MovieChat Forums > Shoot the Moon (1982) Discussion > Daddy Dearest

Daddy Dearest

posted 17 years ago by senorjuez
8 replies | jump to latest

The scene in which George comes to the house to bring one of his daughter a birthday gift was disturbing to say the least. When he is told by Faith that the birthday girl does not want to see him, he becomes irate. When his daughter confirms that she doesn't want to see him or his gift, George then pushes his wife out of the house and proceeds upstairs to the daughter's bedroom. Once he forces his way in, George then beats her with a wire hanger!
Because she was hurt and angry over the fact that he was cheating on her mother and didn't want to see him. That is totally insane. If this were to happen in real life, the father would be in jail.

When parents are getting divorced, it can be very hard on the children. Too often, as was shown in this film, they are too preoccupied with their own anger and misery that they don't acknowledge the children's feelings. These parents expect the children to act like nothing has changed. What George did was beyond wrong. No matter how angry he may have been, at his wife or his daughter, there is no excuse for beating his daughter with a wire hanger.

[–] R-W-Watkins 17 years ago

These boards are for film buffs and amateur critics, not wanna-be social workers and dogmatic moralists who have to be told what to think. Some of you out there are so programmable, you would probably kill your grandmother and eat her if Oprah or Dr. Phil told you to do so.

[–] senorjuez 17 years ago

Do you even know which scene I was refering to and if so, were you not shocked by it? I'm not a social worker and not programmed to believe that beating a child in anger is wrong. I can understand the father was upset but that doesn't justify what he did.

[–] aragem-1 17 years ago

I agree the scene was disturbing and the Father was WAAAAY off line, but I didn't see a wire hangar in his hand. I think he was using his hand.

[–] Gina_Riley_Admirer 17 years ago

He used his hand a wire hanger.
One of the things that really gets to me is poor little Molly standing silently at the bottom of the stairs and looking up at her Dad as he quietly leaves the house afterward. I imagine she is so confused. :'(

-- Leet.

~ Gíñä ®ïl€ÿ ¡§ Â GødÐes§! ~

[–] Pacer88 (233) 3 years ago

Yes, he picked the wire hanger up off the bed middle, or toward the end, of the spanking. The daughter even mentioned it during the scene when they were sitting on the dock talking.

[–] Katz5 16 years ago

It's one of the most important scenes in the film.
George grows enraged because he still loves his daughters (and Faith--although he refuses to acknowledge it until the end). He spanks her relentlessly (I didn't see a coat hanger, though) because she keeps saying she hates him and won't return his love. That scene brought Sherry and George closer---for the rest of the film, they have a special bond.

Great film.

DICK JONES! I WORK FOR DICK JONES!

[–] mmitsos-1 16 years ago

I know...this scene is so disturbing. I understand that the father feels a need to connect to his daughter, but he was a bully. Just let it lie, and maybe she would come around in her own time and talk to him. He was a maniac, especially acting that way in front of the other children.

I love this film. It's almost a modern day "Pumpkin Eater"...the husbands in both films are philanderers, and writers. Both films are also very "quiet", which I like about them...not a lot of nonsensical soundtrack music, though I do LOVE the piano music in the background and in the opening credits of The Pumpkin Eater..another one of my absolute favorite films.

[–] Pacer88 (233) 3 years ago

It happens in real life, without jail time, more often than it should.