This past Christmas, my husband and I started a new tradition by attending a movie on Christmas day. Although we were presented with many options, we both really only cared to spend our holiday watching one movie in particular: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".

Although I expected to enjoy this film, I had no idea I would be so changed by the entire experience. It is brilliantly infused with moments of whimsical comedy, yet is without a doubt one of the sharpest, most dramatic films I have ever seen.

The star-studded cast offers Oscar-worthy performances (the film has already received five Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture) and absolutely draws you into their lives and their conflicts, inflicting upon you the emotional upheaval wrought by their circumstances. The story moves with an incredible pace and the special effects employed to transform the characters are destined to change the face of modern film-making.

This film was adapted from a brief 1920’s story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who got his story idea from a Mark Twain statement which concluded that life begins at the worst possible moment and ends at the best possible moment. As such, Benjamin Button is born “under unusual circumstances” and is, himself, unusual. With a corresponding back-story in which a bereaved father hopes to turn back time, Benjamin Button lives his life in reverse, being born with the physiology of a man well into his 80’s, and regressing toward infancy.

With a modern-day disaster bearing down on the last remaining person to bear witness to the curiosity that was Benjamin Button, we are told his story via his secret diary and the treasured mementos he has left behind. Through these things we feel his great loves, and we weep over his greatest losses.

There are numerous lessons to be learned through the manner in which Benjamin Button lived his life, and I believe it to be a story that everyone deserves to hear. I implore you to see “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” at your earliest convenience. Go to the theater, reserve it for your Netflix queue or rent it the minute it comes out on video, but do yourself a favor and watch it. You are all but guaranteed to walk away with a little better appreciation of the time you have been given.