hubby always gets exasperated when I want to pick the Friday night movie at home.  My routine begins with scrolling through the entire list available on Pay Per View and Netflix’s new releases.  When I find a title that appeals, I go to my iphone or laptop to google the movie and read the synopsis and reviews.  When I finally choose one (about a half hour later), it is usually not the best movie…. I fall asleep halfway in… and hubby ends up watching it and waking me at the end to go to bed.

But Lion is one our youngest son has mentioned a few times as one he thought we would really enjoy, so when I began scrolling and came to the title, I simply chose it – no synopsis – no review – no clue what it was about – just figuring it was about a Lion.

Ha! Not about a lion in the way I thought.

First of all…. Dev Patel.   (happy sigh) Such a gorgeous, gentle, sweet-spirited actor and human being.  You may remember him from Slumdog Millionaire and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (two other wonderful movies if you haven’t seen them).

Second… the cinematography!

Third…  the story!  A TRUE story.

I think many of us will relate on different levels, but for me, I could relate to being “lost.”  Maybe not in the same way Saroo was, but nonetheless “lost.”  I can also relate to the reunion, the brotherly love, and adoption.

But what I was completely blown away by (and driven to unstoppable tears in the end), was the powerful spirit of this 5-year old boy who survived his ordeal, and then his journey at the end of the movie (which I don’t want to spoil for you), so I won’t say what happened.

I can’t imagine anyone who would not be touched and inspired or their heart warmed and literally nourished by this movie.

Take some time, and give yourself the gift of this movie.

And then, if you feel so inspired, you can give a gift to help the over 80,000 children who go missing in India each year by donating to the #LionHeart Campaign.   The #LionHeart Campaign has collaborated with extraordinary organizations working on the ground to protect children in India and around the world. Contributions will provide critical financial support to enable the charitable organizations of Magic Bus, Childline India, and Railway Children India to do even more.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

48 thoughts on “Lion”

  2. I’m so glad you’ve highlighted this movie. Once a week I meet up with a group of ladies to whom I am junior by minimum 20 years and maximum 35 who adopted me when I was sitting in the cinema on my own and insisted I become part of the group. We saw ‘Lion’ a few weeks ago (dubbed into French) and every single one of us went home (after a cheeky apéro which is part of the ritual) and gave to the #LionHeart campaign. Just brilliant and I am welling up with tears at the memory of it.

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  10. Good Grief, onions and mushrooms too! I hope “The Hubby” does not read your blog, especially yesterday (but I did apologize,sort of)! While I am not much of a movie watcher, due to my short attention span, this sounds very worthwhile. I will tell the family though, movie watchers each and everyone. As an avid reader, I will definitely get the book that inspired the film. I will also look into the LionHeart Campaign. P.S. Totally unrelated: do get the HBH cookbook!!

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      • Tieghan Gerard’s Half Baked Harvest is a marvelous blog. If you are new to it, go back to 2015 when she was converting an old horse barn into her home and studio. She is now constructing a new studio barn. This is all at her family’s home in Colorado. Her mother is her business partner too. An amazingly talented young lady of about 23 years of age. This girl is going places. The HBH Cookbook is beautiful, worth the investment! P.S. This is an unpaid endorsement and all opinions are my own!!

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  19. My husband and I saw that movie, and both thought it was fabulous! Although it was sad to realize how many children in India go missing…and why…it was good to know that the problem is now getting the attention it deserves and people are trying to help those children. It’s hard to make an inspiring movie about a difficult subject, but Lion managed it very well!

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  20. I saw this on the “big screen” since I love Dev Patel since his turn of acting in “Slumdog Millionaire,” another exciting true story. He’s fun and entertaining in the old amazing marigold hotel movies. (I forget their name but senior citizens are in the cast. . . 😀)

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    • Dev Patel is not only dreamy (how can I say that when he is the age of my YOUNGest son! LOL?!), but so talented and does such worthwhile movies. LOVED the marigold hotel!!

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