Namesake
On Saturday, Nicole and I watched Namesake, a 2006 film about… I’m not too sure what it was about, specifically. Far too many things. I found it difficult to pinpoint what they were really trying to do with the film other than dramatize the challenges of moving from Calcutta to New York.
The film brought back many memories for me. I grew up in Brampton, Ontario, (outside of Toronto). Most of my classmates were East Indian, Pilipino, Portuguese and Italian.
Sometimes I felt like I was the foreigner. (Not that I ever had a problem with that.)
I had a good friend who was East Indian. It was always a little strange visiting his family. We attended a Catholic school. Yet, his parents still dressed and acted like Hindus. His mom would be cooking this soup dish called “doll” (dhal is now a staple in my household) with Indian music playing in the background. But instead of a statue of that strange elephant God on their front lawn, it would be Mother Mary holding baby Jesus.
Back to the film…
In Namesake, a newlywed Indian couple moves to New York in the middle of the winter. The movie spans about 30 years with the birth of their son and daughter. Their son takes the spotlight for most of the film, shared, partly, with his mother.
It deals with the alienation the mother feels living in American culture and having children now more American than Indian. There’s a funny scene in the film where she tells her son to stop calling her and his father, “guys.”
The other half of the film deals with the son trying to come to terms with his Indian heritage and the strange Russian name, Gogol, his father gave him.
Funny? Rarely.
Delightful? Yes.
Moving? At times.
How was the acting? Excellent. Convincing.
Worth seeing? Yes, if for no other reason than to get a glimpse into the life of East Indian immigrants and the struggles of multiculturalism.
Namaste,
John C. A. Manley
www.metaphysicalSF.com
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About the Author: John C. A. Manley writes writes spiritual science fiction and fantasy novellas. He's been practicing Kriya Yoga since 1996. For three years he lived in in hindu monastery in the mountains of of Southern California. He currently lives in Stratford, Ontario with his wife Nicole, son Jonah and cat Astral. Click here to read more or click here to subscribe to his MetaphysicalSF email column. |