Shadowlands Movie Themes

The movie Shadowlands was released in 1993. It stars Anthony Hopkins as Clive “Jack” Lewis, The seminal author of the Narnia children’s book series. This movie touches on the themes of suffering and existentialism as a response to suffering. This theme echoes throughout the film as Lewis struggles with his faith amidst personal crisis. His new thoughts do not mesh with his understanding of suffering being a blessing of God. He feels that physical pain and mental anguish cleanse the soul, and brings it closer to the grace of God. His mode of thinking changes as soon as Joy Gresham, an American pen pal, comes into his life. Living in the moment only makes the suffering worse, to the point where it seems as if God did not exist. I will analyze

the contents of the film and relate it to theodicy as well as the themes of ultimate concern and “the I and You, and the I and It”. I think that although his faith seems to waver, it is becoming greater with each passing moment.
C.S. “Jack” Lewis lives a bachelor life as a professor at Oxford University. He lives a particularly drab life in which he teaches, debates his fellow professors, dines at the university dining hall, and lives with his older brother Warner “Major” Lewis. He gives public talks about theology, and his talk is almost always the same. To him suffering is a gift from God. His reasoning for this is that this pain removes negative traits, and replaces them with a better and more righteous person. He experienced his first true loss when his mother died when he was 9. This moment devastated him, and not believing in God, made his mother’s death much more permanent. Now in his late 50’s or early 60’s he has regained his faith, and views this pain and something necessary to really be a Christian.
During one of his nights at his desk across from his brother, Jack mentions that he has been corresponding with an American woman. She fascinates him intellectually because she writes to him as if she has known him all of his life. She informs him that she is heading to London to meet him in person. They rendezvous at a hotel for some tea, and not knowing what he looks like; Joy loudly announces her presence before the entire room. During their brief encounter, Joy identifies herself as a “Jewish Christian Communist”, and mentions she was once an atheist, much like Jack was when he was younger. They plan to meet again, and go about their separate ways. Their second meeting, Joy introduces Jack to her son, Douglas. Douglas is a fan of the Narnia books and wants to see the attic that serves as the setting for the story. Jack and Joy discuss the concept of love and stability, and she learns that the death of Jack’s mother hurt him deeply, and it was the reason he felt the way he did about suffering. The level on which they talk is very deep, much deeper than people who first meet one another. Joy is even able to complete Jack’s thoughts, much to his surprise.
Joy and Jack go their separate ways, but Jack runs into Joy again, at one of his speaking engagements. She tells him that she and Douglas have moved to London, and that she is now divorced. They continue spending time together, their feelings blossoming, yet in a different way for each of them. Joy finally calls Jack out for the way he has been living his life. He is always safe, always in control. His relationships with the colleagues and students is based on Buber’s “I and It”, meaning he uses each interaction to have others see his way, much like a person manipulates a screwdriver. He best’s others in debates and proudly states, “I like a good fight”. After this discussion, Jack agrees to marry Joy. This marriage is only “technical”, and is meant to secure Joy British citizenship. When he conveys this to Warnie, he knows the real reason they are getting married.
The two friends get married, and soon after, Joy falls and shatters her leg. The doctors inform her and Jack that she has terminal bone cancer, and isn’t expected to survive. The thought of losing Joy causes Jack to realize that he is indeed in love with her, and he asks her to be married in front of God. Joy’s cancer begins to go into remission, and she is released home to be with Jack. They go on a brief honeymoon, visiting a valley that sits as a photo on Jack’s wall. In this moment Jack confides to Joy that being in the present moment, not worrying about the future or the past is what truly makes him happy. Joy challenges this, and tells him that in order for them to truly be as one, he must accept the fact that she is going to die. After this Joy’s cancer returns and is now on her deathbed. Jack tells Joy he doesn’t know what to do, to which she replies, “Let me go”. Jack tells her how much he loves her as she takes her last breath.
Jack doesn’t take her death well, and begins to question his faith. Warnie informs Jack that he isn’t the only person suffering right now, and that he needs to talk about this with Douglas. Jack finds Douglas in the attic in front of the magical wardrobe. He talks to Douglas about his mother’s death and how it affected him. Douglas then asks Jack if he believes in Heaven, in which after a brief pause, tells Douglas he does. Douglas then tells Jack he doesn’t believe in Heaven, but that he still wishes to see his mother again. Seeing Douglas react to death much like Jack did at the same age, he begins to cry; Douglas joining him in the pain.
At the end of the movie Jack mentions he had to face God’s suffering twice, as a child and as an adult. He chose safety as a child by not believing in God, therefore not having to question God’s role in suffering. He chose to suffer as an adult because he realizes this must go hand in hand with loving someone. Having the pain after someone you care about is there to reinforce the love you shared while alive.
During the early part of part of the film, our reading on Plato comes to my mind. In his Symposium, Plato speaks of different types of love. There is the lesser, carnal love, identified by physical attraction and lust. He also mentions a purer love, one that can be compared to the divine. This is the love I see being expressed by both Jack and Joy. They speak to each other as if they had been close friends for all of their lives, and Joy’s extrovert personality complements Jack’s introvertedness. As we can see later in the film this love indeed blossoms into as pure of love there can be.
Jack and Joy’s relationship is best explained by Martin Buber and Plato.

They shared an “I and Thou” relationship, one based on mutual feelings and mutual reciprocity. Jack valued Joy’s ideas, but was so used to debating and disproving his colleagues, he came off to her as curt. As their loved blossomed, Plato’s pure love came more into being. It was affectionate and warm, and it seemed almost divine. Not many people I know have fallen in love just by their thoughts and ideas, and this is what makes Jack and Joy’s relationship transcend others.
The suffering that is echoed throughout the film can be compared to Elie Wiesel’s Night. He Watching Joy wither away from cancer causes Jack to question the reason God allows this to happen. It is similar to Elie’s questions as his family, friends, and fellow Jews were being slaughtered in the Holocaust. Both men think of God as cruel, but change their minds because God has made each of them stronger as a result.
This film is very deep and touches on some basic tenets of faith. We are faced with the question of suffering and why it is allowed to happen. We learn that love is not merely something physical, but something intellectual and emotional. We also learn that living in the moment will not help us grow in the face of tragedy; it merely creates a wall around us, leading to unfulfilling friendships and relationships. I would recommend more people should watch this, as that these lessons can benefit all of us for a long time to

come.