Hamnet resolved some things for me

I watched Hamnet last night in the theater with a decent sized crowd and I left changed. I’m so grateful of getting to see it in that setting and hear other strangers sniffing their noses from the inescapable tears we were collectively shedding. A friend asked why I thought it (the film) was so effective and this list of reasons flowed out of me and into the chat. I was surprised by having so many answers to this question. Though, it’s pretty warranted when the film is what it was. Here were my thoughts (mild spoilers, though they could spoil nonetheless):

“It was cast very well, both leads are phenomenally able to convey every emotion. This is why I've watched Normal People 4 times. Was lovely to see Paul become a different version of this similar arc. The pacing of the story was wonderful. The evolution of the characters as life imprinted onto them and allowed for their psyches to mold them in ways they couldn't foresee or control. Ughhhh the cinematography so prettttty The timing of the score and removal of it during dialogue was very fun, like a theater play, felt very good with the visuals. Though!...maybe 2 places where I thought it felt a little heavy handed to control my interpretation of the moment (lol manipulative but I'll allow it) The acting!!! Those twins were great, the older sister was a little annoying but also good job for annoying me The arcs of the parents and then the grandma lost her kids to the same shit, so relatable to connect human experience despite ideology. Hmmm what else? This is a personal connection but I've been to the Shakespeare globe theater and so that was wild to see this emotional tale end there, gave it the gravitas I couldn't appreciate in reality at the time back then. They buried the hawk! And then the last thing, I've been around death a lot in life, very close, but not with it, not like experienced the viewing of a dead person because well, since death isn't my choice, then I can make the choice to not view it. Illusion of agency. However, the grief and the suffering in the movie and hmmm acceptance and catharsis of being with these characters as they moved through it felt like it helped me process/resolve some things about my past with death, internally, where logic can't fix it alone. And the moments or gone or were never given to me. Like, the dad wondering where Hamnet is, I have that all the time with my sister and dad and mom and it's aimless energy that feels more rested now. Chloe has incredible skill. Geez I just wrote a fucking substack about it. Lol I blacked out. Also just saw a post about the resistance in Minnesota with ICE describing that scene as a tragic beauty and that's a much quicker and accurate reason of why this movie is so good.”

I cried so much from the beauty of this film and also the empathy I felt toward this family and their terrible loss. Not in a painful way where your face and eyes ache and a horrible headache takes root. More like a vessel of water with a spout near the bottom and the spout was opened and the water flowed out. This loss is something we all experience by being alive and human. Death is permanent and painful and factual and love can do nothing to prevent it from taking us, despite the honest and passionate attempts love makes us think we can do. I’m often so grateful to be alive. This movie gives us dialogue to listen to people say this directly to each other, as we so often should. I woke up today thinking that we’re so lucky to be able to connect and have this time together.

P.S. I plan on writing another post alone about the costumes!!! Omfg the costumes!!! The fact that Agnes is the only one who wears red, gtfo it’s so gooooooood!!