Running head: SEVEN POUNDS

Seven Pounds
Beza Fissaha
Old Dominion University

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Seven Pounds
Seven Pounds, a movie directed by Gabriele Muccino, is about Tim Thomas and his
journey as he finds people worthy of getting his organs after he dies. As Tim was texting and
driving, he drives the car into oncoming traffic which causes a multi-car crash. The accident kills
seven people, six strangers and his fianc. Two years after the accident, Tim realizes that he is
unable to live with what he did so he plans to save the lives of seven people that he believed
deserve it. He searches for seven deserving people without telling them anything despite
repeatedly being asked (Black, Smith & Maccino, 2008)
The cause of death was clearly identified. Tim plans his suicide so that he can give life to
seven people in efforts to make up for the seven that he killed. Tim fills his bathtub with ice
water and releases a box of jellyfish into the water with him. Tim was found dead in the bathtub
alone without anyone present. In the months that Tim was planning for his suicide, he was cared
for by a few people but soon gained a family of seven that embrace and have respect for him.
Tim was close to his brother Ben; Tim told Ben about his plan and explained to him that he was
to give each person a letter explaining why he did what he did. Additionally, Tim asked Ben to
be the person who made sure that each organ was going to the right person. Ben was extremely
upset that Tim was going through with this but eventually agreed in carrying out his final wishes
(Black, Smith & Maccino, 2008)
This movie presented death and dying differently. Although the death of Tim was selfinitiated, the seven individuals that were receiving his organs were also dying. The candidates all
consisted of humble individuals that were facing obstacles in life. Emily Posa, the woman who
would receive Toms heart, only had a few months to live. Posa was a self-employed greeting

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card printer who had a congenital heart disease and a rare blood type which gave her only weeks
to live. She was living alone with her son and had no one to take care of her physical,
psychological, or spiritual needs. In the process of Tim investigating her, in efforts to determine
if she was worthy of an organ, he began to care for her. It was him that walked her dog, weeded
her garden, and fixed things in the house. He was able to provide her care for activities of daily
living and encouraged her and told her to stay strong. He also helped her enjoy, what she thought
were the last days of her life; only he was aware that she was actually helping him enjoy the last
days of his. Emily confided in Tim and often shared her feelings to him. She discussed the stress
that she was under because of the hospital bills and also talked about her fear of dying. Turner
had many quality of life issues. She no longer felt like there was meaning to her life. She was
not able to eat and had constant anxiety about when she was going to take her last breath
(Black, Smith & Maccino, 2008)
Tims other candidate was Ezra Turner. Turner was a blind telemarketer who plays the
piano. Turner was a gentle man who had some difficulties due to his blindness. He had no one to
take care of him and was living on the streets. Tim decided that Turner was worthy of saving and
decides that he would donate his cornea to him after her dies. Tim chooses to donate his liver to
Child Protective Services social worker named Holly. Tim then decides that Bill Smith would be
given his kidney while a young boy named Nicholas would be given bone marrow. Lastly, Tim
helps a woman named Connie Tepos. Connie lived with her abusive boyfriend and kids. After
denying her abusive relationship, Tim gave her his card and told her to contact him if she needed
help; Connie contacted Tim after an incident with her boyfriend. Before completing his suicide,
Tim moved out of his house and gave Connie the keys and directions to his house. He left a note
telling her to not tell anyone that he gave her the house and reminding her to live life

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abundantly. After Tim committed suicide, the recipients of his organ would finally discover
his reasons. The community was amazed when they learned what Tim did but it was the seven
individuals that escaped death who were truly in awe of such a selfless gift. They were extremely
sad that Tim was dead but took joy in knowing that a piece of him was in every one of them.
They were thankful that he came to their lives at a time of confusion and helped care for them as
they thought they were dying (Black, Smith & Maccino, 2008).
Although the center and message of the movie was about being selfless in helping others,
the movie also presents many real matters that occur with death and dying. There were many
barriers that the prevented the characters from accessing adequate end of life care. Many of the
candidates that Tim found were dealing with financial issues that prevented them from getting
adequate care. This is the case for many families, especially with a chronic disease. Health care
costs are not easily affordable which causes the person to lost hope in their circumstance.
Furthermore, financial issues also prevents people from getting treatment. This was seen in the
film as Emily, the recipient to Tims heart, was presented as a single mother who was struggling
to pay hospital bills; this caused her emotional and physical stress as the bills kept increasing.
This stress can worsen conditions and potentially make the dying process painful. It is essential
that the media is truly aware of how everyday problems such as low income, lack of adequate
health care, or lack of resources can affect the dying process. These components can change the
way dying and death are experienced. It is essential to promote comfort during death. There are
many expectations and beliefs associated with dying. In this movie, Tim had nightmares and
hallucinations of what his experience was going to be like. Like Tim, Emily also believed that
her experience was going to be painful. There are many different perceptions that people have

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with the concept of dying. Although everyone deals with death differently, It is essential that the
media and public are aware with healthier methods of coping with death. End of life care should
be approached differently; negative attitudes should be geared towards enjoying the remaining of
life. This can be done by making sure that the pain is controlled and being involved in activities
that the person enjoys. This was seen in the movie as Tim makes sure that he does everything he
wanted to do before he dies (Black, Smith & Maccino, 2008)
It is essential that death and dying is handled with dignity and respect. Life should be
affirmed but dying should be regarded as a normal process. Furthermore, is critical that
healthcare providers integrate psychological, spiritual, and psychosocial aspects into patient care.

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References
Muccino, G. (Director), Black, T., & Smith, W. (Producers), & Nieporte, G. (Writer).
(2008). Seven pounds [Motion picture]. United States: Sony Pictures Releasing