"Off The Map"

Original

Society establishes boundaries between conformity and non-conformity by convention, laws, and expectations in our culture. For some people, the pressures of conforming to society are so great that they are willing to step outside of those boundaries and test the lines of non-conformity in order to find their true selves.

The film "Off the Map" challenged the perception that conformity is not only cultural, but personal as well. The Gridons are a non-traditional family living on a minimal income, living in the middle of the desert with their eleven-year-old daughter Bo who does not attend school. When William Gibbs, an auditor from the IRS arrives his presence begins to spark changes in not only every member of the Gridon family, but himself as well.

The Gridons are a family who has chosen to live outside of the normal ways of society by not working or sending their child to school. As she grows, Bo begins to perceive this life as abnormal, she wants to attend school and be like others in society. At the same time, Gibbs begins to realize that he is not happy in his old life and is finding his true self by the non-traditional ways of the Gridons way of living.

Revision

The film “Off The Map”, as well as the group discussions, challenged my perception that non-conformity is just about resisting conformity or crossing lines, this film also showed me that society‘s established boundaries do not always coincide with everyone’s attitudes and beliefs. Society establishes boundaries between conformity and non-conformity by convention, laws, and expectations in our culture. For some people, the pressures of conforming to society are so great they are willing to step outside of those boundaries and test the lines of non-conformity.

This film focused on characters portrayed as “outsiders”, who for me demonstrated crossing the line, or challenging tradition by the way they lived. Two main characters stood out for me, one was a young girl named Bo Gridon whose family lived very unconventionally. The other was William Gibbs, an IRS auditor from the city living a traditional conventional life.

On one hand, we had Bo, a lonely girl living in an isolated area of New Mexico who does not attend school, and whose core community is her parents and godfather. As she grows older, Bo begins resisting the non-conformity of her family who reject the normal ways of society in a variety of ways, for example by not working or allowing her to go to traditional school. Although she loves her family, Bo wants to conform and belong to a society outside of the community she belongs. She is frustrated with the isolated life she lives and uses her imagination to escape. When the “outsider”, William Gibbs comes into her life, Bo is constantly asking him questions and into his belongings, signs that show she wants more of what is on the outside world.

On the other hand, we see William Gibbs who has always lived within the established boundaries of society shed his “outsider” role, and adopt the non-conforming ways of the Gridon family by abandoning his former life. Williams realizes he is not happy in his old life and finds his true self through the non-traditional ways of the Gridon family. In finding his true self, he discovers happiness, as well as a passion and talent for painting which leads to him becoming a famous artist.

This film showed me that the pressures of living up to the rules and expectations of society really could be difficult for those who hold a different attitude or belief about what they think is right. For me, these difficulties were demonstrated especially through the personal struggles of both William Gibbs and Bo Gridon, two “outsiders” who seemed to be seeking to have the life the other had. Throughout the film both of these characters cross boundaries, but find happiness and their true selves by doing so.