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Why do you compete?

This is the existential question being asked in a film I just saw titled Brad's Status.  Directed by an openly bisexual director called Mike White it stars Ben Stiller in the role of Brad.

The reference to his status is both contextual to the film as a neurotic and ever doubting, somewhere in midlife crisis mode parent of a young boy heading to college and a proxy for the 'social media' phenomenon of the day.  As in FB.

While his buddies from college back when he was a student at Tufts went on to be overtly successful as in wealthy, Brad finds himself doubting if he ever made it.  His self reflection steers him to believe that he lost his credibility in the world of peers and therefore his status is not worthy of being noticed.

It takes a lecture from a junior in college to reset his focus on what truly is a good life.  Chasing something all the time (the concept of Maya as the Buddha described) is natural to us humans but it is futile.

The movie explores the every parent.  It talks to the worries of what will my child do when he or she grows up and if they will find happiness.  But happiness being elusive always manifests in people's heads as success and wealth and fame.  Will my child be able to compete?  Was I able to?  Will that affect how my child discovers himself or herself?

Lots of questions and no answers.  The takeaway is that if you did the right thing most of the time in raising your offspring then you just have to take a chance and believe that your procreation will find a way.  The world is changing and they are resilient and smart and know how to mold themselves.

Cast is refreshingly new or to me it was and the film is funny without trying hard to be so.

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