Sometimes you find a movie that comforts you, charms you, excites you, interests you and encourages imagination. Some people might think it's a little odd that I give this level of compliment to a movie like The Terminal...but after almost a year of watching movies, I have discovered that when it comes to a movie - quality matters - absolutely. BUT another major factor is how it resonates with you. In this case, this movie resonated with me.
Maybe it's because from a very young age, airports meant love. I was shipped to the northeast every summer and major holidays and I was shipped back to the Midwest every fall. For me, leaving meant someone doted over me, paid attention to me, stewardesses treated me special and I knew what I was doing when it came to navigating around one. Believe it or not, that impresses adults. I had some harrowing airport experiences as a child - almost being whisked away to a stewardesses apartment in NYC when an airline strike happened while I was in the air between Minneapolis and Newark. Nine years old, standing stranded in a city where I knew no one. They let me into Newark traffic control and I got transported across the airport in an old station wagon late in the night to another gate at the last minute so that I could grab a flight on another carrier and get home to my dad. So for me, this movie RESONATED.
Tom Hanks plays Viktor Navorski - a man trying to make a visit to NYC from his homeland in the soviet republic. He's a man on a mission - needing to accomplish something - to fulfill a promise - for his father who passed away. In the air between home and NYC, Viktor's homeland undergoes a transformation and the country falls. It's no longer recognized by the United States and suddenly his passport becomes worthless - just like his visa. The man is without a country. His only choice is to *live* inside the airport until something bends or breaks on either side. The movie is really about how someone you least expect can make a difference in many people's lives.
Do yourself a favor - if you have some time, watch this movie. Be like Viktor. :) Seriously though, somewhere between Sleepless in Seattle and Castaway is The Terminal.
The IMDB Link
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