Movie Review: Seven Pounds

If you know me at all, you know I have a thing for Will Smith. I think he's adorable & I love him in all the comedies he's done. I don't typically like his more serious movies, though. I guess he'll always be the Fresh Prince of Bel Air to me, so it's hard for me to wrap my brain around him in a serious, dramatic role.

Last Fall when Seven Pounds came out in theaters, several friends of mine saw it & told me it was a good movie. Others commented about how they didn't like the movie because it was so sad. So you know I had to see it for myself to decide which way I felt. In case you haven't seen the movie & don't know what I'm talking about, this is a commercial for it.



If you haven't seen it, I'm about to spoil the plot for you...so don't continue reading if you plan to see it!

You see, this man (Will Smith's character) caused a wreck a couple years ago. Six people in the other vehicle & his fiancee (in his vehicle) all died. It all happened because he was looking at his cell phone. In his guilt, he decides that he needs to repay his debt (to society? the universe? God?) by giving 7 of his own organs for the 7 lives he took. He gives a lobe of his lung, a piece of his liver, a kidney, bone marrow but then can't give anything more without ending his life. Rather than sign up to be an organ donor at his death like a normal person would do, he steals his brother's IRS credentials & takes on his identity while tracking down people who really have a tough story--people who are behind on their taxes due to terminal medical conditions. He sort of stalks each one trying to find ones that are 'worthy' of a "gift" (his organs). He marks some off the list & finds others that he deems worthy. He ends up falling in love with the woman who he plans to give his heart to and almost gives away his secret to her. In the end, he climbs into a hotel bathtub full of ice (to preserve his organs) & puts a deadly jellyfish into the water with him to kill himself. He dies & his organs go to the people he wanted them to go to & everyone lives happily ever after.

Admittedly, I turned the movie off about 3/4 of the way through it because I found the storyline to be so creepy. Maybe I missed something vital to the storyline that would've changed my mind, but I don't think so. Sure, maybe it shed light on the need for organ donors & maybe some folks signed up to do that because of this movie. Great...but what about the spiritual condition of this man who felt like he had to somehow repay (whoever) for what he had done? It was an accident. Where does forgiveness and redemption in Christ come in? Did any of the families affected by the wreck ask him to do this thing? I understand grief & mourning is different for everyone, but oh my. At what point did his actions cross the line between feeling guilty & wanting to do something nice....and playing God?

Clearly, I didn't like the movie. It was just weird to me.