Who Are We Kitting?

If you haven't seen the new Kit Kitteredge movie, you either don't have a little girl at home or are extremely cynical, or both. But as an adult, you're missing out. I've seen the movie twice, first at my request; the second time, at Princess daughter's request. It proves Hollywood can make a decent family movie that is interesting for both parents and kids and doesn't easily offend (unless, possibly, you're a hobo).

The movie is a little scary. Not in a "Friday the 13th" kind of way, but in how close its message hits home to what our country is experiencing economically right now. The uncle's line about so many people losing their homes because they bought big fancy houses they couldn't afford is almost prophetic. The mother's comment that we're all just a few bad breaks away from being in the poorhouse is a sobering thought. And the idea that the dad could lose his job because car purchases became a luxury made me squirm. After all, hubby makes a living pushing product at an ad agency. And some of his biggest clients aren't in the business of things that one might put in the "must have" category right now.

The movie is a good reminder that when the economy is rough, except for the over-the-top wealthy, most of us are in the middle of a line of dominoes. Even if we work hard, make all the right financial decisions, and have balanced spending habits (okay, nobody really does ALL of those...) things can still go sour.

The movie also is a good reminder that despite the pitfalls - good and bad - that money can get us into, the most important things in life aren't things. They're people.