A lot of people (including me) are obsessed with Paris. For years, I’ve dreamed about going there. I even have several pieces of wall art depicting Paris (specifically the Eiffel Tower—of course).
So when I learned about the movie Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, I was beyond excited to see it. I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect because I hadn’t read the book that it was based on, but I had high expectations about it. And it met my high expectations—for the most part.
A Few Cons
Before I share why I did like Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, I’ll share why I didn’t like it. A few specific scenes in it felt very PG-13 (even though the movie is rated PG). And while I don’t mind some PG-13 movies, I don’t appreciate G- or PG-rated movies that “sneak in” content that belongs in a movie rated PG-13 or R. Low ratings signal to parents, “I’m safe for your kids to watch!” But that’s not always the case.
Although skimpy outfits were present in multiple scenes of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, one scene that felt particularly edgy was a scene where Mrs. Harris attends a show at a dinner theater with her suitor. Though the scene initially seemed light and entertaining, it quickly became scandalous.
In addition to that scene—which honestly felt forced and out of place—one other thing that bothered me about Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris was the overarching message that dreamers can do the impossible. As a widow in London who cleans homes for a living, Mrs. Harris didn’t know how she would make her dream of owning a Christian Dior gown come true—but she knew that she would. After all, “dream big” was her mantra.
Still, I was impressed that she realized that there are more important things in life than dreams.
A Major Pro
Mrs. Harris had incredible drive and determination, but she also had a soft heart. When one of Mrs. Harris’ cleaning clients expressed how badly she needed a dress, Mrs. Harris let her borrow the Christian Dior gown. But due to an unfortunate incident, the dress was ruined—and Mrs. Harris was crushed.
I was touched by Mrs. Harris’ selfless generosity—but I was also touched when the crew at Christian Dior rewarded her kindness with a brand-new gown. In fact, they sent her the gown that she had originally desired to purchase during her trip to Paris. Ultimately, she reaped what she sowed—which is an important (and biblical) message.
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (2 Corinthians 9:6 NASB1995)
Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians in the context of giving to God’s kingdom workers, but I saw the principle of selfless generosity very clearly in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Overall, the film had a few flaws—but it also told a beautiful story about sacrifice.
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