 Movie Review:
Click
Production Company : Columbia Pictures
Director : Frank Coraci
Cast : Adam Sandler, Christopher Walken, Kate Beckinsale, Blake Heron, Allen Covert, Peter Dante, David Hasselhoff, Sean Astin, Rachel Dratch, Henry Winkler, Katie Cassidy
Rating : PG-13 for some adult humor, language and drug references
By Gregg Tubbs
(UMC.org)—How many of us have reached for a remote control to scan through a commercial, only to find that we were watching live TV? It’s a little embarrassing, but it illustrates how far remotes have permeated our lives. We are accustomed to having the ability to pause, fast-forward, rewind, record and erase in our media experiences. By comparison, our real lives seem haphazard at times and hopelessly beyond our control. The new comedy Click shows just what might happen when a middle-aged father is able to control his life and humorously bears out the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for!”
Click shows just what might happen when a father is able to control his life and humorously bears out the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for!" |
With Click, Adam Sandler continues his successful move from portraying characters who are buffoons to portraying the “everyman” as he did in last year’s touching Spanglish. Here he plays Michael Newman, a struggling junior architect, who works day and night to provide for his family, hoping someday to make partner in the architectural firm run by his demanding and ungrateful boss (David Hasselhoff). His hectic career crowds out most of his family time, much to the chagrin of his wife Donna (Kate Beckinsale) and their two kids. But he promises to make it up to them—to go on the camping trips, read the bedtime stories and finish the tree house—as soon as he gets that elusive promotion. At least, that's what he tells them—and himself.
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Michael’s (Adam Sandler) hectic career crowds out most of his family time, much to the chagrin of his wife Donna (Kate Beckinsale) and their two kids.
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Exhausted and wanting only to enjoy a little down time and TV, Michael finds himself frustrated by the many remote controls that litter his den, none of which seem to operate the TV. Michael cries out to heaven, asking why he can’t just get a little break, then dashes out in the night to buy a universal remote to control his TV. Finding store after store closed, he finally finds a Bed Bath & Beyond store still open. Venturing behind a mysterious door labeled “Beyond,” he finds Morty (Christopher Walken) who is more than happy to help him find a remote that will “simplify his life” and help him regain some control. What Michael doesn’t know is that the remote Morty gives him isn’t an ordinary universal TV remote—it’s a remote that will allow him to control his universe.
Resembling both Bruce Almighty (whose writers wrote this film) and It’s a Wonderful Life, Click proceeds to show—at first comically, then touchingly—the consequences of one man being able to magically change the course of his life, and the cumulative results of the choices he’s made in his life. At first, Michael revels in his new power—muting an annoying neighbor in mid-sentence and fast-forwarding through an argument with his wife. Over time, however, he begins to wonder whether he controls the remote or the remote controls him. The remote begins to reprogram itself to anticipate his “preferences” and automatically scans through family events, giving him more time for work. Alarmed by the remote’s growing control over him, Michael calls on Morty for help. Morty explains that the actions of the remote merely reflect Michael’s past choices. “Every time you had a choice between family and work, work won,” Morty explains.
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| Morty (Christopher Walken) is more than happy to help Michael (Adam Sandler) find a remote that will "simplify his life" and help him regain some control. |
In the end, Michael learns that his priorities have been askew. His main goal in life has been to get through the hard times—money troubles, family hassles and career pressures—as quickly as possible. But by using the remote to hopscotch past his troubles, he has also missed out on all the precious moments, which were indelibly tied to the struggles. Although he repeatedly claimed that he worked long hours for the sake of his family, he in fact denied them the thing they needed the most—his presence. Morty compares him to a leprechaun, endlessly searching for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, never realizing that the rainbow itself—life’s journey—is the real treasure.
My only complaint with the film is that Sandler and crew too frequently fall back on lowbrow, even crass, humor to get a laugh. I wish that they had more confidence in their story. A story this clever and a film with this much imagination and comedic potential didn’t need to rely on cheap laughs. Cruel jokes and too much bathroom humor hamper the sincerity of the story and hurt the likeability of Sandler’s character. During those moments, I wished I had a magic remote so I could skip past them. Despite these juvenile lapses, Click is funny, has a lot of heart and carries an important message about the value of family and the need to treasure every moment.
Gregg Tubbs is a freelance writer living in Columbia, Md.
This review was developed by UMC.org, the official online ministry of The United Methodist Church.
Group Study Guide
Study Questions:
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Have you ever felt overwhelmed like Michael Newman? Did you turn to anyone for help? Did you find prayer helpful?
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Have you ever wished that you had a magic remote? If you had one, would your “preferences” be different from Michaels?
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Do you believe God should be in control of our lives? Do you think it’s difficult to submit to God’s will? (See Psalms 37.)
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Michael is obviously stressed in the beginning of the film, but do you think his family is equally stressed? What are the stresses for Michael and for his family? How many similar stresses have you dealt with?
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What advice would you give someone like Michael?
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Would you ever like having a “commentary” for your life like Michael did? Why or why not?
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Have there been particular times in your life you would like to have scanned past? If you feel comfortable, share one of these times with the group. What did you learn from the experience that you might not have if you had been able to skip over it?
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Michael uses his remote to play cruel tricks on his inconsiderate boss. How did you feel about that? Would you have done the same? (See Romans 12:17.)
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Michael spends much of his family time on “autopilot,” induced by his remote. Was this wrong? Why? Have you ever been on autopilot?
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Was the story really a dream or do you think Michael learned from the experience, was redeemed and was given a second chance? Was Morty really the Angel of Death or some other celestial being? Could he have been God in disguise?
Group Activities:
Design Your Life Remote: For this activity, supply the members of your group with paper and drawing supplies. The assignment is simple. Ask them to draw a remote control with at least six buttons that represents their own “universal remote” for life. They should label each button with a function that controls an aspect of their life they would like to have more control over. Button examples could be: “More Time,” “More Sleep,” “Clear Highway Traffic,” “Reduce Calories,” etc. Choices could be more serious or personal as well. Once your group is done, ask persons to talk about their remote controls, describing what the buttons are and why they chose them. How many people had identical or similar buttons? Which buttons were unique? Were any spiritual in nature?
Control/Be Controlled: Click deals with issues of control—over ourselves and others. For this activity, explore the experience of being in control and being controlled. Ask for a pair of volunteers. Once they are selected, ask them to take turns controlling and being controlled. The controller will have three minutes to issue simple commands like those that could be found on a remote control such as “stand,” “sit,” “walk forward,” “faster” and “slower.” The other volunteer must obey these commands. Once the first three minutes is up, ask them to reverse roles. Afterwards, ask the group to discuss the experience from each point of view: the controller, the controlled and the observer. How did it feel to control someone else? What responsibility did they feel to the person they were controlling? How did it feel to be controlled by someone else? How did their trust in that person come into play? Did they fear they might be asked to do something embarrassing or that they might get hurt? Next discuss the parallels to our relationship with God. Why is it often so difficult to stop trying to control our lives and trust in God?
Fast Forwarding Through Trials: In the film, Michael uses his Universal Remote to fast forward through the difficult parts of his life. It is an understandable decision, but one he lives to regret. Jesus also anguished over the trials ahead and at one point even prayed, that if possible, he be spared. As a group, read the account of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matt. 26:36-45, Mark 14:32-41 and Luke 22:39-46. Discuss this event as a group. How did Jesus face this temptation to skip over his coming trials? In whom did he put his trust? How could this have been an example for Michael Newman in Click ?
Resources
Official Click Web site
Theatrical Trailer
Flash
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