Reign Over Me

1042 Words5 Pages
Love Reigns to Recovery Mike Binder's film Reign Over Me explores the themes of loss and the struggle to recovery in the lives of two old friends who unexpectedly meet after years apart from each other. The story follows the life of Charlie Fineman, a man who's entire family died several years earlier in the plane crash on September 11th, and Alan Johnson, his old college roommate who is trying to help Charlie overcome his tragedy while discovering his own. The movie opens with the song Simple Man by Graham Nash with the lyrics, "I can't make it alone", foreshadowing the codependent of relationship which Charlie and Alan will soon make. As Alan takes an interest in Charlie's life and works to help him through his loss it becomes clear that it is not just Charlie who has suffered a loss. Both Charlie and Alan lost the lives they had once known. Alan lost touch with the person he once was, constantly being walked on by his coworkers and wife; he passively accepted photo classes and jigsaw puzzles he didn't want to do and allowed his equals in work to treat him like they were his superiors. Charlie lost his family and the only life he had known. Rather than trying to come to reconciliation with his loss he would distract himself with his music, video games, and kitchen remodeling. Both Charlie and Alan found it easier to not express their feelings than to try to overcome them. Charlie did all he could to avoid the life he once knew. He would run from his in-laws to keep himself from being reminded of his past. The only reason Charlie felt comfort in Alan's friendship was because Alan knew nothing about Charlie's family or that time in his life. But as Alan keeps trying to get Charlie to open up about his life and his family Charlie continually becomes very angry and hostile, and storms off to avoid thoughts of the life he once knew. After every
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