How Mildred of Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri Struggles to Live Her Life in the Present

Filmmaker Karsten Runquist took a look at the surprisingly controversial dark comedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and made a very astute observation about Mildred Hays, the quasi-protagonist of the film. Per Runquist, Mildred is unable to live her life in the present because the murder of her daughter remains unresolved. thus dictating her past and her future around a single subject. This way of thinking truly limits her ability to stay in the present and be there for those who need her, such as her son.

something I feel the film is getting across the most subtly is the idea of not only enjoying the present but understanding it. A common conflict for Mildred is her inability to truly stay within the present. Her drive in life comes from what happened in the past how she’s going to deal with it in the future and the eventual justice she hopes receive. All of her actions are done for the sake of a future goal.