“7 Pounds” is Heavy Stuff

In “7 Pounds” (by “The Pursuit of Happyness” director Gabriele Muccino), Will Smith plays Ben Thomas, a man who blames himself for killing his fiancé and 7 strangers in a car accident. With this as motivation, he sets out to help strangers. He donates his organs to people who need them, and is able to postpone penalties for those who owe the IRS money. However, he only does this for good people. For those who are abusive, he is unmerciful.

The American in us, the person who believes that good things should happen to good people, may like this. However, the failed human in us may feel like mercy and forgiveness should have been shown to those who "didn't deserve" the favors Ben would have handed out. Sure, these are bad people who "don't deserve" the good things that they could have received, but is that the correct ethic? Doesn't love and forgiveness lead to a change of heart? It has in many lives.

Another issue is Thomas's own redemption. Is the conclusion of the movie his redemption? However, Ben in his own eyes is a bad person, so does he forgive himself if he's unable to forgive others?

This may seem like a criticism of the film. Don't misunderstand. Smith's acting is amazing, and the rest of the cast's performances add nicely to the story. The production value is high, and the writing couldn't be better. The plot moved along at just the right pace, and it wrapped up beautifully in the end. The film wouldn't have been the same without the way it unfolded and ended. There is a struggle, however, with the themes of forgiveness, self-grace, and redemption. Did Thomas find these things?