Publisher’s Points to Ponder: “Beautifully Broken”
“Beautifully Broken” is a 2018 faithbased movie directed by Eric Welch. It is based on a true story that begins with the 1994 Rwanda Genocide that occurred between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes in Africa, killing more than 800,000 people, including men, women and children. This devastating war that was designed to divide, connected three families from different cultures and countries.
The director skillfully toggles between the past and the present to divulge the full scope of the movie’s intent. The film intimates that our past shapes our future, but does not dictate our circumstances; instead, it is not necessary to choose to be victims of our past; instead, we must always choose to live beyond the boundaries of our past.
The story is narrated by Benjamin Onyango, who plays William Mwizerwa, who was on a mission to save his wife and daughter by leaving his home’s safety only to be captured by the militia. Just as the soldiers were preparing to kill William’s family, a bomb exploded that allowed them to run. Holding steadfast to his belief in God’s omnip otence, William prays to God, “Please God give me the wisdom to see your plan. I trust in your goodness.” This prayer is a reminder that we must remember to trust God’s goodness while asking Him to reveal His will to us.
Another endearing quote by William is an excellent conduit that links all three families together. William says, “No man knows how or when his death will come, nor how far he will go to protect those he loves.” In the first scene, we see William taking extreme measures to protect his family. The second family is introduced similarly with a father and husband, making a tough decision to join the militia to save his wife and baby daughter. They eventually became penpals with the daughter in the third family. Because of his unfavorable decision to join, he was positioned in the right place at the right time to free William and his family instated of killing them. Meanwhile, the movie shifts to the third family’s struggles—Randy Hartley’s family in America appears to be an extraordinary family living the American dream. Randy seems to have a strong bond with his wife and their daughter—at least until his daughter, Andrea, experiences a dreadful setback that changes her behavior significantly. Andrea allows her past to hold her in bondage to shame and hostility. However, her communication with her African pen-pal helps her navigate through her tragedy to the best of her ability. While William’s daughter is a bit resentful of Andrea because Andrea appears to be spoiled, the two girls have a deep conversation. William’s daughter encourages Andrea to tell her parents what happened. How many times do we judge people while looking at outside characteristics or behavior? We should seek to cross racial, ethnic, and cultural barriers to knowing people before judging them.
Everyone has a past that may not have been pleasant. Choose to move beyond your past obstacles by forgiving, repenting, or doing whatever it takes to get you back on course to doing God’s will. These three families that are “Beautifully Broken” offer hope to people at war with their past. Our pasts may have broken us, but God sees the beauty in our brokenness.