Benjamin Button & T.I.

You never know what's comin' for you.

-Daisy, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

You're gonna be a shining star

With fancy clothes and fancy cars

And then you see you're gonna go far

Cause everyone knows just who you are.

...So live your life

No telling where it'll take ya...

-Rihanna, "Life Your Life"

How do you celebrate Christmas?

For me, it's a constant state of euphoria. After wishing my Lord and Savior a Happy Birthday and thanking Him for blessing me with the gift of eternal salvation, I head downstairs to open gifts, hand out presents, and thank my family for everything they chose to give me this holiday season.

Then it's movie time. This year it was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and God am I thankful for this movie.

Here's one word to describe the last two years in Hollywood: apocalyptic. No Country for Old Men demonstrated how your best may never be enough; There Will Be Blood showed us that God was a superstition; and Wall-E taught kids to think the last hope for the evolution of mankind is the fertilization of a plant (and that a robot, not man, can solve the problem).

Here's what's come out this Christmas Season:

Seven Pounds - When you kill someone, don't make the most of what you have left. Instead, kill yourself; but make sure your organs get passed off to "good" people. After I Am Legend, I feel that Will Smith's dip into Scientology may have changed his outlook on the bright side of things.

Revolutionary Road - Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett realizing their life is pointless, and taking it out on each other. (I haven't seen the film yet; however, that's what I took from the trailer.)

The Reader - Kate Winslett accused of killing Jews while sleeping with a boy during the Holocaust.

Doubt - Phillip Seymore Hoffman (priest) screaming at Meryl Streep (nun). Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis cry. Hooray Catholicism!

No wonder so many people kill themselves over the holidays! The economy already sucks; whatever money people have made, they've spent it on relatives they don't even like; and every "critically acclaimed" movie they see makes them feel like crap! It's like reading The Grapes of Wrath on your birthday - you're just asking for trouble.

Then there's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Is this the most uplifting film of all time? Nope. Does Benjamin Button conquer the world and meet every successful American over the past 85 years like Forrest Gump? Nope, although Forrest and Benjamin have received a lot of comparisons recently. Is Benjamin an iconic character that all parents should model their children after? Nope.

So why this Curious Case?

Because this movie brings the right kind of tear to your eye. This movie reminds us that our lives are defined by the memories we create, the dreams we pursue, and the ones we choose to love along the way. This movie is what Christmas is all about; and thank God for it.

It maybe 3 hours long, but it didn't seem like a burden. Instead of checking my watch to see how much longer the movie lasts, I decided to lose myself in the story of Benjamin and Daisy.

It's a love story - no doubt about it. Benjamin and Daisy's struggle to overcome the obstacles of aging is a work of tragic originality.

It's also a marvel in special effects. For the first half hour my family and I kept asking ourselves how they transformed Brad Pitt into a 3'6" 80-year-old man. The last half hour, my family and I kept asking ourselves how they transformed Brad Pitt into the Brad Pitt of Thelma & Louise.

Finally, it's a movie that inspires. In Gladiator, Maximus states to his army, "What we do in life echoes an eternity." All true Christmas movies should motivate their audience to go out with a purpose and make the most of their lives. Benjamin Button's biography reminded me of how my time on earth is but a blip on the radar of eternity, and that each moment should be savored and never thrown to waste.

So what does T.I. have to do with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?

I must have listened to "Live Your Life" about 1,000 times over the past month. In case you haven't heard it, the second verse is laced with all the nuggets you need to make it in whatever endeavor you choose to pursue.

While most of rap focuses on selling your soul for the dollar bill; "Live Your Life" tells you to work hard for your dream; ignore the critics that oppose you; overcome the obstacles that trip you; and live your life to the fullest, for all the right reasons.

Benjamin Button opens the doors to what can happen if you live your life with childlike enthusiasm, a desire to explore, and a curiosity at what life can bring next.

Merry Christmas!