The only thing better than Ryan Gosling himself is a movie with Ryan Gosling in it. From the romantic classic The Notebook to the more recent rom-com Crazy, Stupid, Love, Mr. Gosling has bewitched moviegoers everywhere. While Gosling himself is an avid supporter of social causes such as PETA, Invisible Children, and the Enough Project, his movies teach the audience a wider and more important lesson about poverty.

The Notebook
In The Notebook, Ryan plays a persistent lover named Noah who transcends society’s expectations to win the love of his life. Even with hardships and distance, Noah’s love never deters and his determination pays off in the end. The Notebook teaches us that perseverance rewards. Poverty is a problem that will continue to persist the world unless we take action to fight it. Just as Noah never gives up, the world cannot back down against the global fight against poverty.

Crazy, Stupid, Love
In this romcom, Gosling plays a suave, young man named Jacob who leads a flashy lifestyle. He takes pity on a man named Cal whom he meets at a bar and he soon transforms Cal’s life by providing him with a debonair wardrobe and a new sense of confidence. This movie reflects how intervention can be transformative. From a grassroots approach to a more wide-scale effort, every bit of action is transformative and helpful in the fight against poverty. Crazy, Stupid, Love teaches us to be agents of change when fighting poverty.

Lars and the Real Girl
In this comedy film, Gosling is Lars, a quirky and socially awkward young man, who develops a relationship with a blowup doll named Bianca. Although all of Lars’ friends and family are initially hesitant to accept his relationship, Bianca comes to touch each of their lives. This movie shows us that poverty can affect every individual in different ways. Even if one is not directly living in poverty, the effects of poverty can be felt worldwide through limited job markets, increased security threats, and a vast untapped potential market. The solutions to poverty must be innovative and far-reaching, as seen by the popularity and universality of Ryan Gosling movies.

– Ananya Marathe

Source: The Internet Movie Database -IMDb
Photo: Poodle Stalkers