A Modern Day Prophet

I have been waiting for quite some time to see Arkansas director Jeff Nichols' latest film, Take Shelter. Although not set in Arkansas this time (after his Shotgun Stories), it certainly reflects the economic fears of the times. A young working class husband, Curtis, and his wife are rearing their daughter who is deaf when he begins to experience hallucinations regarding storms. The pattern of the dreams is very much the same night after night. The storm clouds appear, often accompanied by thousands of birds dropping from the sky, ushering in some type of harm. It seems that not only nature is causing harm but also those who are closest to Curtis--his dog, his co-worker, his wife even. The question is whether Curtis is actually a modern day prophet or simply one who has inherited his mother's mental disease. He attempts to warn the neighbors of impending doom, yet no one will listen. He is a Noah without an audience once again.

While the thriller is interesting in itself as a psychological study, for me the real importance of the film lay in its portrayal of modern day families. They work hard to pay their mortgages and house payments yet still struggle with the rising costs of health care, job retention, high gas prices, the lack of mental health facilities in a rural environment, etc. The drop of the stock market by some 500+ plus points in two days does not even enter into their thinking. They are not the 1% in America. They live from paycheck to paycheck. It's enough to make anyone somewhat paranoid as he or she reflects upon the future.

Personally, I seem to move from place to place in my thinking. Normally, I am optimistic regarding the future, yet the storm clouds on the horizon do seem to be growing as we watch from afar (like Curtis). Greece's monetary crisis continues to grow, the unemployment stays over 9% month after month, the housing markets continue to decline, and debt both personally and in the country rises to fourteen trillion dollars. The prophet we need will have to possess supernatural powers to help us. Let's hope to see that one on the horizon soon.