Hand in Hand

Originally published on social media on September 22nd, 2023

Hands down, this is the best film I have seen in a long time (pun intended)! In fact, I think the script for this film was brilliant and ahead of it’s time…it might just be ahead of our time. Here’s why:

This film is about a friendship about a Catholic boy and a Jewish girl in the midst of an England overwhelmed with antisemitism. Yet, it doesn’t feel politically charged. I would say this film feels very light and whimsical, but it does an incredible job of tackling on antisemitism in a way that isn’t accusatory or misinformed. In other words, it approaches the topic in love…very young love that just makes you feel better about life. That’s where it’s ahead of it’s time. Discussions around these topics feel so heavy and angry, and rightfully so for where our society is at. I do hope though for a future where dismantling discrimination happens more often in friendship, open mindedness, and learning (rather than protest, stubbornness, and violence).

The script is “Roman Holiday” meets “Peter Pan.” It’s incredibly sweet and heartwarming , yet intelligent too. Can we just say to that it’s fun to watch young love? What I love most is that this film reminds us that we are all the same to some degree, and the only thing that can prevent us from building friendships is ourselves.

I say all of this knowing that not all friendships should be created, that there are mean people in this world. These youngsters know it too and help each other stand against bullies. Unfortunately, there will always be bullies, but life is so much nicer when we can find kindrid spirits to join us and expand our horizons.

As a historian and political scientist, I’m trained to discover the truths of this world and how to share them with others. So don’t be surprised if a film or actor review happens to passionately discusses important issues that arise in Hollywood and society. Oscar Wilde said that Life imitates art, but Woody Allan said that life doesn’t imitate art — imitates bad television. I hope to explore these nuances every now and then.

For today, I’m glad to recommend a sweet dessert of a film!