Small Change – Lenten Film Series 2014

A small but loving gesture from one young sibling to another gives hope to a family in crisis.

Questions for Reflection and Conversation:

1. How did the movie make you feel? Did it work for you? In how many ways could the title “Small Change” be recognized in the story?

2. Recall each of the characters in the family. Note how they are isolated in their sadness and confusion. Though they are together in the house, they are disconnected. Did the mother die or did she leave? Put yourself in the place of the father, or one of the children. It is not easy to be hopeful. Perhaps you have experienced something like this in your own life. What could you do, as any one of these characters in real life, to make a small change in the life of someone else?

3. When you were a child, how did you feel when you lost a tooth and you hoped for some money from the tooth fairy? Did the tooth fairy ever forget to come when you lost a tooth? What then? How did you handle the disappointment? Have you ever made a promise and forgotten to keep it – or just decided not to? What happened? Did you make amends? Why or why not? What are the fonts of grace that you turn to when people do not keep their promises to you, or you suffer some loss?

4. When the little girl lost her tooth and later put it in the glass for the tooth fairy, it reminded me of what C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Someday you will be old enough to begin reading fairy tales again.” What does the simplicity of a child tell us when our spirits are low? How aware are you of the signs and sounds of hope around you? That Jesus is present in your life as we approach the Easter Triduum (which begins the evening of Holy Thursday with the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and extends through evening prayer of Easter Sunday) and the Easter season?

The Lenten Film Series:

The Lenten Film Series on The INNdustry with Sister Rose presents film and TV clips that highlight Lenten themes, offering you (or your prayer group, classroom, or retreat) a contemporary, media-driven way to reflect and journey through Lent! The series premieres on getinn.tv on Ash Wednesday March 5 and releases a new episode every Wednesday afterward, taking you right up to Holy Week.

This Lenten Film Series is made possible by the Midwest Jesuits and the IN Network.

About “The INNdustry with Sister Rose”:

Billed as SISTER WENDY meets ROGER EBERT AT THE MOVIES meets THE CHARLIE ROSE SHOW, “The INNdustry with Sister Rose” reviews all things entertainment related and features one-on-one interviews with the people making news in entertainment and media. Take a look at the entertainment industry, faith, and life through Sister Rose colored glasses.

About Sister Rose:

Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP is a Daughter of St. Paul and the Director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Culver City, CA. She is a noted national and international media literacy specialist and is an award-winning film/TV columnist for St. Anthony Messenger and the National Catholic Reporter. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/sisterrosemovies/