Didnt Anyone Else Look Into The Fathers Books?
I did after watching this the first time. The most rewarding aspect of the film. Jonathan Baumbach. “Reruns” and “You:Or the Invention of Memory”. Solid books.
Having been finagled into watching this film again by someone who was watching it for the first time I even see more clearly how honestly tormented the father is; and he is the most interesting character! Kids are not that conflicted. The way these kids are portrayed: that’s looking back at memories and seasoning them with adult perceptions. And the scenes outside of the kids; how does the writer know how the father or mother acted, thought or felt? Preposterous. I don’t understand why the father is portrayed as an “elitist” or thought of as such for being able to read a book and understanding it beyond a mundane level. Those are conceits... just like what everyone else on Planet Earth possesses. No difference between Artistic Conceit and forcing your child to watch and love a certain sports team or playing a certain sport; or choosing a certain political party affiliation; or forcing them to pledge their allegiance to a Religion for their entire life before they are too old to think; or making them become a vegetarian or a steak lover; or finding anything artistic requiring more than an reactionary emotional response to be “elitist”.
One kid mimics the father.... like most kids. And that’s the kid’s issue to deal with, and figure out. What every child on Earth goes through: trying to be their own person. Most people never do; and seeing full grown “adults” mimic what they watch on TV or read in the newspaper for how to walk and talk is much more disturbing.
And both kids are angry and confused……like most kids. As if divorced kids have a right to act obnoxiously. They don’t.