The Tourist – Movie Review

The Tourist – Movie Review

Review by Stacey Tuttle

Elise fell in love with a man.  A wanted man.  A criminal.  But, she saw more than that in him.  She says “There are two sides of a person, good and bad, past and future.”  She chose to love both sides.  Now, that alone gives much food for thought, but it wasn’t what struck me most about the film.  What strikes me most is her confidence in the good and in the future versions of this man. 

He’s been gone for two years.  He is wanted by mafia and police.  She has no reason (that the audience can see anyway) to believe that he will return or that he will ever change and become that good, future version of himself she is trusting in. 

But she waits, and she hopes, and she believes. 

Then it gets worse and innocent lives are at stake (not to mention her own) because of him.  And still she loves, she hopes, she believes and she waits. 

Everyone thinks Elise is crazy.  Maybe she did too, for a minute.  She put it all on the line.  The angry mafia boss roughed her up a bit and he’s pointing a gun at her head.  And Elise is holding out – still counting on this man she loves to have a plan, to come through for her, to save her.  And he does.  He saves her and he clears his name with the law, justifying her belief in his better nature.

Here is my question.  What do you have that much confidence in?  What are you willing to bet the farm on?  What do you trust in, wait for, believe in and even risk your life for – even when all the evidence would tell you that you are crazy to do so?

Was Elise lucky?  Was she a really great judge of character?  Did her influence and her love help him become a better man?  Did she have more information than we knew about which gave her additional reason to trust and wait?  I don’t know.  But what I do know is this – it’s great to have such confidence in something.  It’s great to believe and wait and hope in something…as long as that something is worthy of that trust.  But what a different story it would have been if he had never come back for her.  What if he had really let an innocent man die?  What a sad story if she had wasted her whole life waiting for someone who never returned. 

It comes down to this, the worthiness of what you put your trust in is critical.  It’s everything.  When we keep putting our hope in things which disappoint, we are likely to find ourselves getting flinchy, gun shy and skeptical.  We begin to prepare ourselves for the worst which means we brace ourselves for the disappointment which is inevitably going to come and ultimately we stop hoping and trusting in anything. But no one really wants to live their whole life being skeptical and trusting in, believing in nothing.  No one wants to be that person who is always waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

The only solution to that though is to be sure you put your trust in something which will come through for you, something which won’t fail you.  There is only one thing that can truly promise to never disappoint and to always be faithful.  The great I AM.  Psalm 33:4 says, “For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.”  He’s not faithful in some things, but in all things.  The Bible says that while the grasses fade and flowers fall, the Word of the Lord stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).  So, let me show you what the Word of the Lord (which stands forever) says about trusting in God. 

• “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.  No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.”  Psalm 25:1-3
• “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.”  Psalm 40:4
• “O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.” Psalm 84:12
• “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” Psalm 118:8-9 (NKJV)
• “For the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.” Proverbs 3:26 (NKJV)
• “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” 1 John 5:14 (NKJV)
• “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrew 11:1 (NIV)
• “For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.” Psalms 71:5 (NIV)
• “Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.” Psalm 146:3 (NLT)

 

Questions for Discussion:

• Do you see the good in people or the bad in people?  Or are you like Elise, able to see both sides honestly?
• Are you generally trusting or skeptical or others?  What is your response when circumstances cast doubt on someone in your life?
• Are you able to hold on to hope even when all facts point to the contrary? 
• Have you put your hope in something which disappointed?
• What do you put your trust in?  Work, Money, Relationships, Family, Your own abilities, God?
• Do you believe that God is faithful in all he does?