the five people you meet in heaven movie

At times, he revealed a glimmer of pride and loyalty, but it was rare. Eddie's father was a drunk and often physically abusive towards his wife and children. He worked in maintenance at Ruby Pier and scoffed at Eddie's aspirations to transcend the family's blue-collar roots. Out of Eddie's immediate family, Eddie's father had the biggest impact on his son's life.

Eddie's FatherĪlbom never reveals Eddie's father's name. After that, Eddie and Marguerite moved into Eddie's mother's apartment building and cared for her until her death. She fell apart after Eddie's father died, blaming herself for his demise. Eddie's mother cared deeply for Eddie and his brother, Joe, offering her sons a nurturing alternative to their abusive, alcoholic father. She attempted to broker peace between her husband and Eddie, but was never able to achieve this goal. Eddie's MotherĪlbom never gives first names to either of Eddie's parents. Eddie becomes increasingly appreciative over the course of the novel until finally, he is able to let go of all his lingering doubts - thus earning him entry into his own personal Heaven. The novel follows Eddie into Heaven as he sheds all of his earthly burdens and finally learns how much his life actually meant through encounters with 5 specific individuals who died before him. That day, however, he dies trying to save a child from a falling roller coaster car during a freak accident at the park. Alone and bitter, Eddie sees his life as worthless. At 83, he is a widower with a limp who has been working at Ruby Pier for most of his adult life. Albom never specifies Eddie's last name, but everyone on Ruby Pier calls him 'Eddie Maintenance' because that is what is says on his name-tag. Eddie is the protagonist of The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

The five people you meet in heaven movie