MovieChat Forums > The Way We Were (1973) Discussion > their daughter

their daughter

posted 11 years ago by nascar48
11 replies | jump to latest

Just saw this after not seeing it in many years. Did I miss something, why isn't he a part of his daughters life? Seems like from their conversation at the end he never saw her

[–] RugGuy 11 years ago

I think the daughter was a bad plot point. It really didn't move the story forward and could have been left out.

[–] karen526 11 years ago

Oh, I disagree completely! Their daughter was conceived while they were still fairly happily married. During the pregnancy, they fought, and he cheated on her. Hubble stayed with Katie until the baby was born, per her request, at which time he left and they eventually divorced.

The end scene is sweet and touching, and shows how they have moved on even though they will always love each other. Katie is remarried ("It's the only David X. Cohn in the book!" - that line gets me every time!!! LOL) and her daughter is safe and loved and secure in the new marriage.

[–] jfitz_returns 10 years ago

He's a worse father than he was a husband? She said he preferred the easy road. Being a parent is hard. He can't be bothered.

[–] leader-7 10 years ago

In the 1950's it was more common for a woman who was divorced w/ an infant to make a clean break and not have the bio father involved…. It's just how it was then. So, the writing is quite timely and on the mark. His parenting skills or interest in being a parent weren't the issue; and since the baby came along at the end of the film, the fact that Rachel's bio dad wasn't in her life was immaterial to moving the plot along.

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The world doesn't owe you a damn thing.

[–] IcingOnTheCake 9 years ago

It was how it was for some and not all. He made the choice.

[–] jmcalli-2 9 years ago

I think you're right about '50's divorces. My parents divorced in 1954 and my dad dropped out of my life. It's how they did it then.

[–] jayme_franklin 10 years ago

It bothered me that he didn't even ask about her personality, who/what she looked like, etc.
Those are just normal things a person in that situation would usually ask. I thought it odd that they wouldn't keep in contact via letters with photos of, and updates on Rachel.

[–] ms-trixi 10 years ago

Well nowadays he'd be a deadbeat dad. And him not ever seeing his daughter is the saddest part for me. But yes, it was that way back then- new husband would adopt the child as his own.

At least he probably contributed some good looking genes to that little girl!

"Getting old is not for sissies."
Bette Davis

[–] leader-7 9 years ago

And "nowadays" we all wear seatbelts, and aren't allowed to smoke or drink while pregnant or the police will come get you, and you don't DARE not baby proof the house before the kid is born, and... and...you can't leave your dog in the car when the temp is 60 degrees and it's raining or the Humane Society will come get you, and nowadays we all have smoke detectors in the house...

And nowadays butter is better than margarine.

So, the conventional wisdom is, that with every change or "improvement" something else gets worse.

NO, he would not be a deadbeat dad, if the mother, who has custody, made a decision NOT to have him in the child's life.

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[–] NeverEclipsed 10 years ago

I think the shame of being a broken family prevented him from even admitting he had a child. Fortunately times have changed somewhat and regardless of whether the parents are together mothers and fathers generally co-parent.

[–] HeyTV 9 years ago

Really kind of sad. I just caught the end of this. Haven't seen it in at least 10 years.

I took it as part of the times. With both parents remarried I assumed the daughter was raised by her step dad. It seems strange...but a lot of things from the past do. It's a sad movie on several levels.