如果時間順流是「寫實」，是「現實」，那麼對電影「班傑明的奇幻旅程」 (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) 中過著光陰逆流，日子彷彿如真似幻的男主角班傑明而言，又是多麼地「虛構」和「超現實」。


時間的當下，當下的時間，是一段段「現實」的切片，有著時空的秩序，清楚的意涵和簡單明瞭的人事倫理。身與心時間錯置的班傑明一生予我莊周夢蝶的聯想，分不清真假虛實而理不出究竟是莊周？是蝴蝶？或者，既是莊周，也是蝴蝶？


「你可以像瘋狗一樣對周圍的一切憤憤不平。你可以詛咒你的命運。但是等最後一刻到來之時，你只能輕輕放手。」於是，剎那即永恆。在短暫的美麗交會之後，班傑明接受生命的玩笑，無奈又殘忍地和至愛的妻女忍心別離。他以自我放逐的方式，在「解構」的時空裡，永遠地飄泊，永遠地忘掉自己，不斷地被動重新自我省視。


然而，時間渺遠，思念卻綿長清晰。


班傑明對女兒充滿愛意的話語透過一張張明信片娓娓道出，格外令我動容:

For what it's worth，it's never too late.

To be whoever you want to be.

There's no time limit, start whenever you want.

You can change, or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing.

We can make the best or the worst of it.

And I hope you make the best of it.

I hope you see things that startle you.

I hope you feel things you never felt before.

I hope you meet people with different points of view.

I hope you live a life you're proud of.

And if you find that you're not, I hope you have strength to start all over again.

【後記】

《班傑明的奇幻旅程》是「大亨小傳」作者史考特•費茲傑羅受到了馬克吐溫曾說過的話語：＂Life would be infinitely happier if only we could be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18.＂啓發而創作。費茲傑羅逝世近70年後，大衛芬奇和<阿甘正傳>電影編劇Eric Roth聯手將這部短篇小說改編後搬上大銀幕。