I Heart Huckabees

This movie illustrates the initial stages of awakening that everyone seems to go through—becoming disillusioned with life, looking for meaning, meeting “agents” of the Spirit and inviting them in, and, with guidance, beginning to dismantle the perception of reality. Albert Markovsky is seeing that his way, no matter how hard he tries, is no longer working.

 

The movie opens with the arising of Albert’s doubt thoughts as he continues to try to maintain his world, aware that he really does not know if anything he is doing has any purpose. The Spirit characters (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin) are existential detectives who help Albert change his perception of reality so that he can see the big picture all the time.

 

It is only the attempt to keep some aspects of our life situation apart from the Spirit that leads to pain and confusion. It is in the relinquishment of all control to the Spirit’s guidance that we are led back home. We are all to become existential detectives, questioning the nature of reality as we know it, and welcoming the Spirit to show us another way. Everything is connected. When this is realized, there is nothing to worry about because “everything you could ever want and need, you already have and are.”