A GIFT OF MIRACLES

Canada, 2015, 100 minutes, Colour.
Rachel Boston, Jesse Moss, Andrew Airlie, Sarah- Jane Redmond, Rita Moreno.
Directed by Neill Fearnley.

A Gift of Miracles is one of those pleasing entertainments for the widest possible audience, a film that is built on sentiment, the kind of film that many critics dismiss as too sentimental, even too religious and optimistic in its perspective.

Rachel Boston portrays a science student, daughter of an academic whose mother was killed in a car accident when she was young. She is working on her presentation for her doctorate and her supervisor advises her to go to someone in the English department to help her with her writing. Jesse Moss portrays the member of the English faculty who is all into feelings while she is extremely thinking and objective, wanting only the facts.

In the meantime, she is clearing out some of her mother’s possessions and comes across a list of things to return – she begins to return them, stories opening up, connections with her mother and the kind of person she was. Her aunt supports her – and is always interested in matchmaking. When she meets Nathan, the English Department man, again, he makes a bet with her about finding all the people on the list and her discovering more about herself.

There are many coincidences in the film, or what Jung would call synchronicity, so that she has moments when she doubts that everything is absolutely clear and rational and breaks with Nathan. However, there is the ultimate synchronicity when she looks at the photo of her mother’s garden and finds that it is the house when Nathan and his mother now live.

There is a pleasing cameo by Rita Moreno.

There are more things in this world… And can be explained by mere reason.

1. An entertainment? The moral message?

2. The Canadian town, University, homes, markets, authentic atmosphere? Musical score?

3. The title, philosophy, science, the rational versus the emotional, instincts and feelings, coincidences and synchronicity? The universe to be explained entirely rationally, or things meant to be…?

4. The character of Darcy, rational, her relationship with her father, his academic background, emphasis on facts, the death of her mother, the accident, not believing in emotions? The thesis, science, on the topic, facts and theories, her friend and co-worker, her supervisor, the advice for a rewrite of her presentation? His stances?

5. Nathan, background in literature, his age, his job at the University, the intervention of his mother, her calls, living with her? To advise Darcy? His reaction to her presentation, urging passion and emotion? Darcy’s reaction? Giving up, the supervisor urging her on? Her meeting Nathan by chance?

6. At home, the story of her mother, the car accident, teacher, caring for her daughter, caring for friends, the gardens, cooking? Darcy clearing things out, the discovery of the box, her mother’s things, the list of people and the intention to return them?

7. Darcy’s decision to return the things, searching for the people, the process? The encounter with Nathan, his challenge to her, the bet, his helping?

8. Her aunt, the encouragement, explanations, match-making?

9. The range of different people she met, Beverley and the choice about the flowers, seeing Beverley at the cemetery, the address, discovery her at the house, the gradual revelation that it was her son who killed Darcy’s mother, the reaction of each, Darcy visiting her again, the bond between them?

10. The recipe, going to see the friend, the discussions? Going to the mechanic, the biscuits, his memory of Darcy’s mother and looking after him? Looking for the address to return the chairs, tracking the man down, his urging her to keep chairs? The effect of all the coincidences? Talking to Nathan, talking to her father?

11. Darcy, the attraction to Nathan, the irony of his living in her mother’s house, the photo of the garden?

12. Writing the presentation, his being accepted, with her father, the break with Nathan, the return? Her success?

13. The breakthrough in her development of character, both rational and emotional, her puzzle about synchronicity and providence? The title?