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Some Questions about Short Cuts

posted 16 years ago by benefitovdadoubt
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Hey, I bought this movie about three months ago and have watched it about 8 times since. I've never done this with a movie in that short of a timespan before. I really love Short Cuts; not sure where it stands on my favorites list, but it's definitely high up there.

Anyway, every time I watch the movie I have questions about certain things that I end up forgetting by the end of it. Next time I should just write it all down.

However, I do remember some.

1) Why do Sherri and Marion laugh at their husbands so obnoxiously? Is it cause, in Sherri's case, she thinks it's funny that her husband thinks he's pulled the wool over her eyes? Likewise for Marion, is it because she laughs at how weak her husband is? Furthermore, when the Kanes and the Wymans are together by the jacuzzi, Marion talks about her old art professor, and then we see Ralph make that face while letting air out of the balloon. Why does he do that? Is it cause he just simply doesn't believe her?

Thinking about it more, it seems like Stuart and Marion are better off than with Ralph or Claire.

2) Who is the guy in the diner next to Earl after he makes up with his wife? It's interesting that when Earl asks him "Wouldn't you like to be married to someone like that?" and he replies "I am" What was the point of that? Is he a parallel to Earl? Meaning even though they're good right then and there, they'll keep fighting?

Another thing, what do you guys think about little Casey? I think that if he were to live, he'd grow up to be similar to Ralph. Considering how over protective his parents were, he'd probably grow up avoiding trouble and being weak, like Ralph.

I guess I have a few more, but I just wanna see what people say.

[–] surte 16 years ago

I think the reason why you haven't got a reply to your post so far is because people concurr with the answers you already give in attached to your questions...

You're spot on about Sherri, she finds it amusing that her husband thinks she doesn't knows he's avaing other affairs whenever he goes out. Also because in the first part of the movie, there is this logic idea that Sherri seems to be an oppressed mother (idea which totally falls down on that scene where she's with her sister). As for Marion, I think it's because of what you've said, he's mentally weak and unable to confront her infedility affair (that is, until he explodes towards the end of the movie) but I'd actually say it's because I also got the impression Marion is a very sensitive and moody person, being an artist and all. If you notice in details, some of her obnoxious gestures and words are followed by some sort of naive feeling of guilt. Otherwise why would she have such a hard time telling her tool of a husband about her more-than-obvious infidelity?

I don't see any reason as to why Stuart and Marion should be better off together than with their respectives. Why do you say so?

The guy at the dinner when Earl makes up with her wife is just your average american 40-50 year old married man, going through his own midlife and marriage crisis. There's no special connection of him to any of the charachters, that I can think of at least anyway. So he's just being agreeing to what Earl is saying because he's probably going through the same as I said. Or it could be that Earl, as you might recall walks into the diner totally hangover and in a bad figure from sleeping out on the streets...so the guy right next to him could just be keeping it short with Earl as someone normal would when noticing that someone drunken wants to start venting. As to Earl's marriage condition...I think it's like what you say, they'll keep on quarreling no matter what follows. He'll keep on drinking and she'll keep attached to him because he's everything she has left in her life. So they need each other and will be keeping with their ups and downs, despite all.

Regarding Ralph...that's pretty far-fetched, what you claim to think he'd be like in the future. Just because his parents were over protective (and I even question them...were they? Or how do you reach that conclusion? Their son gets hit by a car on his birthday on the way to school - isn't over concerned a better way to describe what they go through during large part of the movie?) it doesn't means he'd end up charachterless like Ralph. He's too young for us to guess anything related to his adult persona - hell, I'm 22 and I'm still even not sure of who I am and what's my goal in this world. Casey's future is unforseeable and his personality should only start shaping through his teens into his early adulthood, that's when people normally start getting a clue about who they really are.

I'd like to read more of the questions you claim to have. This movie gets one thinking a lot and there's a lot to be debated after all.