After watching "Return to the Garden," I was forced to sit down and think about it for awhile. There is beauty yet a haunting in "Return to the Garden" that captures what is behind our joy and pain we experience through life. The lead male actor referred to the pain as "it wasn't supposed to be like this." We start life with so much joy and freedom but pain, sin, and disappointment creep in and we are tempted to throw in the towel like this young couple considers. The movie naturally put me in a place to reflect on my own life and how I have experienced similar ups and downs. That is what a good film does, whether 2 hours or 15 minutes - it brings the viewer personally into the story. There are few filmmakers, who happen to be Christian, who have the courage and ability to let the visuals and story tell the message without shouting it out.
Our world is lovely and tragic, and Parks nailed what is underneath this journey. I even sensed a young Terrence Malick in him in the style and storyline. Parks is an outstanding young writer and director and I am excited to see what is next.
