I feel like things move so fast now a-days. I understand we live in a society that eats and breathes media, and that means we consume and consume before we have time to fully digest. This feeling of whirlwind anxiety, or more accurately constant stimulus, is something I don’t necessarily hate. I like being able to use the internet and watch billion dollar blockbusters monthly. However, I do at times wish I lived in a more “quiet” world.

Where am I going with this? Well, The Trip To Bountiful is clearly from a different time. But I mean that in the best way possible. It slow and methodical and demands the full attention of the audience. It’s the exact opposite of what mainstream cinema has become, but reminds me of what a slow burn movie can do to the soul.

Mrs. Watts’ plight is understated and melodramatic. The trip’s moments of suspense deal with inconveniences rather than world altering action set pieces. Her villains are time and a daughter in law, not some scheming alien and his other worldly armies. And that is what I love about this movie.

Mrs. Watts trip isn’t exciting, but it is revealing. For the first half of the movie we delight in the quirky and cheerful adventure of Mrs. Watts. And while that is fun (if not a little heart-wrenching), things change after arriving at the final bus stop. Even after forgetting her purse and hearing of her friends passing she remains steadfast in her resolve and confidence. however, after the sheriff arrives she breaks down at the news she won’t make it to Bountiful. That, in my eyes, is when the message (or the message I gathered) begins to show itself.

Life moves forward continuously. Eventually, like Bountiful, our memories or Mrs. Watts, things become dilapidated and forgotten. However, there is hope in that because that isn’t the end. We were able to be a part of something, and while we move on, we at least were able to let that something effect us. and, like the lands of Bountiful, there is the possibility that something new can begin there, and that can touch someone else. All we can do is reconcile with that and appreciate our time we have.