What Is a Nation? Language, by contrast, "invites us but does not force us, to unite". Countries which share the Spanish or English language don't merge with one another, while the people of Switzerland speak several languages. Modern nationhood also cannot be based on religion, which Renan observes, is currently practiced according to individual belief. "You can be French, English, German, yet Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or practicing no religion". Mutuality of interests is fine for corporations and their affiliates, but nationality is based on sentiment. Geography merely leads us astray, and often to violence: "Mountains don't know how to carve out countries". Renan concludes
What Is Life in a number of popular movies: Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" (1990), during the "May 11, 1980" sequence; Tom Shadyac's "Patch Adams" (1998); and, more recently, Sam Mendes' "Away We Go" (2009). In late 2012, "What Is Life" was used in advance promotion for the film "This Is 40", directed by Judd Apatow, although it was omitted from the accompanying soundtrack album. According to "Rolling Stone": "Today, many people know it merely as a song from all those soundtracks: it's in "This Is 40", "Patch Adams", "Goodfellas" and many more. It's almost as ubiquitous as 'Let My Love Open the Door' or