The film Moonlight has been hailed as one of the best movies of 2016. The plot centers around a young boy named Chiron and chronicles the stages of his life from adolescence, to teenager through to manhood, as he struggles with issues of identity, family, friendship and love in Miami’s rough and tumble Liberty City. After screening the film, you simply can’t help but come away with the feeling that it has much to offer in the way of what we all go through in life. Without spoiling the film, here are a few lessons in manhood you can glean from Moonlight.
i. Little – You Have to Decide for Yourself Who You’re Going to Be
As a young boy Chiron is taken under the wing of Juan, who is coincidentally the local drug dealer. Yet, Juan serves as quite an effective surrogate father. One of the lessons he imparts to the young Chiron is that “at some point you have decide who you’re going to be, you can’t let someone else make that decision for you.”
The Lesson: Choose your path, set your values. They will serve as your moral compass, when the people and/or the world try to get you to veer from them.
ii. Chiron – Don’t Fold into Yourself
As Chiron goes through that awkward stage of puberty and teenage turmoil, he is persecuted by virtually everyone in his community, from his peers to his only parent. The result is that an already quiet and introverted young man withdraws even further into himself.
The Lesson: You will face adversity in life, perhaps in the form of your beliefs, ideas or even way of being that is rejected by your community. Don’t fold into yourself. Stand up for yourself because you matter. There is perhaps no better explanation than the one provided by one of the film’s stars Mahershala Ali. Just check the video below.
iii. Black – Be Authentic
Finally having reached adulthood, Chiron has transformed, no longer a timid young boy, he’s created a persona to guard himself against the world. The result of those tormented years of childhood. Yet, it’s just a facade and the ones closest to him can see through it.
The Lesson: Be yourself.
