Will John and Clementine Be Happy? (SPOILERS)

There are critics out there who are criticizing (as "perverse") how Paul Thomas Anderson's recent, surprisingly sweet film "Licorice Pizza" shows us a platonic love affair between a 25 year old "woman" and a 15-year old "boy." (Except he seems like a man and she seems like a girl.) But its platonic, and when the movie ends, he's 16, so ...what's the problem?

In any event, compare that to some EARLIER PTA movies.

Like in Boogie Nights, where veteran porn star Julianne Moore considers newbie porn star Mark Wahlberg to be "my baby boy" -- a surrogate son - -and yet still has sex with him both on and off camera.

Or like here, in Hard Eight, where cocktail waitress/hooker Gwyneth Paltrow, in a spur of the moment decision, elects to marry the rather plain and loser-ish John C. Reilly -- and then to turn a trick with another man on her wedding night!

I guess you can't say that PTA is particularly interested in "normal stories about normal people."

And yet: on the fatherly urging of their mentor Sydney(Philip Baker Hall), newlyweds John and Clementine escape from Reno(and some danger from the police and maybe from a criminal) for a REAL honeymoon...at Niagara Falls.

The movie ends with Hall's heartfelt expression (via phone)) to Reilly of paternal love: "You're the son I never had, and I love you," and with John and Clementine on the last leg of their cross-country drive to Niagara Falls.

Will they be happy?

On first thought the answer is: of course not. These are two damaged young people...especially HER, what with the hooking with another man on her wedding night(and then having John help beat and shackle the customer and hold him hostage.) And neither of them are very bright(see: the ridiculous hostage plan.)

But hey, one can hope. After all, Sydney went to a lot of trouble to ensure some amount of happiness for these two. He taught John a trade(professional gambling) and he committed murder to protect them (and himself.)

Still...I think the answer is: no. They aren't going to be happy. Sydney has midwifed a stillbirth here.

But...life being what it is...maybe they will be happy for AWHILE. And then break up and divorce. And then maybe find other people. (John has a better shot at happiness than an aging hooker, though.)

I think PTA's point here is that damaged, hardscrabble people have to go for what short-term happiness they can find, whatever brief love or love substitute is available.

And Sydney knows that, too.