When Movies Become Reality

Several years ago, my sister told me someone mentioned a book to her and she thought the story line mimicked my life. She said the name of the book and then movie was "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio." She hadn't read the book or seen the movie, she just thought it sounded like my life when someone mentioned it.

I was staying at her home going through some family papers sorting into piles and organizing them and also making our old 8mm movies into DVD's. We had been working very hard on all the family stuff so she thought we needed a break from working.

She called some video rental stores until she found one with the movie and asked them to hold it. We bought take-out and picked up the movie.

When we started watching the movie, it became VERY clear that this mother of ten (Terry Ryan) in Ohio and I are kindred spirits. My sister and I both cried at times in the movie and laughed at other times. After we watched the movie, my second princess came home from a date and we told her about the movie. I sat up and watched the movie with her. Once again, we cried and laughed through the movie as it was such a similar story to mine.

I knew I needed to buy the movie and when a local movie store was going out of business, I made sure to go and buy the movie. I then showed the movie to my other children. Once again, it brought tears and laughter.

Each time I have needed or wanted something in my life; money, washing machine, new stove, video camera, computer, knives, Disneyland trips, etc, I have won it or gotten it in other ways just when it was needed or wanted.

In the movie, there is a scene when the father locks the children out of the house, I have seen that in my life. Another scene, the father throws a roast out the back door into the yard, I have seen that in my life. In another scene, the father dents a new appliance, once again, I have seen that in my life. There are so many weird similarities.

To this day, if I watch the movie, I laugh and cry. There are so many ties to my life. My sister gave me a copy of the book for my birthday last year. I haven't taken the time to read it with good reason with all the crazy stuff going on this past year but now that my life has calmed down, I think I may just take the time to sit down and finally read it. Sometimes the movies aren't able to portray everything the author puts down.

The biggest similarities are the wins. Just when it was needed, money from the bank opening.... Praying for a vacation to Disney, I win the cruise... Praying for a new video camera, I win the Panasonic prize... The girls want Ipods.... In comes my "Dream" man.... You can click on any of the things listed above to get to the first post on any of the prizes listed. However, many have more than one post so you may need to use the search box after the first post to read the rest of the story but I figured I could get you started.

Here is a link to the trailer on youtube: "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio!" Even if you don't have time to watch the movie just yet, I think the trailer is worth 30 seconds. Julianne Moore and Woody Herrelson are in it and do a great job. It is also available through Netflix.

If nothing else, it makes you believe in more than chance. There is a scene where the children are praying in the closet. What parent's heart wouldn't melt that the children are scared, hiding in the closet praying. I am sure that Heavenly Father looks down on such scenes and pours out his tender mercies to those children and others. I know, my children have been in the closet praying at times in their lives and Heavenly Father answered their prayers and mine. We are truly blessed to have a knowledge of Him in our lives. I am sad for others who don't have that knowledge.

Perhaps, if they view this movie, it will give them a glimpse of the love that God showered down on this amazing woman. It truly makes me believe in Him all the more.

Enjoy....