Imagine you’ve gone somewhere reluctantly—a party, let’s say—and as you enter the room, wishing like anything you were somewhere else, someone quirky catches your eye. This someone smiles at you like they’ve known you forever. They wink, touch their cap in a salute, and beckon you over as if they’d been waiting just for you. Something inside you relaxes, and you know it’s going to be okay, because this person has just taken you in.
That “someone” is the role Geoffrey Rush brings to life in his inspiring performance in The Book Thief. Oh, that the world may be populated by a plethora of such souls! Loving, playful, courageous, vulnerable, entertainer, teacher and fellow student…the role is the grounded center around which all other characters in the film must measure up.
Who in your life has taken you in, as Geoffrey Rush takes in the Book Thief?
I recommend The Book Thief—a big 2-thumbs up. I had been reluctant to see it, knowing how World War II films with a Holocaust element bury me with grief. But I read a review that changed my mind, and I’m very glad. While the tension of oppression hangs thick, on-screen violence is minimal. Set in a small German out-of-the-way village, the war is central, but only through how it affects the village characters.
There are many elements of this gorgeous film that deserve mention, but today, my point is this: Geoffrey Rush rocks! I’ve loved his work for years, especially the work he did in The King’s Speech with Colin Firth.
Geoffrey’s role in The Book Thief is right down the middle of his acting range. It required no great stretch for him to play this role. But it’s a role that sparkles long after the movie is done.
Coach’s Challenge: Take 15 minutes out this week, to think about who in your life has “taken you in” in this way—been your mentor, your protector. Someone who believed in you when you could not believe in yourself, who saw potential where you saw none. If they’re still alive, write them a thank you card and send it. If not, write them one in your journal. These souls are precious and deserve to know it.
Note: when you see The Book Thief, you will need your box of Kleenex, but there are happy tears as well as sad ones.