Orthodox Christians unlike many western Christians do not belong to this world. We are merely given this life to prepare for the next. Of course we often have to play by the rules of this world but should never completely conform to them if they are contrary to our Faith. We will struggle and have disappointment but this is divine providence and a gift from God. Let us accept this an "ascetic podvig".
You see, this is something I am trying to understand and believe, and yet I don't understand it and I don't believe it (or at least keep struggling). What we really don't want and what we really have to abandon is the life of hedonism, the life of pursuit of pleasure at all cost, the life of self-aggrandisement. Because there are so many temptations around us to live just this self-pleasing egotistical life, we need to be watchful and ready to make sacrificses, and to be really ready to make these sacrifices we are training ourselves, practicing some degree of ascesis. We fast, we observe daily prayer rule, we give alms.
On the other hand: do we all have to completely abandon everything that exists in this world, like art, music, poetry, nature, company of friends, professional growth, marital relationships? Or dating (for the unmarried of course)? It would be VERY EASY to do it, if we REALLY think that all that we currently see, feel, experience is something superfluous or even hostile. But is it? There is so much beauty IN THIS WORLD. Why? What for? Satan's tricks?
Ancient Fathers thought so. Quite a lot of modern Orthodox theologians and preachers seem to share this view, too. But the majority of people, and I mean real flesh-andblood and FAITHFUL Orthodox - are they this way?
I don't know. I somehow think that the vast majority of good, faithful Orthodox people love THIS WORLD. They live in it, they cherish their families, their careers, their hobbies, in short they live full, normal, earthly lives.
But back to the topic of this thread. What I saw in the movie is yet another example of how the society can force certain stereotypes on people and how that can completely destroy a person. If the heroine of Kate Winslet were Orthodox... I am not sure she would behave much differently, except well, perhaps she would not attempt to abort her fetus. But still, she would be thoroughly unhappy, miserable. And it does not have to be that way for an Orthodox person, just like it does not have to be that way for anyone.