Sometimes, when watching a movie, viewers are simply entertained by the film’s context, but other times, they take each movie as a meaningful lesson that will stay with them for the long run. Whether you read the book or watched the film adaptation of Reminders of Him, it carries something beyond the plot. The story centers on Kenna Rowan, a young woman who navigates love, grief, and recovery, showing what it means to move forward in life when her storyline does not go as planned. You get to experience Kenna’s story as she tries to rebuild her life after prison and get back what really matters: her daughter. Throughout her journey, the movie reminds viewers of lessons they can carry with them as they leave the theater. Sometimes these lessons can be hard to hear, but it is important to cherish them, as life is a maze.
Everyone Deserves a Second Chance
One of the major themes we learn throughout the story of Reminders of Him is redemption. Right off the bat, we learn that Kenna is not this perfect individual and that she has made mistakes that led to serious consequences. These serious consequences have changed her life and led everyone to believe she was the villain. Rather than continuing to portray Kenna as this horrible person, the story challenges us to move forward and see her as someone who is trying to become the best version of herself.
In life, it is so easy to judge someone based on things they have done, and it is hard to move past and recognize that change can happen. Most of the time, we tell ourselves that because of someone’s past, we should never associate or speak to that person again. After watching this movie, we learn that change can happen, but second chances are not always given immediately. They have to be earned, but sometimes forgiveness does not always happen. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes the mistakes are small, and some are life-changing. No matter how big or small, everyone deserves the opportunity to prove themselves. This does not mean that you should forget the past, but instead, we learn from our mistakes and grow from them.
Cherish the Memories You Make
Throughout this story, memories play a major role in Kenna’s past life that she cannot get back. These memories now hold a different power that carries a weight in her new life, whether they are happy or painful. These memories remind us viewers of things we have lost, used to have, or memories that we wish we could go back and change. In life, it is easy to take everything we have for granted. Even something as simple as a conversation can be meaningless at the time, but powerful in the future. This story reminds us to be present in life and to always hold on to what we have. Something can change when you least expect it, and those memories may be all you have left. It is important to value anything that you have because it can be taken away in an instant. Once something happens, it is now in your past, and you can never revisit it again, only remember.
Never Give Up
During this story, the one thing Kenna has never done is give up. No matter how many obstacles and reasons she had to give up, she never did. Her main goal, which is to get her daughter, Diem, back, allows her to move forward, even when she feels like it is impossible. There were times during this story that allowed viewers to question if they would have given up by now, but it taught us that there is always a possibility to reach our goal. Life does not always allow us to get what we want easily, but it is important to be persistent in reaching our goals. Sometimes you will feel as if all the work you are putting in is going nowhere, but do not let that stop you from trying. Even the small steps you take to move forward can lead to something huge.
Things Take Time
We live in a world where everything feels as if it is moving fast. Most of the time, we do not give ourselves the chance to take a breath because our minds are moving faster than our bodies. During this story, we understand that healing and growth take time. When Kenna gets released from prison, everything is not suddenly back to normal. We understand that trust does not restore immediately and that it takes time to rebuild both trust and relationships. In life, we often expect immediate results and quick solutions, but things do not just happen overnight. There are no shortcuts in life, and you need to put in effort daily. When it comes to our friendships and relationships, we always want there to be no arguments or hardships. When fights do happen, we immediately want to solve them and for things to be just how they were, but everything takes time. It is important to accept that, otherwise it will be harder to face the problem.
Forgiveness is Challenging, but meaningful
Throughout this story, it is not just about everyone forgiving Kenna for her past, but it is also about Kenna forgiving herself. The hardest part of making mistakes is the guilt we carry from what we have done. Even when we lie, we feel that guilt weighing us down, and it takes a toll on our daily lives. It is almost impossible to move forward when we cannot forgive ourselves. At the end of the film, as we watch Kenna learn to forgive herself, we learn that forgiveness does not mean pretending everything is fine or forgetting what happened. Instead, we learn to let go of the pain that was weighing us down. Not everyone is going to forgive you, and sometimes you won’t be ready to forgive others, but working towards forgiving someone, or yourself, is what allows us as individuals to heal.
Reminders of Him is not a simple story, but that is what makes it powerful. It does not have perfect solutions, but instead it shows us real-life challenges and the emotions that come with them. Throughout Kenna’s life, we are reminded that people can change, that memories are important, that life goals can happen, that everything takes time, and that forgiveness is not easy. These lessons are important to remember every single day and remind us to never take life for granted. Anything can change in an instant.