Adjustment Bureau

Traci Marie Hollandsworth

September 20, 2013

                                                The Adjustment Bureau

            The Adjustment Bureau was a movie starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. David (played by Matt Damon) is a political figure running for Senator at the beginning of the movie. Elise (played by Emily Blunt) is a dancer. They meet by chance in a men’s restroom. They are instantly attracted to each other. According the “Adjustment Bureau” there is a certain time for everything in everyone’s life. Everyone has a plan; and it is important to stay on track with the plan. David comes into contact with the “Adjustment Bureau” men by mistake. When he sees them they are actually in the act of changing the pattern of someone’s thoughts. The “Adjustment Bureau” represents determinism. They determine the plan and track that each person is to take. David represents free will. He is focused on making his own decisions and will not let anyone get in the way. There is a slip up with the “Adjustment Bureau” and the plan that allows David to see Elise again on the city bus. However, the Bureau takes David to a private location and tells him that Elise is not part of his plan. They burn her contact information to prevent him from contacting her. Three years later, after riding the same city bus every day, they meet again. David is determined to make his own choices and through his persistence it pays off. David has a personal bureau guy named Harry. Harry is sympathetic to David’s heart from the beginning. The “Chairman” is the ultimate decision maker and decides that because of David’s persistence the plan has been re-written to include Elise. The entire movie is full of both determinism and free will. It still seems as though the Chairman is the final decision maker and that in certain circumstances he may change his original plan.