You Won’t Believe How These Little Things Can Make a Big Difference Now!

This isn’t a new journey for us. Personally, I’d rather follow the path my colleague Deb Vankin has tread hundreds of times. And I might do exactly that this weekend, as I’m in search of any kind of mood enhancer I can get my hands on.

I’m Glenn Whipp, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope’s Friday newsletter. What journey are you currently on?

Reflect on ‘Small Things’

This year, I’ve read two books by Irish author Claire Keegan: “Foster,” a beautiful narrative of a young girl flourishing under the loving care of foster parents in rural Ireland, and “Small Things Like These,” a novella where the protagonist finds himself contemplating a question many of us might be pondering right now.

What is the point of living if we don’t help each other?

A movie version of “Small Things Like These” premieres in cinemas today with Cillian Murphy portraying Bill Furlong, a coal merchant, husband, and father to five daughters, who is respected for his integrity in his small Irish town. One day, while making a delivery, Bill stumbles upon something at a local convent that completely unsettles his world. Now, he faces a decision: stay quiet and do what a neighbor tells him is the “prudent thing,” by focusing solely on his family and business. Or, he could do what’s morally right and take action.

I highly recommend both the book and the film, a fine adaptation of Keegan’s concise, unsentimental tale. Over the past few days, I’ve found myself reflecting on it quite a bit – pondering how small actions can catalyze significant change, and how choosing to do the honorable thing over the “prudent” thing can help shape a society that’s equitable for all.

“Her writing is not dogmatic, which is what I love about it,” Murphy shared with me last year when we talked about his lead role in “Oppenheimer,” which earned him an Oscar. “I believe people will connect with what the character experiences and the final decision he makes. It leaves you with something to ponder over. I appreciate that.”

You might as well.

‘Emilia Pérez’ begins streaming on Wednesday

I enjoyed how my old friend Robert Abele kicked off this review for The Times: “A lawyer, a kingpin, and his wife step into a musical, and ‘Emilia Pérez’ is born.”

I had the opportunity to watch Jacques Audiard’s film, a musical melodrama about a Mexican cartel leader planning to transition into a woman, at the Telluride Film Festival a few months back. As with all of Audiard’s works, there’s a lot happening. As Robert points out, Audiard has taken his most ambitious leap yet, “using its Mexican backdrop of cartels and hardship as the foundation for a robust Spanish-language musical centered around a gender reassignment — one that effectively, albeit inadvertently, instigates a country’s yearning for change.”

The film’s main women — Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Zoe Saldaña — were awarded best actress at its Cannes debut, and the film received the Jury Prize. It’s a film we’ll be talking about extensively in the coming months. It’s flawed but also, frequently, irresistible. Let me know your thoughts after you watch it.

Thank you, as always, for reading. I’ll see you on the journey.