Watched The Reading Room last night, really touched and inspired.
It’s a movie about a widower, Jones, starred by William Campbell opens a reading room following the wish of his dying wife. Though he is doing good for his neighbourhood, people doubt his intention. The Reading Room was broken in, fired and the mercedez of Campbell was robbed.
Why did he sell his property to open a reading room equipped with all the free books? Why does he give away free sodas to attract visitors? Why doesn’t he mind to buy free magazines and install free video games to fulfill the request of the kids?
This is the portray of today’s society, even you try to be good, offer a helping hand, people don’t accept simply. They are paranoid about your goodwill. That’s what happened to the people around us. What’s the intention behind your act? Money? Power?
If money and power are the only elements of life, don’t you think the picture of life is so boring, meaningless, fade, freezing and ugly?
Back to the movie, folks around the neighbourhood are mostly Hispanic and Asian. Many kids can’t read proper English. Some suffer from reading disorder. As they come from broken family with single, prisoned or step parent, these kids are abandoned at home. When they grow up, they tend to end up in gangsterism, jobless and become social parasites.
Campbell doesn’t give up despite various setbacks, Reading Room gradually becomes a place not only for reading, but learning to read, receiving attention and love. Campbell even got a special gift from the kids he helped at the end.
“Probably my wife had figured out what I need after her departure. A family indeed.” Is that the reason she asked Campbell to set up a reading room in the mid town? Campbell is just kidding, more care, less hate, this is her wife’s quote.
When you give, you receive more. Campbell gets a family in return of his noble act. A family of inspired souls.
