Amelie (Miramax, 2001, R)

Audrey Tautou stars as Amélie Poulain, a young woman with a difficult family history who waits tables in a tiny Paris café. Amélie’s life changes when she discovers a hidden box of childhood treasures and decides to return it anonymously to its original owner. She then watches as his life is changed. This is the first of Amélie’s many attempts to make her neighbor’s lives better, and the movie is a reminder of the difference such actions can make. What is the value of helping others anonymously? Is it more important for the Christian to act with a loving intention or to act in a way that makes a difference in the world? Does anything at all depend on whether or not Amélie is religiously motivated? How does one know whether one is called to love in small, quiet ways or in big, dramatic ways? What are the fears that can keep one from actively loving one’s neighbor and how can such fears be overcome?