Tomorrowland—A Great Optimism Movie

George Clooney’s latest movie is at the Cineplex. It is a slick, accessible sci-fi flick, and while it is worth seeing for these reasons alone, Tomorrowland is a great optimism movie. So anyone interested in Emotional Intelligence in general or optimism in particular would find this movie compelling—and perhaps even important.

Early on in the movie, heroine Casey Newton shares a fable with which she was raised. The gist of the story is that there are two wolves—one represents fear and the other hope. These two wolves fight. Which one wins? The answer is: the one you feed.

The movie unfolds around the central theme that is easy to lose or overlook in the glare of special effects and Disney/Hollywood hoopla. Optimism isn’t something that some have and others don’t. It is not something that just happens. Optimism is something you work for—it has to be fed, nurtured and exercised.

There is pain, suffering, and horror everywhere—negativity is actually fighting all around us for our attention. I love the idea of not merely hoping that the future unfolds positively, but actually working to make sure it does. Optimism is hard work. Tomorrowland—a great optimism movie, reminded me of that.