What Great Gravity

While searching for a clip of a scene from Love Actually, I stumbled upon thegirlinthecafe.com - a weblog streaming from the UK by the hands of an endearing woman named Ingrid. After reading a few of her entries, and also of the namesake of her website – The Girl in the Café movie, I was undeniably intrigued. Impassioned by the film, Ingrid, realizing that many had yet to hear of it, decided to make a project of sending her The Girl in the Café DVD on tour. I signed up to receive the DVD in October of last year, and finally last week it arrived in my post office box. I never, even after reading countless reviews of it, imagined the film would impact me as it has, and it is with great pleasure that I will package The Girl into an envelope tomorrow morning and send her on her way to the next privileged person. (If you’re interested in joining in on the tour, see here)

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I believe that one of the most human emotions is the sense of loneliness, of being so aware of your isolated state that even the air in the room seems vacant. This is precisely the room that Lawrence, played by Bill Nighy, finds himself in the beginning of the film. Emptiness is found echoing in the sounds of brushing his teeth, in his quiet morning breakfast, and in the water ricocheting around his feet on the pavement amidst a sea of umbrellas in Britain.

“I actually dreamt about you a few nights ago.”

“God, how embarrassing. What was I doing?”

“You were sitting in a café drinking tea.”

“Right. Not fighting a dragon or something glamorous.”

“Sorry.”

Nighy plays the roll of a civil servant in service to the British delegation at the 2005 G8 Summit who seemingly keeps himself wrapped up in his work. In the weeks leading up to the Summit, Lawrence finds himself in a quaint café sitting opposite a beautiful young woman, Gina. Through a round of stifled conversation and awkward first glances, he finds her company assuring and pleasant, and nearly halfway out the door manages to ask her to meet him for lunch a few weeks later. Through a series of lunch and dinner dates, Lawrence finds himself at ease in Gina’s company, even spilling his grandfather’s name in the first few minutes of their second meeting. Obviously tongue-tied at moments – and uniquely British humored the next, the couple find themselves comfortable and honest in each other’s company.

Lawrence and Gina’s story evolves as the G8 Summit approaches. After pacing the floor and a few rounds of making tea, Lawrence gets up the nerve to ask Gina to accompany him to the conference in Iceland. Their first night at the conference, Lawrence details the Millennium Goals set forth in 2000 for Gina, mentioning that every three seconds, a child – who shouldn’t die – does. As the Summit continues, Gina reveals herself to be outspoken on behalf of the “basic human rights” set forth by the goals, and even as she risks Lawrence’s career, she endeavors to challenge the political leaders to uphold their promises to end poverty – spinning into the story an empowering twist in history - and in Lawrence.

The Girl in the Café partnered with the Make Poverty History campaign to make a global impact on the reception and awareness of the dire need for assistance regarding extreme debt, aid, and fair trade in poverty-stricken areas around the world – namely Africa. Obviously, it is making its impact. Although, for me, the impact didn’t stop there – as I’m sure it doesn’t for many who view the film.

“Don’t think because I’m not saying much

that I wouldn’t like to say a lot.”

Most anyone who has ever found themselves in “something quite close to love” can resonate in the moments where hands nearly touch, yet with such electricity, you’d believe fireworks were about to erupt out of fingertips. Those endearing moments when silence fits perfectly where words need not be, and how soft the sleeping silhouette of someone you love appears against the darkened backdrop of night. It’s the merest of affections that can serve as a catalyst for the greatest of things. The film presents a holistic view of love – or something quite close – what can enable us and entrust us with the confidence we need to pursue the things in life that are right and just – whatever the stakes.

“Love can’t change what’s wrong in the world.

But it’s a start.”

j.