I watched Crazy Beautiful the other night on DVD. It's a movie about an out of control 17-year old girl who is struggling through life because her mother committed suicide. More than anything, she wants to feel as if she's good enough, or at least acceptable enough, to be loved by somebody. Her father, a busy congressman who doesn't seem to know how to reach Nicole, is preoccupied with work and his new wife and daughter. And all that's left for Nicole are the memories of a mother who checked out on life.
Then she meets Carlos—who is quite the opposite of Nicole. He's focused, good in school, and totally taken with Nicole. They become an item, and eventually come face to face with the realities that are necessary for any relationship to work: sacrifice, stability, and trust. As Nicole's world comes collapsing down around her because of her destructive choices, Carlos is there to pick her up. And in the process, he's willing to walk away from his dreams. Seeing such sacrifice causes Nicole to come to her senses and she begins to put her life back together—finally reaching the point of encouraging Carlos to pursue his dreams.
At the end of the movie, during the voice-over, Nicole says this: "I still panic sometimes. Forget to breathe. But I know there's something beautiful in all my imperfections. The beauty which he held up for me to see. A strength that can never be taken away."
I don't necessarily agree with her. I don't think her imperfections are beautiful. I think the way in which Carlos chooses to help her through them is beautiful.
