The Glass Castle

Kabir Vega Castellanos

HAVANA TIMES — This is the name of the movie I was lucky enough to see recently. I watched a pirate version, as always, and it didn’t have Spanish subtitles unfortunately but was dubbed instead. Even with these disadvantages, the story and performances take a hold of you and there came a moment when I wasn’t even focusing on the dubbing anymore.

In fact, this movie left me thinking for a few days. It made me remember the joy of dreaming, those childhood dreams which still aren’t tainted by the official standards of success. Pure dreams which don’t seek to impress or please anyone.

The movie premiered on August 11th of the year that has just come to an end. Based on the book which the protagonist herself wrote, Jeannette Walls, it tells the story about the tough but intense life she and her siblings lived under the care of her atypical parents who didn’t fit in US society, not to say in any society.

A father, war veteran, who was completely opposed to the capitalist system and a mother who only needed to paint in order to feel fulfilled, her paintings weren’t created to be exhibited or sold.

They lived without ever settling down, traveling from one place to the next with the philosopy: “Home is wherever you want to be.”

If you still haven’t seen it, I recommend you look for it and enjoy it as it is definitely worth watching. The characters are so real and human, they don’t fall into any stereotype. These are people who struggle to survive, to understand their existence with all of its miracles and horrors. They strive to discover their identity and the always changing sense of concepts, feelings and family relationships.

What appears to be a certain way today, appears in a completely different way tomorrow. Because everything is changing, just as we ourselves change, while we look for an inner strength to help preserve our essence no matter what situation comes our way. A strength which doesn’t depend on university degrees, on widespread beauty standards, on privileges of a social class.

Not playing at being different but really being different. Renouncing people’s acceptance, obeying social laws and the alleged security that come from these.

However, this isn’t a movie that incites you to take on a radical change. It only shows you the grandeur of life itself, without pretensions, without artifices, without manipulation. What it means to really break the strings and stop being a puppet. The terrifying risk this implies, but also the great freedom it gives you.