What I'm Watching #190

thelaramieproject, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

I've been saving this one, and wisely so. It took a day when I had the unexpected gift of time and my heart was full of the wonder of a sudden snow to give me the grace to experience this amazing and profound movie.

"The Laramie Project" started as an idea in the mind of the playwright Moisés Kaufman. It was an attempt at capturing a moment in history that was first about murder, second about hatred, third about a community, fourth about homosexuality, and finally about humanity.

It asks the question without ever really asking it: What does make us different from other animals? And it answers it with the humble, wrenching testimony of Matthew Shepherd's father at the sentencing of his recalcitrant murderer: Mercy.

This movie ought to be a part of a class that every high school senior is required to participate in: Humanity 101. And no matter the outcome, at least our next generation will be asked the right questions....