Spoilers ahead*

I watched The Flash four times already and its impact continues to race through my mind like (please insert a Flash pun of your choosing ).

I keep asking myself why this movie (now sadly considered a box office flop) left such a profound impression on me. I found that in my mid-thirties I typically move on from things because the pop culture of today can’t hold much water – especially the recent decade of DC flicks. However, I have grown not only my gut but also in my interior self. In my recent personal growth, I’ve discovered the ability to hold onto what truly matters. It may sound cliché, but it’s something I couldn’t do before. It’s not that I couldn’t value important things, but rather, I held onto too many trivial matters, causing them to lose significance. Now, as a devoted Catholic father, I’ve come to understand the importance of cherishing what truly matters. So, again, why did the Flash movie of 2023 resonate with me on such a deep level?

It’s because the Flash movie, brought to life by director Andy Muschietti, and his creative team, gave us more than just an enjoyable comic book adaptation. They delved deep into humanity, thus providing us with something familiar, something elemental —something that all great comic books possess: a roadmap to the art of life itself.

Life can be found in all good art. The average chuckle-head knows this but apparently, the average chuckle-head couldn’t comprehend this when seeing The Flash because they had already destroyed its reputation prior to the release. This is sad because a lot can be unpacked from this gem of a movie.  

For example, in Michael Keaton’s Batman, we witness the consequences of remaining stagnant in life, rendering oneself obsolete and hollow. Humans are designed to serve one another, and when we neglect this calling, we often spiral into self-loathing, and dangerous boredom that has us drowning in the solitude of our past because that is all we know. Keaton’s Bruce Wayne exemplified this when he thought Gotham didn’t need him anymore as Batman, essentially turning him into a restless billionaire/ Jeffrey Lebowski. But he redeemed himself when he took the call to action, which is a call to serve. This resetting of Bruce’s purpose broke him out of his stagnation, and away from his passion for pasta.

Another strand of life’s spaghetti noodles can be found in Henry Allen, Barry’s father, grappling with the biggest failures a man can have—failure as a husband, father, and ultimately as a protector. As a newly minted father myself, this theme struck a personal chord. Men are inherently programmed to provide and protect, and when we deviate from this purpose, we deny a portion of our very essence. Barry’s father knew this and felt this. In one part of the film he is talking to his son on the phone and summarizes his defeat by saying, “It’s probably easier for me to be in here, instead of out there without her.”

We get another life lesson from the Flash himself. Here’s a guy that lost both his parents and his childhood at the same moment. This trifocal drama forced Barry to set out to change time ( screwing EVERYTHING up ) itself and in turn do something that we, ourselves, are all too familiar, without even knowing it; and that is getting lost in the ego-drama of life instead of allowing the theo-drama to take place. Bishop Barron brought this concept to my attention when he said, “The ego-drama is nothing compares with the theo-drama. The fun begins when we let God write our stories.”

The drama of life is evident in The Flash movie; however, the central takeaway that continues to resonate with me is the art of forgiveness. Forgiveness is such a superpower that Jesus Christ, the Son of God himself showed us it while he was dying brutally on the cross. Even after more than two thousand years, we are now witnessing the importance of forgiveness. In this case, it relates to actor Ezra Miller.

Yes, Ezra Miller did wrong ( major not minor ) and it eventually caught up with him.  But once the dust settled, it became evident, if you looked past his marquee name, that Ezra was grappling with a mental health crisis—a fact that is clear as day. Now, does this excuse his behavior? Of course not. However, it allows us to understand the person behind those actions. Being part of the Hollywood machine, Ezra’s actions were scrutinized with immense passion and hate (despite a significant amount of misinformation present). Consequently, the future of any Flash movie featuring Ezra appears to be out of the question due to the rage and animosity from certain internet Nasties. It’s astonishing how those very same individuals who vocally advocate for mental health awareness, when the month calls for it, have ruthlessly crushed a person that was going through a crisis in public. This knee-jerk reaction can be seen as justifiable but is it really?

I was driven by my genuine compassion, sparked by four viewings of The Flash, to write this because it’s something that we should reflect on. I firmly believe that we, as fans, must embody the values we admire in our superheroes. Our beloved heroes always stand up for those in need, don’t they? Take Supergirl in the Flash movie, for instance. She was sent to Earth with the intention to seek shelter and watch over her baby cousin Kal-El but ended up imprisoned in an underground facility. Her hatred for humanity was immovable prior to her rescue. Yet, it was Barry Allen himself who lifted her up and whispered to her, “I’ve got you.” Through this act of profound compassion, through his genuine words that only she could hear, Supergirl found the strength to forgive the very people (humans) who tormented her. So, if our heroes can exemplify forgiveness we can too.

Sure, it’s easier for fictional characters to do it because, duh, they aren’t real. But thinking that way is mere denial. After all, we use comic books and movies to escape. It’s in these stories with these characters that we find life-lines that can help us live a better life by being better people.

In the end, The Flash movie goes beyond being just another comic book adaptation. It serves as a powerful reminder of the beautiful and complicated artistry of life itself. Through the likes of Barry and his parents, Batman and Supergirl we see the call to action, and we see, in our universe, the perfect opportunity to act on forgiveness for Ezra Miller and anybody else that occupies the same space in our hearts.

The Flash showed us that staying stagnant in life leads to a kind of dark emptiness that is filled with our own drama. This drama eventually erupts from our skin like vicious Kryptonian daggers. We are meant to serve and uplift one another, for it is in our service that we find purpose and fulfillment.

This is why the transformative power of forgiveness is vital. It reminds us that understanding the complexities of an individual’s experiences can help us find empathy and compassion, even in the face of their mistakes. We, as fans, should strive to live out the values we admire in our superheroes so we can find forgiveness and empathy in our own lives.

As we navigate our own strands of spaghetti, let us hold onto what truly matters instead of holding on to hate. Let’s hold onto the relationships and experiences that shape us. Let us drop the ego-drama and ride the theo-drama, just like Barry did in the end.

So yeah, The Flash movie has left a hard-core mark on me, not only as an entertaining movie but also as a vehicle for introspection and the opportunity for personal growth. I hope, in time, we can all sacrifice our Dark Flash sides and pursue a real life of servitude, of hope, of friendship, and of love.

In the end, I am left here in the dark of my office with one last memory from the movie. It’s the scene, in the end, where Barry goes back in time to take away the can of tomato sauce which will ultimately be the reason why his mom gets killed. His mom, not knowing who he is but feeling that he is hurting deeply says, “I know I’m just a random lady in a store but do you want a huge?” That very line just might be the most crucial line of all because it truly showcases the art of life found in the Flash movie.