MovieChat Forums > One Foot in the Grave (1990) Discussion > What's worse than warm champagne?

What's worse than warm champagne?

posted 13 years ago by tremas-1
6 replies | jump to latest

I admit to being puzzled by a statement by Margaret that gives rise to the title for Episode 4 of Season 4, "Warm Champagne." I wonder if it puzzled you, too.
After dinner at a fancy restaurant with an acquaintance named Ben, during which he complains that his champagne was not chilled properly, Margaret goes to his apartment.
Referring to Victor, Ben says "He's just frightful, isn't he? I don't know why you should have to put up with it." Margaret answers: "What do you mean?" and Ben goes on skewering Victor: "Well, 35 years saddled to THAT. ... He reminds me of one of those psychopathic killers in The Chamber of Horrors."
Most women would jump into a vat of acid rather than live with someone like Victor, he adds, concluding: "How you've stuck it all those years, I find quite astonishing."
That appears too vicious an attack on Victor, so Margaret politely ends the conversation and leaves. Before she does, she turns to Ben and asks: "Do you know what's actually worse than warm champagne?"
"No," answers Ben.
"No, I really don't think you do," she says, quietly.
What does she mean by that? That Ben doesn't know what he's talking about? That there are worse things than warm champagne? That warm champagne means nothing in the context of life? How do you interpret that parting shot?

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hawk-275 13 years ago

Margaret realizes slowly that Ben, although superficially charming, is somewhat shallow in comparison with Victor. Unlike Victor, Ben has never had occasion to experience anything worse than a glass of warm champagne throughout his whole life. This is what she means when she says to Ben, "Do you know what's actually worse than warm champagne?" "No, I really don't think you do".

[–] charlimcbean 13 years ago

I agree with hawk275.

Only a shallow person would think that the worst thing in the world is warm champagne. Someone with more depth and meaty life experiences (like Victor) has endured far worse things than warm champagne and this, I believe, is what Margaret is referring to (unknowingly to Ben).

Hmmmm puzzler. Bit of a puzzle.

[–] heat22000 12 years ago

Of course, the answer could simply be the complete opposite of something being too warm - coldness - in this case, Ben's total disregard for the pain that Margaret's desertion would have caused Victor.

[–] andlovesaidnohim 12 years ago

Yeah, I think all these responses are right.

Ben just doesn't get it. While, as stated, he may be superficially charming, he has no depth to his personality and is only thinking about his own needs and not even Margaret's. Although Victor is a grouch on the outside, he has far more depth of character and sensitivity than Ben could ever hope to have. It's Victor's sensitivity that makes him so upset and angry about everything.

[–] DC1977 11 years ago

I think it's an odd piece of dialogue because if you ask anyone 'Do you know what's worse than warm champagne?' most people will answer 'No' because its something like that is usually intended almost as a rhetorical question and an introduction to a point that is about to be made.

You can hardly use that as proof of someone being shallow.