The big mistake "Me Before You" makes

During its debut, one particular film has gotten a lot of attention as the definitive romantic film of the summer: Me Before You.

At first glance, it seems to be a heartwarming film about two beautiful people loving each other through a trying disability. However, given the information that the disabled character opts for assisted suicide at the end with the support of his family and friends, all its charm is undone.

The film and its advocates will try to argue that Me Before You is a story about loving someone despite the choices they make, and so the story is beautiful and worth your time, but they are missing a bigger picture.

What is beautiful? What is good? What is true?

Not this story.

Life is beautiful. And the nurturing of life. And the preservation of life.

The fullness of love, and life, and truth, beauty and goodness are all the same in the end. In their fullness and perfection, they originate and reside in God. Knowing this, it is impossible to think that one would undermine the other.

Anything contrary to the protection of life cannot be love, which is why this story is not beautiful. It cannot be truly heroic or compassionate or even honest.

You could grant that female protagonist loved her friend enough to let him make his own decision determining how his life continued (or not), but allowing someone to harm themselves is not love. And by saying that it is, you can justify anything if it’s “what they chose.” Honestly, that’s not how love works.

We deserve a love story that shows the dignity of the person, no matter what condition they are in physically or mentally. We deserve a story that teaches hope and not despair, one that allows us to look to our left and right and see people, not victims. These people are worth saving and loving, not appeasing.

At the end of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, there is an optional prayer:

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

What God has in store for every one of us is for the best. May we never despair nor become despondent.

I'm very sorry that this story misunderstands the value and meaning of life rather than celebrating it in all its forms. I was truly excited to see it.