Why Do We Hate Happy Endings?
Whenever I watch a film that ends on a happy note, I can somehow sense it would not win an award.
No, an award needs something deep, and that something deep could only mean the greatest tragedy that can ever happen.
There should be a great struggle. The story should keep us glued to our seats as we root for the main characters to overcome whatever difficulty they’re going through.
In the end, however, we wait in vain because the movie makers decided it shouldn’t end on a happy note. Only then can the movie be a classic and unforgettable one!
Why do we hate happy endings? Why is it that instead of wishing for the hero to live, we wish him or her to die? Why do we see it as fake whenever we watch a movie or a show that ends in happily ever after?
I understand that the producers sometimes want to show what happens in real life. In this life, tragedy happens. The good does not always win. Couples who love each other say goodbye.
From a Christian perspective, however, life on Earth isn’t the only life we have. There is yet another life where justice can be found, where our loved ones can live again, and where even the saddest life can end in joy!
Can you imagine the story of Jesus if it tragically ended with His crucifixion and death?
I can appreciate tragic movies only within the perspective of “hope” for the life still to come. That is the complete picture that can give sense to all the senseless tragedies we experience here on earth.
But if we show it as though death is beautiful or that tragedy is an art without any hope, aren’t we driving people to despair?
If this is the best and most beautiful kind of story we can ever accomplish as creators, why do we blame God for all the sorrows we experience in life? Why use the terrible sufferings of this world as proof that a good God doesn’t exist?
Would we be good to ourselves given the chance to create our own world? Why expect God to be good that way?
God is indeed good. But He has allowed some evil to exist temporarily to accomplish a far greater good.
Take note that while He allows tragedy, He redeems all suffering so that it will not be the end. Neither death nor darkness will ever have the final say.
The end He orchestrated is a glorious, happy and incomparably beautiful one, unlike anything we could ever conceive or imagine.
He will not win any award on earth for that. But I am grateful that He is who He is.
And for Him… and for all who believe in Him… there is a happily ever after that far exceeds every sorrow that pierced our very hearts.
When There Is No Happy Ending
There used to be a happy ending
There used to be forevermore
There used to be a twist defeating what is evil
When the love of the hero conquers all.
But now everything is in shades of grey,
And the story ends as we all walk away.
Now the villain laughs, and the darkness wins
And no knight comes to save the day.
There used to be a wizard,
And there used to be a witch
There used to be a fairy
And we could tell which is which.
But now the bad guy is the hero,
And the prince is a monster in disguise,
Now we’re afraid to face the prophets,
Because of all the darkness that they hide.
We should be happy now,
We should be satisfied,
When everything has fallen,
Like the world we feel inside.
But I guess there is no ending
That can satisfy our hearts,
When what's broken can't be mended,
And what's dark can't be put to light.
We need to face the shadows,
And we need not fear the night,
We can still defeat the monsters,
If we fight with all our might!
You may also like to read my Movie Review of “Inside Out 2”:
Have you already watched this one? In this review, I wanted to focus on Joy’s journey of maturity and how the Catholic Joy can overcome anxiety.
