“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” (2025). Cast: Colin Farrell, Margot Robbie, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Kevin Kline, Jennifer Grant, Hamish Linklater, Lily Rabe, Yuvi Hecht, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon, Jodie Turner-Smith (voice). Director: Kogonada. Screenplay: Seth Reiss. Web site. Trailer.

It’s been said that “life is what you make of it,” that “we become what we believe.” To some, this probably seems like the content of a warm, fuzzy, inspirational greeting card. But, if we truly take the time to examine ourselves and our lives, we’re likely to find that there’s more than a small kernel of truth in these observations. Such is the point of the insightful new romantic comedy-drama-fantasy, “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.”

Just as David (Colin Farrell) prepares to depart for an out-of-town wedding, he discovers that has car has been booted – and hence immobilized – for unpaid parking tickets. Given time constraints, he’s unable to resolve this issue before leaving, so he needs to find a different solution – which he does when he spots an ad for a nearby car rental agency. He thus decides to lease a vehicle for the trip, but, when he gets to the rental office, he finds out that it’s unlike any such agency he’s ever dealt with.

The agency, housed in an oversized, mostly vacant space, is basically devoid of staff, customers and even cars. In fact, the only two individuals present are an eccentric, loquacious leasing agent (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and an elderly mechanic (Kevin Kline) with little to say. As David fills out the paperwork, he’s bombarded by a stream of seemingly bizarre questions and observations. He also learns that the vehicle reserved for him is a 1990s era Saturn, a long-outdated model and one of only two cars on the premises. He’s so baffled by what’s unfolded that he’s just about ready to walk out. But, again, given his schedule, he can’t afford to dawdle if he’s to make the wedding on time, so he relents and rents the car.

David soon embarks on his trip but finds the circumstances growing ever stranger. For example, the car is equipped with an apparently interactive talking GPS device (voiced by Jodie Turner-Smith) that dispenses unusual suggestions in the course of providing directions. By this point, he’s not sure what he’s gotten himself into, but he carries on nevertheless. But, little does he know, this is just the beginning, a journey that, to paraphrase the Grateful Dead, could be best characterized by the lyric, “What a long, strange trip it will be.”

Once at the wedding, David – a longtime bachelor – finds himself surrounded by happy couples. It gives him some pause to compare his situation to theirs, but he’s not apparently upset being at the festivities solo, as it’s something to which he’s seemingly grown accustomed. That changes, however, when he’s introduced to another single, Sarah (Margot Robbie). They share a brief, somewhat tentative flirtation, though it ultimately seems that they’re not especially suited to one another, primarily because both of them (especially Sarah) seem perfectly comfortable being intentionally on their own, with no driving desire to find a permanent partner. But does that impression accurately reflect their true feelings? That’s what they’re about to find out.

As David prepares to return home after the wedding, he has an unusual conversation with the GPS. He’s essentially asked if he’s content with his circumstances or would like to change them by embarking on a big, bold, beautiful journey. After quickly thinking it over, he opts for the second choice. In the wake of his decision, the GPS gives him instructions to stop at an approaching rest area, enter the restaurant and sit down for a meal, whereupon he runs into – you guessed it – Sarah.

Over lunch, David and Sarah talk further, getting to know one another better. And, before long, he asks her if she’d like to join him on his big, bold, beautiful journey, an invitation that she impulsively accepts. In no time, they set off on their odyssey together, following the directions routinely given them by the GPS.

What begins is a surreal journey that takes David and Sarah to a series of freestanding doors, often placed as standalone structures in the middle of remote locales in natural settings. These doors are portals that transport them to times and places from their respective pasts. But these incidents are far from random: in fact, they each represent significant events that played important roles in shaping their beliefs and character, not to mention the nature of the existence they have come to lead. By reliving these experiences through the lens of hindsight, they begin to see how they have become the individuals they now are, how the insights they gleaned from them have transformed them and their lives, especially in the areas of romance and relationships.

While some of these experiences are fun and nostalgic, others are painful. As they relive them all, they come to see how the outcomes of these situations have influenced their mindsets and world views, outlooks that they believe – or have allowed themselves to believe – are intractable. These perspectives have become so ingrained in their thinking that they believe they’re unchangeable, that they’re saddled with them for life. But is that really the case? Can they shift their fortunes and bring about different results? Or are they permanently trapped by beliefs that they have been unable to recognize, let alone unwilling to believe they can alter?

Such is the essence of their big, bold, beautiful journey, a trip down memory lane to show them how they became who they have become, particularly from the standpoint of the beliefs they have adopted and embraced. What’s more, though, David and Sarah have enabled themselves to examine whether those beliefs can be rewritten to provide them with the possibility of different futures. And those beliefs are the key, for they determine the direction their existences can assume – provided they’re willing to allow it.

When all is said and done, where the character of our reality is concerned, it comes down to the beliefs that drive it, a product of the conscious creation process, the philosophy that makes such outcomes possible. However, as the experiences of David and Sarah illustrate, it’s unclear whether they (as well as many of us) are aware of this school of thought, let alone how to make use of it in shaping and adjusting what constitutes their/our existence. That can be unfortunate, as it may leave us prisoners of a reality that ultimately doesn’t suit us. And the longer those circumstances continue, the more we may feel helpless to change them.

In key areas of life, such as romance, this can be disappointing, if not debilitating and intolerable. Yet it should also give us pause to consider why our existence has unfolded as it has. This might become apparent to us when comparing our own fates to those of others. Indeed, we might be tempted to thus ask ourselves, why are they able to apparently attain happiness and fulfillment in their lives when we feel stuck with emptiness and despair and an inability to escape those conditions? But, as illustrated here, that’s the point of this film.

The journey on which David and Sarah embark is designed to show them how they have ended up where they are. It could be that they’ve never considered the role of beliefs in shaping their existence. Or it may be that they’ve never even heard about the power and persistence of these resources in bringing about this result. Either way, they’re unable to see how such outcomes emerge and what they might be able to do in order to adjust what arises. That’s crucial if they (and we) ever hope to alter what they/we experience, particularly in significant areas of life.

Perhaps the most effective way of addressing this is by drawing to us the conditions necessary for enabling such awareness, arguably the nature of the scenario at work here. Indeed, the very intent underlying the duo’s journey is to raise their attention level to see how their beliefs have brought them to where they are in their lives, something that they have previously been unable or unwilling to do. Through their portal experiences, they come to see how such influences as family, life incidents and other factors have shaped and reinforced the character of their respective existences. And the power and persistence of the resulting conditions have been so great and pervasive that they’ve thoroughly convinced themselves that those circumstances are unalterable.

But need that truly be the case? If others can bring about more desirable outcomes, why can’t David and Sarah? The aim of their journey is to show them how malleable beliefs can be, in spite of their seemingly unchangeable power and persistence. All that they (and we) need do is leave ourselves open to the possibility. Granted, this may seem easier said than done, especially if we’ve been repeatedly exposed to what we find unsatisfying, reconciling ourselves to a permanently unacceptable existence.

This, of course, raises the question of what is holding us back. While the answer may vary from individual to individual, as this picture shows, the limiting factor is often a fear of addressing the conditions (and, subsequently, the beliefs) that have left us where we are. Doing so can be a genuinely scary prospect, one that might prevent us from taking action accordingly. However, it’s essential to recognize that the fear that’s restraining us is also itself a belief, one that can be just as powerful and persistent as the others that frame our existence. At the same time, though, it’s just as critical that we recognize that fear is just as alterable as all other forms of belief. If we can get over that apprehension, we just might find ourselves capable of looking past it to implement valuable and necessary changes in our existence.

At bottom, that’s what has brought David and Sarah to this experience. If they ever hope to be happy in life, they need to see what made them unhappy in the first place. That can be unpleasant, to be sure, something we might not want to relive. However, it can also be something so powerful that it leaves us feeling stuck and unable to move on to something new and more fulfilling. But how exactly do we go about that?

Embarking on one of those big, bold, beautiful journeys provides us with the means to do so, a valuable starting point. And the three qualities used to describe it – being big, bold and beautiful – indicate what’s in store for us once we launch into it. The experience thus carries the potential of what awaits us, aspects that show us new ways to approach our existence and the nature of what characterizes it.

Without a doubt, the experience may seem strange – perhaps even unsettling – at times, especially when we initially engage with it. This becomes apparent, for example, through some of the unusual and unexpected developments that David encounters from the very beginning of it. Consider his time at the rental agency and the presence of the interactive GPS, conditions that are far from typical in his everyday experience. Yet they are also the elements that launch him into his journey. In fact, without them, he’d likely experience yet another typically ordinary, unchanging day in the life that he has known. If he really wants to alter the conditions of his existence – which he apparently seems to want to do, at least on a subconscious level – something has to get his attention to get him off the dime, no matter how weird it might seem. But, once he comes to embrace it, and everything else that follows from it, he finds the journey not to be so disconcerting after all, especially since these circumstances ultimately provide him with what he needs to initiate the changes he’s looking for. Getting out of his own way – and his own comfort zone – may thus be what it takes to get the ball rolling. On the surface, at first glance, a little strangeness and a little discomfort might not seem like particularly appealing prospects. But, considering the potential they hold for what they might offer in the end, they may ultimately make the trip well worth it.

Once this process is initiated and those engaged in it grow more comfortable with it and its eccentricities, sweetening the pot by incorporating some fitting forms of inspiration can help to pique the participants’ interest and encourage further progress. That helps to explain why this duo’s journey begins at a wedding, a type of festivity typically populated by couples in love (and not just those whose nuptials are being celebrated). The event helps to put David and Sarah in the right frame of mind to consider options for romance, even if they’re not fully aware of it themselves at the outset. By drawing these suitably tailored conditions into their existence (a fine example of the law of attraction at work), they can tap into the prevailing ambiance to help them find their way through the experience they’re looking to explore (in this case, obviously, the potential for romance). And who knows what they might come up with? Indeed, that’s one of the innate beauties of partaking in a big, bold, beautiful journey.

All too often, unfortunately, many of us accept our lives for what they seem to be, not necessarily what they could be. But that’s precisely the point that filmmaker Kogonada seeks to address in his latest offering, especially in matters of the heart. The picture’s surreal, metaphysically driven experiences are designed to spotlight what’s possible when we put our minds – and beliefs – to this undertaking, and it does so with a warm, heartfelt sense of compassion and sensitivity, deftly peppered with delightfully quirky humor. The astute re-creations of the lives of the protagonists effectively show us how their lives have turned out as they have, providing us with a template to draw from in examining our own existences, a valuable tool for those of us looking to change our destinies.

As in his previous superb offerings “Columbus” (2017) and “After Yang” (2021), the director has again created a picture that packs a lot to ponder in a single, skillfully layered cinematic package. But what sets this film apart from those other releases is its finely interwoven emotional textures, sentiments that create a tapestry covering a wider range of feelings than seen in those previous works. It’s without a doubt the filmmaker’s most “commercial” work to date, but Kogonada’s vision of what’s “commercial” is far more substantive and meaningful than what one typically finds in most other such releases these days, particularly in the romcom genre. There may indeed be an underlying element of the prototypical “boy meets girl” formula at work here, but it’s presented with far greater depth than what is usually found in such offerings. All of this is meticulously enhanced by a variety of inspired production elements, including the film’s inventive production design, gorgeous cinematography, smartly compiled soundtrack, perfectly timed comic relief and impressive performances (especially Robbie yet again). Admittedly, there are a few occasions when the pacing could stand some quickening. And the narrative contains a handful of plot devices that might initially seem a little forced or even overly peculiar, but they all work out in the end, rewarding viewers with more than a fair share of revelatory and satisfying “a ha!” moments.

I must admit that I’m somewhat disappointed – and mystified – that this film has not received wider acceptance and approval by critics and audiences. Some have contended that this release states the obvious and doesn’t offer anything particularly new or insightful, and, to a certain degree, that argument might have some merit. However, rarely have I seen a picture that accomplishes its objectives in quite the way this offering does, especially when it comes to boldly pushing us to take a serious look at the issues raised here, not to mention the genuinely delightful way in which it does so. In my view, “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” lives up to every bit of its suitably audacious and auspicious title, making for both an enlightening watch, as well as a great date night movie. Don’t let this offering’s eccentricities and innovatively original approach keep you from enjoying everything it has to offer. You’re likely to be pleasantly entertained, and you might even learn a little something about yourself in the end, too. The film is ready to be released for streaming online in the near future.

Those well acquainted with financial investments often find that they’re couched in the caveat that “Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.” That’s wise advice to take to heart, but it’s something that shouldn’t be limited to just money matters. It should be just as readily applied to other types of investments as well, especially those associated with relationship issues. Indeed, just because something turned out one way once does not mean that they will turn out the same way every time. To be sure, many of us have come to place great faith in the idea that experience is a good teacher, and that can be quite true in many cases, helping us identify red flags when they emerge. However, as we’ve also likely discovered, there are many different lessons to be learned in life, some of which may seem to contradict one another, and we should nevertheless leave ourselves open to all of them. Doing so may prove to be very much to our benefit, especially when it comes to seeing what a big, bold, beautiful journey life can truly be.

Copyright © 2025, by Brent Marchant. All rights reserved.