Harold Crick is in perfect control. A senior IRS agent, (who also happens to be the main character in one of the best films released in recent years, Stranger than Fiction), Harold has “the efficient life” down, figured like a flawless tax return: counting each brush-stroke of his teeth (35 up and down, 35 side to side), the exact number of paces to the bus-stop (57); even the precise twists and turns in his Windsor-knotted tie. By all appearances, Harold is the paragon of expediency, a calculator on two legs. Unfortunately, all this has led to a "deep and endless ocean" of mundane existence. Obsession with control can do that to you.
But on one particular Wednesday, Harold (played with perfect pitch by Will Ferrell) is given a great gift. When a blip in his wrist-watch begins to mess with his ordered world, (for us, fill in the blank with any broken situation or relationship), his uneasiness begins to rise exponentially. On top of this, an audible voice (the author of his life-story, played by the always amazing Emma Thompson) begins to follow him, narrating his every move, and even tipping him off to his “imminent death.”
What Story am I in?
According to director Marc Forster, Stranger than Fiction seeks to grapple with the question, "how much of our lives are being written? How much control do we really have over, say, whether we get hit by a bus or not?" Do such questions matter? And who really wants to ponder their own death anyway? (Hint: see Ecclesiastes 7:2 “…death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” Hmmm, apparently pondering the brevity of life and our story’s end can actually open the door to wisdom!)
According to director Marc Forster, Stranger than Fiction seeks to grapple with the question, "how much of our lives are being written? How much control do we really have over, say, whether we get hit by a bus or not?" Do such questions matter? And who really wants to ponder their own death anyway? (Hint: see Ecclesiastes 7:2 “…death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” Hmmm, apparently pondering the brevity of life and our story’s end can actually open the door to wisdom!)
With death now closer on the horizon, Harold’s new obsession has a better aim: a desperate need to learn the kind of story he’s in and what his life means. He begins to question: “is my life just a comedy? A cosmic joke? Or is it a tragedy, with death and taxes (the actual title of his story) the only “sure thing?” What's the author up to anyway?
"Shut Up and Leave Me Alone!"
A pivotal moment in Harold’s story comes when he's called upon to audit Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the young bakery-shop owner who sees through Harold's controlled exterior. As she presents to him some warm chocolate-chip cookies she's made just for him, he must decide whether he can accept them as a “gift,” or insist on paying for the cookies - avoiding the scarier, out-of-control feeling of accepting an act of love. (Isn't this the scandal of grace? Like the prodigal returning to his father, we insist on paying our way, but the Giver will hear none of it.) The next scene pictures Harold, sad and alone on the street-corner, screaming at the heavens. Can we relate?
A pivotal moment in Harold’s story comes when he's called upon to audit Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the young bakery-shop owner who sees through Harold's controlled exterior. As she presents to him some warm chocolate-chip cookies she's made just for him, he must decide whether he can accept them as a “gift,” or insist on paying for the cookies - avoiding the scarier, out-of-control feeling of accepting an act of love. (Isn't this the scandal of grace? Like the prodigal returning to his father, we insist on paying our way, but the Giver will hear none of it.) The next scene pictures Harold, sad and alone on the street-corner, screaming at the heavens. Can we relate?
But what if life was actually a “Shakespearean comedy” (as counselor Ed Welch has suggested) – one where our lust for control and insistence on paying was not the final word? A story where the freedom to love, and a taste of unbelievable celebration - one better than any fiction can imagine - was the theme that transcended even death? Who would not want to be part of that story?
Diagnosing Control
Stranger than Fiction doesn’t reveal all the reasons for Harold’s obsessive-compulsive behaviors, but as physician and counselor Michael Emlet has noted, OCD tendencies can reveal many things: on the biological side, causes such as head trauma, strep-throat, and low-functioning thyroid may all play a role. Call these important factors the physical, “outer-side” of who we are. Obsessive hand-washing and house cleaning, repeated trips to check the locks on the doors, even persistent counting (like Harold) and compulsive hoarding of certain items has its reasons, and biological factors are sometimes known to play a part.
Stranger than Fiction doesn’t reveal all the reasons for Harold’s obsessive-compulsive behaviors, but as physician and counselor Michael Emlet has noted, OCD tendencies can reveal many things: on the biological side, causes such as head trauma, strep-throat, and low-functioning thyroid may all play a role. Call these important factors the physical, “outer-side” of who we are. Obsessive hand-washing and house cleaning, repeated trips to check the locks on the doors, even persistent counting (like Harold) and compulsive hoarding of certain items has its reasons, and biological factors are sometimes known to play a part.
But a holistic, Scriptural view of what it means to be truly human also takes into account our “inner side,” or the “heart,” with all its desires, cravings, and assigning of value to people, places and things in our lives. We must ask, what fears are really controlling us? What cravings (think of approval, or comfort, or peace) tend to lead us around, and make us miserable? (There seems to be some evidence that this powerful inner-side can even influence the neurochemicals in our brains. How could it be otherwise, as we are a unity, an interconnected soul and body? Just think of how persistent anxiety or stress can make you feel old, or even cause physical illness.)
In addition, an “it’s all up to me” mentality in our heart can certainly lead us to seek mastery and control over our environment, as Harold desires, with self-imposed rituals and perfectionist tendencies. Or think of living with the persistent “fear of man” (Prov.29:25) which seeks to keep anxiety minimized by never looking bad or making a mistake before the eyes of others. Add to this efforts to “self-atone” and live a perfect life - when we’re plagued with persistent guilt - and its alot of plates to keep spinning in the air at once! Keeping danger and unwelcome surprises (including death) at bay while saving face can be at the heart of a desire to control our world. It’s also a cruel master, keeping us enslaved to fear and unable to rest or trust.
Control-Freaks Take Heart
Thankfully for Harold, learning to give up control means a better end. For us too, it can come as a great surprise (and relief) to learn that our suffering and struggle with control is actually written into a better story, one where “...all the days ordained for me were written in your book, before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). In this truer story we can take heart, for real control over history and evil was ultimately displayed at the cross, where death was swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54). Trusting his control, we find freedom to really live.
Thankfully for Harold, learning to give up control means a better end. For us too, it can come as a great surprise (and relief) to learn that our suffering and struggle with control is actually written into a better story, one where “...all the days ordained for me were written in your book, before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). In this truer story we can take heart, for real control over history and evil was ultimately displayed at the cross, where death was swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54). Trusting his control, we find freedom to really live.
In conclusion, the “divine interruptions” that call us to face our brokenness and the illusion of having control - like of the author’s voice for Harold - can awaken us to a new hope, as we learn to rest our anxious hearts in a loving Christ, receiving all His benefits. For if it’s true that we don’t change unless we’re gripped with a greater affection (and it is), a glorious Christ is exactly where we find it. And as we also learn to see ourselves as part of his body, meant to work in harmony with others, our self-reliant tendencies can give way to greater cooperation with others, which is love in community.
Little did we know that this stranger than fiction, real-life story offers exactly what we need!
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