Popular Culture Review Vol. 27, No. 2, Summer 2016 | Page 79

of authentic and legitimate meaning in their lives ” ( 71-72 ). Each of the films ends on a hopeful note — a comedic restoration of community punctuated by an upbeat soundtrack . One of the most poignant moments comes just after Richie has checked himself out of the hospital after his suicide attempt ; he rides alone on the bus at night . He doesn ’ t yet know that his love for Margot will be reciprocated , but the soundtrack plays “ Fly ” by Nick Drake which begins with the line “ Give me a second grace .” The audience is clued in before the character that everything is going to be all right .
But is everything all right ? The existential concerns that lie at the root of the characters ’ crises have still not been dealt with . They have only been staved off temporarily . Anderson ’ s diagnosis of the ills of society hits dead center . This is part of the power of his films . And his solutions to the problems are good as far as they go , but prove ultimately to be lacking in dealing with the ultimate questions that brought about the despair in the first place . He asks ultimate questions but only offers penultimate answers . He uses Christian theological concepts of reconciliation and grace to move toward meaning in his films but draws back from the ultimate hope that these concepts offer . He is not yet willing to engage in gestures toward capital “ T ” Transcendence . As Schaffner again notes , Anderson ’ s films are part of the “ twee revolution ” which “ entails a disenchantment with the present . . . and a lack of optimism about the future .” But if Anderson continues to mine Christianity for its virtues of reconciliation and grace , he may ultimately find the virtue of hope as well .
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