MovieChat Forums > Children of a Lesser God (1986) Discussion > Missed the beginning of the movie...

Missed the beginning of the movie...

posted 10 years ago by daughterofolaf
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So maybe I missed something important. What exactly was Sarah so bitter and angry about? I didn't really understand where she was coming from. It seemed like the entire movie was simply her throwing tantrums over almost every single thing her boyfriend did. I found her behavior rather inexplicable and hysterical to the point that aside from hot sex I have no idea why he even wanted to be with her at all so I'm guessing I missed some rather important character establishment at the beginning of the movie.

It wasn't me who was murdered, was it?

[–] MuMu2525 10 years ago

Apart from her sleeping, Sarah's first scene was where she was her telling the cook in the school kitchen where to shove his pans. She grew up with a chip on her shoulder because she never felt respected, something which continued (or so she felt) into adulthood. Her father never accepted her and she's estranged from her mother because she felt her mother failed her. She has a menial job but she wants more out of life. Although James just wants to help her, she sees his interest as patronising and his interference makes her angry (he goes to see her mother without her consent). Even when they start their relationship, she feels that he makes decisions for her. When James keeps trying to get her to talk, she doesn't want to because she feels it will diminish her and she loses it and leaves him. I alwasy felt that she just wanted somebody to understand and respect her and then she might finally let go of her anger at the world.