The Adjustment Bureau: A Review

Went over the pass to Durango with my husband and Daughter #2 who were taking a hunter safety course, a tradition for 12 year old in our family. Went to the see THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU in the old Gaslight Movie Theater next to the train station. Spring had momentarily descend down on the San Juan mountains, so everyone was out.

The movie stars Matt Damon (Bourne Identity) and Emily Blunt ( Young Victoria). Damon is a up and coming politician who is suppose to be inspired by a free spirited dancer played by Blunt...

 but since a long term relationship between the two would have great ramifications on history- Damon's character headed for the White House- the Adjustment Bureau steps in.

The film obviously has Christian undertones of Predestination, but to be honest, though I enjoyed it, the stakes were not quite high enough, both for the two main characters and for well, the fate of mankind. How the politician would change, what new course he would be on if his life ran parallel with the dancer was never spelled out, if it had been something like a decision like the "Bay of Pigs", the stakes would have been higher- just taking the Adjustment Bureau's word for it, keep the meter of tension from rising too high.

Driving back over the pass that night, I was talking to Jon about it. He's a lawyer so leans towards a pragmatic outlook that our fate is only ruled by our decisions and not, well timing of when we spill coffee on our shirt and whether that allows us to get on the bus with our dream girl or not- a key plot point to the movie.

I asked him if he thought we would have had a life together if not for a ill fated Midnight 4x4 wheel drive trip in college where we got no less than five vehicles stuck in deep mud and where because I stuck it out through the night, digging with the guys, while the rest of the girls bailed and went home- I caught his eye.

Of course, Jon declared that if we weren't both there that night, we would of connected somehow else through college- but wouldn't that support the idea of an "adjustment" .

Free will or Predestination?

My take- a little of each- God knows our choices and decision before we make them but we are the one who makes them. Our path does get "adjusted" by chance or God intervening- and Timing is everything- in movies and real life!