Changing Lanes (2002)
- Information at Internet Movie Database
- Cinema in Focus, a social and spiritual commentary by Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman.
- Looking Closer, review by Jeffrey Overstreet, "searching for truth, beauty and meaning in the movies."
- Movie Parables review.
- Hollywood Jesus visual review.
- Review, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health - Spiritual Practices for Human Being.
- Themes
- Revenge, Temptation,
Forgiveness, Conversion
- Changing Lanes contains themes of revenge, the evil inside each of us, the need for forgiveness & conversion. It tells the tale of 2 ordinary men (Ben Affleck, a Wall Street lawyer & Samuel L. Jackson, a recovering alcoholic struggling to keep his family together) who enter a vortex of retaliation because of a car accident between the 2 of them. It is an exceptionally complex & interesting portrayal of how any of us might be tempted into extreme measures. Conversion only takes place when each of the men sees the other as a person, moving from extreme self-centeredness into the reality of the other. The movie is replete with symbolism (Christian & other..light & dark, lots of rain & water) and has William Hurt as S. Jackson's AA sponsor as the voice of his conscience. He tells Gibson (Jackson's character) that he has violated the human covenant & later, tells him that chaos (not alcohol) is his drug of choice. (Deborah G. Seles)
- Spiritual Struggle, Recognizing Evil,
Doing the Right Thing
- Both men face the struggle to recognize what is right and what is wrong, to care about the difference, and to choose to do the right thing.
- Decision
- Both characters make conscious decisions for both good and evil. For Gipson, the decision of "doing the right thing" is more than just not taking a drink.
- Revenge, Temptation,
Forgiveness, Conversion
