I suppose the connection here depends on how steeped you are in Judaism or Christianity, because the opening passage from Job summarized the movie plainly: reconciliation with God.

mainly, Jack's. it's about him being aware of God, connecting with God, feeling rebuked by God, accepting God -- a journey from birth to his current age. how his parents formed his perspective ("always you wrestle inside me"), as they dealt with life in disparate ways. father as nature, mother as grace.

I was wary of this, having not enjoyed The Thin Red Line, but nearly everything here worked (especially the voiceovers). even the last 20 minutes made sense. an ambitious, spectacular movie that I was sure I'd hate but ended up really loving.