Greetings,
I've said this many times, but it bears repeating today. Biopics are difficult to make. I think they are especially difficult when there are sensitive subjects in the mix. But, in turn, these stories are among the ones that need to be told the most. In many cases, people who are famous or infamous for one thing get films made about them, and the task is to not only focus on that one thing, but rather show the whole person. A whole life that consists of more than one moment. This is what was done with the movie, Christine.
Christine is a 2016 film about news reporter Christine Chubbuck. Sadly, most people only know this woman because of how her life ended, which may be understandable considering what happened, but this movie was made to show who she was as a person, not merely an event. Driven by a brilliant performance from Rebecca Hall, not to mention a great supporting cast consisting of Tracy Letts, J.Smith-Smith Cameron, John Callum and Michael C. Hall, we are exposed to the struggles that Christine dealt with, both personally and professionally, including issues with depression, health troubles and problems at her job as she tried to move ahead.
As far as a plot goes, I'm not sure there really is one, per se. However, I don't mean that in a negative way. This truly is a character heavy film, that character being a real person, and the narrative journey we take consists of us watching her live her life, which, believe it or not can be one of the most fascinating things in the world. Again, I honestly think the whole point of making this movie was so we could get to know who Christine Chubbuck really was. I'll take more about that later. In the process of that, we can see how intriguing it can be to simply observe someone's existence, especially knowing what we already know about her and being told things that we never did know.
One of the criticisms, I've heard about the movie is that they didn't focus enough on her actual mental issues very specifically. There are allusions to it, but it's never really in the forefront. But this isn't a movie like Touched With Fire, where the bipolar conditions of the main characters are the whole point and the story is based on a nonfiction book about the issue. What Christine was going through mentally was not the central theme, as far as I could tell. Now, I can see where people are coming from, as we are still trying to take the stigma away from this, but trust me, no one who deals with these issues wants to be defined by them completely. Like I said before, this was meant to humanize her. I mean, if you mention the name Christine Chubbuck, those who know who she was will immediately bring up the one thing for which she is famous, and usually the assumption that she must have had some problems. Yes, we all know about that. But I don't think that any of us knew who she was before then. The filmmakers clearly wanted to show us who she was as a complete woman, who she loved, who she affected, who she helped, her accomplishments, her hopes, her dreams, and that she was so much more than this one moment in time. It succeeds in this, I believe, because you don't watch the movie like it's a timer ticking down to the ending event, but rather you are engaged in her life, her struggles and her existence. As tragic as what happened to her was on its own, once we get to know her, it makes it all the more devastating and heartbreaking, because you almost find yourself rooting for to succeed and get the life for which she longed.
Now, I have heard that her brother responded to the film, though I'm not certain this information is accurate. But what I did hear was that he had not seen the film but he was worried that everyone would focus on the sensationalism surrounding what happens in the end. I certainly understand why he wouldn't want to see it, and I can understand his concerns, because there will always be those people who are only interested in the sensational aspect of it. But the truth is, this movie does the exact opposite of what he fears. Once again, and I really can't say this enough, we get the opportunity to see his sister as a person, not a moment. Ultimately, when we now think of her, so many more things about who she was can enter our minds.
In closing, I highly recommend Christine. One reason is, again, for the magnificent performance by Rebecca Hall, who is at her absolute best here. And also, for one more reason. History is full of infamous events, actions and fixed moments in time. Sadly, we often forget that there are real human beings behind them. But it's films like this, and the people who make them, which help us to remember exactly that.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
