Scene from "Waves" (2019), contributed by Eli Traub (2025)
My scalar presentation is on this scene from the movie Waves. The scene is between a father and a daughter and their conversation to try to come to terms with their grief after a member of their family committed murder and went to prison. There are a couple of really interesting takeaways we can gain about loss. The daughter feels a lot of anger towards her brother. “I hate him, I hate him,” she says. “He is a monster.” Often, when people we love do terrible things that we would not have expected of them, we are taken aback and can lash out in anger. The daughter also expresses guilt, saying, “I could have stopped it.” Guilt is also a common emotion for those who witness a tragic event, even if they could not have realistically done anything. However, the father’s reaction is what I find beautiful and uplifting. The father responds with love and forgiveness, reassuring his daughter that she could not have done anything and that her brother is not a monster. Simply by being there for her and affirming her with love helps her break down her repressed grief and let go of anger and pain. The scripture that he brings up encapsulates the power of love in healing grief: "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses." It is a masterclass in grief management.