I hadn't heard of The Big C until the reruns began on W a while ago. It turns out to be a clever, funny series on what is really an unfunny subject --cancer. The show stars one of my favourite actors, Laura Linney, who is very good as Cathy, the school teacher, wife, mom who changes once she discovers her diagnosis of terminal cancer.
To avoid pity she tells no one to begin with, but she does a number of things which are contrary to her character. She kicks out her husband, tries to reform her slacker teen son, has an affair, spends money indiscriminately. Through all this we are invited to consider how we might respond is we were told we had the Big C.
Over the course of thirty years I have done my best to support a far too large number of people diagnosed with cancer of every kind. And I have seen so many different approaches to dealing with it, living with it, dying with it. I hate cancer more than any other disease except perhaps Alzheimers.
I think my first hospital visit as a newly ordained minister was to a young mother in hospital, losing the battle with ovarian cancer which had spread elsewhere in her body. She was courageous, determined to carry on as long as she could so that her young kids would remember her. Of course there have been many situations where people have recovered and returned to everyday living.
It's curious that so much of pastoral care is connected to cancer, yet there was no such diagnosis in Jesus' day so there are no biblical stories of healing or support.
Have you seen The Big C? Have you dealt with cancer yourself, or with a loved one? What spiritual resources have you drawn upon?
4 comments:
The show is absolutely uproarious. The first three episodes, in particular, left me howling (not the least of which because in one, she tells off an ornery summer school student in ways I've always wanted to but never could.)
Cathy suffers from melanoma and is given 1.5 years to live. What's wild about the premise of the show is that that fact hovers over every single thing that happens. I can imagine it's not unlike what a person who's been diagnosed with must deal with every day.
I have heard of The Big C, seen previews and though it looks hilarious I haven't quite been able to watch it, not sure why or maybe I do know and won't admit it. Yes, lots of C in our family. I lost my Mom to this dreadful disease at the early age of 46 and her two sisters each year after her at 49 and 50, 3 or 4 years of pure h_ _ _ and then dealing with it afterwards. Prayer, counselling and more prayer played a big part in getting us to the other side of the darkness. I may be strong enough to watch it, still not sure though.
I've only seen the show once - I too am a big Laura Linney fan - and thought it was good. I really don't watch much TV....unless it involves the Pittsburgh Steelers, of course.
What can you say about cancer? I doubt any of us have not been either touched by cancer ourselves, or have had loved ones or friends who have been victims of the dreaded disease. It is a constant reminder that what you have now can be instantly and heartbreakingly taken away very quickly.
I have laughed at the commercials and think it looks witty and clever, which there seems to be so little of on tv right now. I don't watch much tv but look forward to good series to follow. I do know I avoided this one just because it seemed it would be hard to watch.
A group of older teens got together and watched 50-50,which had a similar theme, which you blogged about earlier in the year. Once again, not likely a movie I would have sought out without your recommendation but we all really liked it, even though the topic was tough and the really,really raunchy humour. Facing your fears in any context is tough.
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