‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ Is Actually a Love Letter to Doors

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We’re always going in and out of doors, but the movable barriers are generally an afterthought. No one hangs out in a doorway often. Instead, we quickly pass through. That is, unless you come across a tricky one that makes you put effort in for entry or exit. In the new movie A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell literally drive down memory lane and open doors to pivotal moments in their pasts. While the romantasy-drama seeks to explore the places and events that shape us, it really doubles as a love letter to doors—and a reminder to invest in their design just as much as we do the rest of our homes.

Before the surreal road trip starts, David (Farrell) visits a highly questionable car rental company that would make any logical thinker turn and run. He enters via a sensitive door that will only open at a very specific moment after the buzzer. Naturally, he doesn’t get it on the first try despite succinct instructions from the employee (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) over a speaker.

Matt Kennedy

Then, the real adventure begins with the doors of two cultural institutions: a lighthouse and a museum. The characters, Sarah (Robbie) and David, then move through high school, hospital, and café doors. Eventually, they arrive at the front doors of their childhood homes and the double-door entry of one character’s current-day apartment (which, sadly, we don’t get to see the inside of). None of the doors are particularly extravagant, but each is distinct from the other and unlocks meaningful memories that toe the line between pain and pleasantry.

Let’s take this imaginative journey through building-less doors in natural landscapes (the movie was filmed in and around Los Angeles) as a cue; We need to put more thought and care into doors on every level—in public, commercial, and residential spaces alike.

Courtesy of Sony Pictures

It’s easy to appreciate door variety in material and style—glass, antique wood, French, pocket, and so on. The cherry-red arched door of an old lighthouse can have just as much charm as the graffiti-covered back entrance of a museum. If all doors looked and worked the same, that’d be boring and likely largely dysfunctional. No matter their design, the utility of all doors is certainly worth maintaining. While it’s possible to laugh about a difficult door once you’ve made your way through, fixing those faults is surely worth the squeeze for a smoother user experience.

At home, the front door is the first-impression-making portal to your whole world. Something as simple as the color you paint your door can drastically alter your curb appeal and even boost your home’s value. Having good, working doors is also crucial for home security. Not to mention, the type of doors you have throughout your home can work hard for the house’s functionality. Double- or triple-paned glass doors can help with your home’s solar control, giving you energy “freebies,” while glazed doors can boost soundproofing.

Matt Kennedy

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is simply a reminder that doors may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but are ever-present and worthy of a little more love and care. The feature deserves its due for the part it plays in shaping how we go about our daily lives.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is in theaters now.

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