E is for "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

The Quote of the Day that inspired my A to Z Challenge theme -

A Word for the Day that takes on many meanings.

Quote of the Day: A writer lives in awe of words for they can be cruel or kind, and they can change their meanings right in front of you. They pick up flavors and odors like butter in a refrigerator. John Steinbeck

Word of the Day: Extreme

Definitions:
Furthest point from the middle of something
Far beyond the norm
Being of the highest degree or intensity
Very strict, rigid, or drastic

I watched the Oscar nominated movie Extrememly Loud and Incredibly Close this past weekend, an adaptation of the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer . This is a story of the inward and outward journey of Oskar Schell, a nine-year-old boy, whose father was killed on September 11, 2001, in the World Trade Center, "The Worst Day". Even before his father's death, his life was a quest. He wants to know the answers to everything, the why, the how, the where. His dad tells him the story of a "Sixth Borough" in Manhatten, sort of like a lost Atlantis. Together, they are seeking the answers to the mystery of its existence. When Oskar's father is killed the purpose for the quest changes. He found a key with his father's possessions and can't rest until he's found where it fits. Along the way, he meets people who share their stories with him. He says, "It seems everyone has lost something."

His longing is to make sense of his father's death and the world. He wants to move closer to his dad, but feels he is moving further away, until he figures out who his grandfather is and learns that most people are trying to recover from trauma. The song that ran through my head by the end of the movie from Survivor, "The search is over. You were with me all the while." (The actual score for this movie has a gorgeous orchestra song that has a question and answer feel between the keyboard and the strings.)

I feel like I got just a glimpse at what this story is really about. We're at each of the Black residences so briefly that I don't really know who they are. I don't understand why Oskar's mom seems to have survivor's guilt on top of her grief, like she'd never been a good enough wife even before "The Worst Day." It was like getting the abridged version of the book. Those always leave me feeling less than satisfied.

Still, this is a good movie, about moving on after trauma, dealing with guilt, and finding the answers to what you are seeking. Tom Horn is extremely talented and incredibly bright, and he makes this film come alive. Many characters learn to put things into perspective. I wonder if it offered healing to the people who were affected by the World Trade Center attack? I hope so.

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt:  Have you read the book or seen the movie? How do they compare? Do you like adaptions from book to screen? Which ones work, and which ones don't?