Bookworm a Gem

Growing up in Christchurch, I heard occasional tall tales of a mysterious big black cat prowling the Canterbury hill country. Bookworm cleverly weaves these rumoured sightings into a comedy for all ages.  

The title of the movie centres Mildred as Bookworm’s main character. Brilliantly played by Nell Fisher, the movie opens in her bedroom. The room is filled with books and the walls are covered with newspaper cuttings, including notice of a $50,000 reward for photographic evidence of a Canterbury big cat.

Enter the movie’s second central character. Strawn Wise is Mildred’s biological father. A street magician from Las Vegas, Strawn, arrives following the hospitalisation of Mildred’s mother (played by Morgana O’Reilly). Strawn’s timidity is no match for Mildred’s forceful resolve. The result is a return to type, as Elijah Wood reprises his Lord of the Rings wanderings across our great outdoors.

A third central character is the Canterbury high country, specifically the Mackenzie Basin. Scenes of sunsets, limestone rock formations, and alpine streams remind us of the beauty ever present across the outdoors of Aotearoa.

While Bookworm is splendidly fun, there are several heart-rending moments. In a particularly poignant scene, Shawn recounts a formative adult experience of shame and betrayal. As Shawn speaks, we hear sounds: the clip and clop of horses’ hooves and the mocking laughter of human voices. It is a flashback that works not with our eyes through moving images but with our ears by sounds heard.

Sometimes, we are triggered by what we see. At other times, we are triggered by what we hear, smell or taste. As we remember, our bodies can freeze. Or we can fight or take flight. Karen McClintock’s Trauma-Informed Pastoral Care: How to Respond When Things Fall Apart explains the complex ways in which experiences of shame and betrayal disrupt our physical, social, emotional and spiritual well-being.

As Shawn shares and Mildred listens, Shawn’s recall of trauma is held in love. Alongside listening, Christianity offers other caring resources. These include prayer, song, Scripture and liturgical actions. Practical examples might be praying Psalm 23, singing a song like “As the Deer” and reading a Scripture like “Come to me, all who are weary” (Matthew 11:28-30). Prayer-filled actions might involve lighting a candle or sharing in anointing with oil. In every moment, care needs to move at the pace of those who have experienced shame and hurt.

A movie that begins in a bedroom ends in a hospital. Chasing black panthers through Canterbury hill country can result in accidents. Mildred awakes to find her family reunited. On one side is her father, on the other her mother. Mildred’s cat, black in colour, purrs at the end of the hospital bed. For a bookworm like Mildred, life is suddenly heart-warmingly splendid.

Rev Dr Steve Taylor is the author of "First Expressions" (2019) and writes widely in theology and popular culture, including regularly at www.emergentkiwi.org.nz.