This is a scene from the 2011 film "The Ledge". It's a film where Christianity and atheism are the central themes around which events turn. The film itself isn't the reason why I started identifying as a Humanist. I just thought Gavin's character just summed up as succinctly as one can about our role on this earth.
The Ledge is written and directed by Matthew Chapman, writer, producer, director, and Charles Darwin's great-great grandson.
In this scene, Shana Harris (Liv Tyler) is talking to her friend Gavin Nichols (Charlie Hunnam) about how her husband saved her through God. Gavin shows her an alternative.
Backstory (some minor spoilers): Shana's husband (Joe, played by Patrick Wilson) is a fundamentalist Christian who Shana appreciates for what he's done for her, saving her from a life of hard drugs and addiction, but she's not happy in her marriage because of her husband's poor treatment of her. She starts a job at a hotel where Gavin is her manager. They are almost immediately attracted to each other and develop a special friendship.
This is such a beautiful story about overcoming hardships and forming deep connections with another human being while having the story revolve around differing perspectives on faith. I had heard about this pivotal scene in Chapman's interview on the Humanist Hour podcast (episode #63). Even though I was expecting this scene, I was still so excited to watch it. What Gavin says is exactly how I feel about the beauty of our universe and our lives, and I suspect many others watching felt this as well.
Through this clip, I hope others are able to connect to what Gavin says to Shana in this scene and take a step back to really think about what's important in our world (each other, not pleasing a higher power).
This is just a starting point though. This is a dramatic film so characters tend to be exaggerated. These characters are obviously drawn from real life influences, but not every atheist you meet is like Gavin and not every fundamentalist you meet is like Joe. I encourage everyone to explore more information on the origins of the universe and humans to develop a fuller picture of what Gavin is talking about.
