Again I'm taking a detour. Every Monday night I look forward to the HBO show Enlightened (http://www.hbo.com/enlightened/index.html). When it came out last month, I had three immediate reasons to watch; first, I was attracted to the name, second, because Laura Dern has always reminded me of my eldest niece and third, how can anything on HBO not be good? As I watched, I identified with character Amy. It took me back to a professional moment when I wanted so desperately to change the world and all I witnessed was television corruption and cowards that hid in the shadows that wouldn't take a stand.
Main character Amy has an affair with her boss that costs her a breakdown. She goes to a spiritual retreat to mend her brokenness and returns with a fresh and very honest approach to life that no one seems to be able to handle. What her co-workers, ex husband and mother do is dish out their superficial attitudes with their judgmental stares and intolerance for her being different a.k.a., being in her integrity. The company she works for– Abaddonn (it's Hebrew for Hell) tries to shun her and facing a wrongful termination lawsuit demotes her throwing her into a basement where she won't be seen or heard.
The last two weeks have left me in tears and feeling hopeful at the same time. It's creators, Mike White and Laura Dern are geniuses and first-rate artists for stepping out of the mold. If you can stomach these issues then stay tuned: embracing your inner Zen can be isolating. Grief can be grotesque. Mental instability is rarely tolerated. Deportation can split families and be painful. Alienation from your parents can be painful. Mothers can be strangers. Corporate America is soul-shattering. People can be shallow. Men can be philanderers.
Enlightened is not filled with mundaneness or laughs except for dark humor. If you're looking for ordinary and light that eats up your time and leaves you empty, then don't watch the show–you won't find it. What you will find is a show about an intense and sane woman trying to make the world a better place through serving humanity– and ultimately isn't that the reason why we were given life?
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