This movie has a simple plot. A happily (lesbian) married couple with two children meet the children’s birth father (antagonist) that questions their ritualistic lives and forces them to think about whether or not they are happy with the choices that they have made.
I’ve been on this little stampede of watching fucked up movies about families and seeing how they deal with the differences of the “ideal american family”. ”Your dad was a sperm doner”. The absence of father is always an interesting concept and how they try to reconcile with the father figure in this movie is even better. The father actually stirs up the family to realize that none of them were really happy with a lot of the choices that they made, but he always gave spurts of wisdom to everyone and opened up their minds. Turns out in the end he’s still just an asshole…
Are fathers supposed to be assholes? I think I’ve heard little recognition of people’s father’s being great. Well maybe looking at father and son relations… I want to hear stories… How do they relate, bond, socialize, show affection. I meet so many guys my age whose parents are separated, or absent fathers. What is it with the absence of father in our society! The imagery that I always seem to see is the father with the children, never with the growing up part.. just always in the “beginning”…
They always seem to leave.. just as you have to start growing up…
Funny enough, that’s exactly what’s going on in my world too. I didn’t realize it was so prevalent in the world at large as well. I don’t think fathers are supposed to be assholes, but I often wonder if there’s a link between the distance and separation of a father from his son as time goes on due to social acceptance of affection between men (especially inter-generational).
Perhaps we don’t hold father-son bonds to the same accord as mother-daughter, or even father-daughter connections. Concepts as “Daddy’s little girl” still ring true today. But what about the son? What about the boy becoming a man without any form of direction, guidance, or support? I have my own experience with this, and I have a sneaking suspicion it’s not unlike a lot of other stories out there.