Room is a heartbreaking tale of a mother’s love to nurture a child to find hope and light in the darkness of the adult world. Despite the appalling situation, somehow Ma has made her living hell a fairytale. And for Jack this is all he has ever known, ‘There’s ‘Room’, there’s outer space, then all the TV planets, then heaven’. Despite her situation, Ma never gives up hope of escaping and explains to Jack that there is more in the world than he can see and comprehend.
There are many themes that could be explored including loss, grief and a youthful experience of the world, but perhaps the biggest theme is family and the relationship between Jack and his Ma. This clip takes place towards the end of the film where Jack and Ma have entered to the outside world. We see Jack trying to come to terms with his mother’s struggles and Jack decides to cut his hair in order to give her his ‘strong’. This action seemingly saves Ma who returns to Jack. After an emotional reunion the clip shows insight in to Jack’s new experiences of the wider world.
Show the clip and then discuss:
- Do you have a ‘strong’ in your life?
- How would you describe the relationship between Jack and his Ma?
- Is it ever possible to be perfect, or is the message of ‘just being’ a good one?
- What do you find scary in the world around you? What do you do to cope with those feelings?
Read Philippians 4 and discuss:
- What do you think the overall message of this passage is?
- Read verses 12 to 13: is that true in your life today?
- Do you think it is possible to not be ‘anxious’ in your life? Is it wrong to find strength in things / people other than God?
Room is a deeply moving film that explores many issues in a gentle and affecting way. As always, if you get the opportunity, watch the whole film to help your young people see the clip within its context.
