MovieChat Forums > Tea and Sympathy (1956) Discussion > Major Flaw in Plot

Major Flaw in Plot

posted 17 years ago by HarlowMGM
14 replies | jump to latest

I mean REALLY this guy is the ONLY male at college who is into music, tennis, doesn't generally like sports, doesn't date, etc. That's ridiculous. Even for the 1950's!! I would imagine even on a SMALL campus there would be dozens of similiar guys and this one appears to be not only not a small university but in a rather cosmopolitan era (I'm not sure where it's set but I'm guessing New English or somewhere in the Northern part of America.) And certainly he would not have been the first "sister boy" type the college staff and spouses would have encountered.

[–] evenstar9 17 years ago

But if you remember, when he was playing his tennis match and his father noticed no one was clapping or cheering for him, then, when somebody finally did, it was more guys that his father considered were "sister-boys". That upset his father even more.

[–] gurgitoy2 17 years ago

Well, you do have a point. After all, the school obviously had an arts program with dance, theater, and music. If all of the boys there were not into that, then why have the department at all? Obviously there were other boys who were in the play too, but none of that was seen. I suppose they were just focusing on the one particular house, and not the whole school...still, it did seem odd to me too.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] skiddoo 12 years ago

Many things got a lot worse by the 50s, including fear and bigotry.

[–] Kykuit 12 years ago

I read an interview with Dennis Quaid where he said the theater students at the university he attended were called "Drama Mamas" by the other students. That would have been in the 1970's. I suspect the same prejudices exist today.

[–] TCManiacs 16 years ago

as mentioned, his father didn't approve of the boys that cheered for him during tennis match. in locker room he warns, 'watch who you associate with'. also, his father has intentionally placed in the house of jock types for Bill(the husband) to make him into man. I would infer that he was probably more accepted by drama folks, but that's not explicitly shown. remember he's forced to call to quit the play in order to please father. the man on the other end was obviously sorry and confused by his abrupt cancelation. if hed had acceptance from parents, obviously he might never have been forced to reside among those jocks. he would have chosen a house that catered to the artistic...but that was not this story.

[–] Victover 11 years ago

I would agree with you if Tom's father had enuff brain to understand life and its dynamics but in this case he was exactly the opposite and the main factor in aggravating everything else going on in there. Tom was handling it pretty good before his daddy came over and gave him nutty guidance which made things critical.
Besides, there was this compounded situation with an infatuated sensitive handsome guy and a romantic love-starving fully functional lady who was extracting powerful memories able to give her the perfect excuse to play the great Samaritan with a boy in a particular moment of real need of reassurance

nothing else to say here

[–] KrazeeforKittiez 9 years ago

That is a very good point but I think maybe it was more covered up back then to conform to what a real man would be like. His roommate confessed to him that he was a virgin but he sure did not want that to get out.

When I was in school back in the dark ages; people who were in the Drama Club and/or acted in plays were considered strange....especially the guys.

I had the chance to work with Michael Jackson who was as brilliant as they come.
Tommy Mottola

[–] stepperry2010 9 years ago

I think the setting was more the 1945 or 1946 since he went up to his old dorm room that crazy one week or was it two weeks.
The weak evidence of Tom's being Gay
1. He is a new boy.
2. He secludes himself and listens to classical music alone.
3. He does not watch for girls just to leer at them with the other boys.
4. He does not date and brag about having sex.
5. He was seen sewing with three of the Faculty wives instead of swimming and horsing around with boys on the sports teams. (i.e. helping one of them to sew two bottom son a shirt)
6. He likes acting.
7. He does not really play sports except for Tennis and even that he plays non-agressively.
8. He likes reading poetry.
9. He does not seem interested in learn to dance to go to school dances.
This is not really enough evidence or really much of any since he is only 17 for most of the movie. Tom is likely just straight and sensitive. Even worse he a new boy in his Senior or Junior year of Prep School while Al his only friend.
If the movie was redone now how differently Mr. Reynolds possible latent homosexuality or showing him to be gay in a fake marriage, possibly Tom's dad being gay, and the relationship between Tom and Mrs Reynolds or wether Tom would shown to be straight, bi, gay, or.questioning.

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

KrazeeforKittiez says > When I was in school back in the dark ages; people who were in the Drama Club and/or acted in plays were considered strange....especially the guys.

When I was in elementary school, not so long ago, there was one kid, a boy, who always hung out with the girls. He only seemed to enjoy 'girl' things like jumping rope, playing jacks, etc. He also had girl mannerisms. I don't think any of us really knew much about sex at that point but we all knew it was odd and very different.

We accepted him in our group but considered him a sissy and even referred to him that way though we never called him that. The boys, on the other hand, were not as kind. They made fun of him and ostracized him but the truth is he rejected them long before they ever rejected him. I believe that was the problem.

That's the same thing I noticed in regards to Tom. He kind of did his own thing and didn't bother with anyone else. He focused his attentions on the things he enjoyed and didn't make an effort to be a part of what others were doing. Their inability to relate to him was due mostly to the fact he isolated himself.

The same thing was true of his father. He and Tom seemed to have little in common. He did not like his son gardening or doing things that were not masculine in nature. The more he noticed oddities in his son the more he probably withdrew so Tom ended up with female housekeepers and others who taught him the things they were doing.

The father's behavior and the other men at school could have pushed him into accepting what they said about him. Fortunately, his attraction to Mrs. Reynolds in a non-platonic way and the fact he didn't live in such liberal times kept him from getting completely confused.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] stepperry2010 9 years ago

Do you think If the movie was redone now would certain topics differently. Such as Mr. Reynolds possible latent homosexuality or showing him to be gay in a fake marriage, possibly Tom's dad being gay, and the relationship between Tom and Mrs Reynolds or wether Tom would shown to be straight, bi, gay, or.questioning.

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

stepperry2010 says > Do you think If the movie was redone now would certain topics differently.

It would all depend on who made the movie but I think the tendency would be to make the Tom character full-blown gay and instead of Mrs. Reynolds, he would be fixated on her husband. Mr. Reynolds would most likely turn out to be gay too.

It's not a movie I would want to see; not only because it wouldn't interest me but also because I feel it would not be true to the original theme. In fact, it would be a farce. The movie is about being different, not fitting in, assumptions, etc. It's not about being gay and, actually, it's not about being intolerant either.

People assumed Tom was gay and acted accordingly. They're made out to be awful people who are intolerant and closed-minded.

His father : What parent wants their child to be way out in left field somewhere. There's a reason they check the fingers and toes at birth, parents want their child to be normal. Beyond that, there are some parents who hope for a son but end up with a daughter. They give her a male sounding name or nickname and take her to sporting events. People don't seem to freak out about that. In the movie, Tom's father had gone to that school. Like a lot of legacy kids, he wanted his son to be a positive reflection on him. If his son was doing anything he did not approve of or he felt could jeopardize his future it would have been the same.

His roommate: These days colleges have coed dorms and housing but let's say some girl arrives to find out she's rooming with a male student. If she asked to switch rooms, it should be no big deal. He may not be attracted to her, per se, but being male could make her uncomfortable. What's the difference? If you're sharing a room with a same-sex person who is interested in same-sex relationships and you're not, why is it suddenly intolerant to want to get out?

Mr. Reynolds: Parents get coaches and mentors for their kids when they want them to be good at sports. Reynolds, an athletic guy, wanted his house to be known for top-notch athletes. Whether or not he thought Tom was gay, he'd have a problem with some kid who wasn't living up to his ideals; especially if that kid had been put there for that reason.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] stepperry2010 9 years ago

I believe that you are probably right unfortunately what most directors as well as just being free to do that. I see what mean about Mr. Reynolds being the house master. Tom was a winning tennis player but played it with finesse not aggressively.
Do they even have single rooms anymore?
I wish I was currently a director because I would treat properly.

[–] stepperry2010 9 years ago

great