I watched the movie Junebug last night. It's one of those movies that I find hard to classify as "like" or "dislike" such as Towelhead. On one hand, Towelhead was incredibly hard to watch at times. On the other, I don't regret watching it. Now Junebug isn't at all like Towelhead in terms of subject and tone, but I still have a general feeling of malaise about it. So my question is this: What exactly is the message of Junebug?
Here's what I took away from it: Girls are dumb and weak and are drawn to poor relationships. I know of a few real life examples. Just because some asshole sticks their dick in you and gives you a child doesn't mean you're obliged to stay with that person. And they'll stick up for the jerk too, even if it's obvious to everyone else that it's a terrible relationship. (Which brings about a side point: Staying together for the kids is bullshit.)
Amy Adams plays the very pregnant Ashley whose husband, Johnny, is a moody ass who can't be bothered to show the least bit of compassion towards anyone. It's as if he feels that the world does things to him just to make him miserable. He's "stuck" with Ashley, who, although is very kind and enthusiastic, is also pretty dumb. Maybe neither can really do "better," but I think a monastic life would be better than just being miserable. And bringing a kid into the situation hoping it will be a cure all? A grave mistake.
On the flip side are Madeleine and George. Madeleine is a comely and intelligent art dealer who elopes with George after a week of knowing him. While visiting George's family (Johnny is his brother), Madeleine becomes aware that there's a terrible amount of things neither knows about the other. George is mostly absent from the film and what we do see of him is either sleeping on the couch or having sex with Madeleine. So what are the two of them doing together anyway? Neither of them could say, I'm sure. The conclusion that George's parents come to is that all they know about each other is that they love each other. But is that really love? Something worth staying together for? In the mind of an elderly (and most likely uneducated) couple, probably.
So that, in a nutshell is what I came away with from Junebug. It's a fairly real depiction of the cruelty that "love" can bring and how people try and live with it. It's depressing and I hate to think that people live this way, but they do. I don't understand it and it makes me sick. But I have no advice for these people. If this is your choice, then maybe you deserve to be miserable.
Now I need something like Amelie to cleanse my palette. Now that's romantic love... Or at least it is to me.
Here's what I took away from it: Girls are dumb and weak and are drawn to poor relationships. I know of a few real life examples. Just because some asshole sticks their dick in you and gives you a child doesn't mean you're obliged to stay with that person. And they'll stick up for the jerk too, even if it's obvious to everyone else that it's a terrible relationship. (Which brings about a side point: Staying together for the kids is bullshit.)
Amy Adams plays the very pregnant Ashley whose husband, Johnny, is a moody ass who can't be bothered to show the least bit of compassion towards anyone. It's as if he feels that the world does things to him just to make him miserable. He's "stuck" with Ashley, who, although is very kind and enthusiastic, is also pretty dumb. Maybe neither can really do "better," but I think a monastic life would be better than just being miserable. And bringing a kid into the situation hoping it will be a cure all? A grave mistake.
On the flip side are Madeleine and George. Madeleine is a comely and intelligent art dealer who elopes with George after a week of knowing him. While visiting George's family (Johnny is his brother), Madeleine becomes aware that there's a terrible amount of things neither knows about the other. George is mostly absent from the film and what we do see of him is either sleeping on the couch or having sex with Madeleine. So what are the two of them doing together anyway? Neither of them could say, I'm sure. The conclusion that George's parents come to is that all they know about each other is that they love each other. But is that really love? Something worth staying together for? In the mind of an elderly (and most likely uneducated) couple, probably.
So that, in a nutshell is what I came away with from Junebug. It's a fairly real depiction of the cruelty that "love" can bring and how people try and live with it. It's depressing and I hate to think that people live this way, but they do. I don't understand it and it makes me sick. But I have no advice for these people. If this is your choice, then maybe you deserve to be miserable.
Now I need something like Amelie to cleanse my palette. Now that's romantic love... Or at least it is to me.
4 comments:
Here's my take...
That's kind of an awful message to send, there's definitely flip-sides to that situation though.
That being said though people are people and that means we're not perfect. Speaking form experience, a realtionship is not "easy" by any means. Putting all that trust in someone is hard and sometimes frightening for both parties, but in the end if you are miserable and both you and that person are unable to end that misery together, or at least find it's cause, then it's time to move on.
Love can be cruel, but it can also be quite wondeful and romantic too if you're with the right person. Don't give up on believing in that "head-over-heels" type of love or whatever you define love as. Because trust me it's out there.
Just a some thoughts for you ;)
Can you tell that I'm bitter?
lol
lol yeah, I was relaying the post to Kat, reading it aloud, and it sounded even more bitter thatn I remembered.
It's alright though, I was bitter too once. I was just giving you the other die of the story I guess.
*plays don't stop believin'*
lol
*side of the story
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