Life Lessons from a Geek: Batman Begins (The Grand Finale)

When I sat down to write about the life lessons found in Batman Begins, I had intended to write one short piece. However, the movie was packed with far more valuable lessons than I had remembered. Perhaps it was watching it along side my 12 1/2 year old son Timmy that caused me to really examine this film. Whatever the reason, one piece would not have done it justice (and I doubt anyone would want to read a 3000 word dissertation on the topic).

One of my favorite quotes of all time is...

Those are powerful words. But will they capture the attention, heart and mind of a 12 year old boy? Maybe.

Thanks to Batman Begins, I did not have to leave it up to chance. I know my son heard the message. When Bruce Wayne is on his journey to becoming Batman, his friend Rachel Dawes speaks about the cesspool that Gotham is becoming. In the past, Bruce Wayne's parents stood up for what was right. But now they are gone. She challenges Bruce by saying...

Obviously I hope my son is never in a position to become a crime fighting vigilante.... that is a fantastical extreme. I am not asking my son to save the world. I just want him to learn to do his tiny part to make the world a better place. My son is a lover not a fighter. But that does not mean he can't make a huge difference. He may never be the one to stand between a bully and his intended victim (Although maybe he will. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that my son has a good heart, a strong will and he is braver than I could have ever imagined. I will never underestimate him.) But even if he doesn't, I know he can be the one to find that bullied kid, sit next to him at lunch, remind him that he doesn't deserve to be treated that way, and then make him laugh.

I use this line in Batman Begins to remind him that in our family, we are not bystanders... we are doers. If we can't help in a situation, we find someone who can. We aren't perfect. We can't help in every situation. I just hope to instill in him that his natural reaction is to try and make a situation better.

I'll check back with you in thirty years and see how we did.

Speaking of being a "doer"... Rachel Dawes provides another pearl of wisdom later in the film. When Bruce returns to Gotham to become the Batman and clean up his city, he needs to hide his true motives by appearing to be a playboy billionaire. To the outside world, Bruce must look like part of the problem, not the solution. He must look like he is one of the good people playing the fiddle while Gotham burns. Needless to say, Rachel is very disappointed by her friend's behavior. She knows Bruce has a good heart. But what good is a pure heart if you never follow it? Again she challenges him by saying...

I could throw axioms at my son all day...

Actions speak louder than words.

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

People with good intentions make promises...people with good character keep them.

You cannot see one's intentions.

But they may go in one ear and out the other. But when someone says it to Batman... and then Batman says it back to them later... oh man, you better believe he will hear that.

Thanks to our earlier conversation, this one merely required a nudge, a nod and a "See? You have to do the right thing. Just like we were talking about before".

When they sat down to write Batman Begins, I am not sure if Christopher Nolan and David Goyer intentionally put a nice little bow on the topic of doing the right thing.... but boy did they ever.

Actually, it wasn't a bow. With the very last line of the movie, the writers put a huge POW, BANG, and KABOOM on the lesson...

Lieutenant Gordon looks at Batman and says "I never said thank you."

Batman responds, "And you'll never have to."

BAM!!!!!!

What a perfect opportunity to explain to my son why I expect him to do the right thing. You don't do a good deed because you want a pat on the back, you want people to like you, you want someone to cheer for you, or you want the attention. No. You do a good deed because it is right. You do it because your heart told you to.

If no one notices... who cares? All that matters is that when you look at yourself in the mirror, you are proud of that person staring back. You know that person does what is right... even if it isn't easy (Thanks Dumbledore).

But if he wants to whisper what he did to his dad while no-one else is listening... that would be cool too.

Images 1, 2, 3, 4

If you enjoy this piece and would like to check out the previous installments, you can find them here:

Life Lessons From a Geek: Primer
Life Lessons from a Geek: Batman Begins (Part 1)
Life Lessons from a Geek: Batman Begins (Part 2)