MovieChat Forums > Freedom Writers (2007) Discussion > Did the husband REALLY bother anyone els...

Did the husband REALLY bother anyone else?

posted 11 years ago by juliaknight
9 replies | jump to latest

I don't know how accurate the portrayal of Erin's husband is to reality, but I feel like the message this movie put forward was you can't help other people, change peoples lives, etc, without ruining your own life? Why did she have to "CHOOSE" between the students and her husband? To me, I think he was incredibly selfish. She offered for him to get involved, and I think it would have been great for him and the students to bond.

I hate that once things got "too hard" for him, he just divorced her. He was self centred and weak. Husbands should support their wives, just like she supported him. I hate to turn this into a sort of "feminist" argument, but I've noticed how (in movies especially) when men go out and change the world, their women are always back at home waiting for them. In fact, the wives in movies like this have an even less significant role as they just stay at home and offer words of support here and there. He couldn't even do that much. I don't know, it just bothered me a lot and I'm wondering if anyone felt the same way?

[–] novastar_6 11 years ago

Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Me me me me! I HATE that pussy wimp. He wants HER to sit around the house all day doing nothing while he's off doing something HE thinks is meaningful, but when SHE'S off doing something meaningful, he's completely helpless to do ANYTHING to give his own pathetic life any meaning.

[–] matineeidyll 11 years ago

That's just it, though. Her work forced him to hold a mirror up to himself, and he didn't like what he saw.

Go take a step outside - see what's shaking in the real world.

[–] joedogboy68 11 years ago

She is a selfish person who demeans him at every opportunity. While he is happy with what he is doing, she expects him to be something else. She doesn't value time with him - makes him wait up for her without calling, spends her weekends away from him - and generally takes him for granted. She expects him to support her in all of the things she wants, yet doesn't support him - and doesn't include him in the decision-making process about things that will effect their lives.

The relationship is certainly not the one he thought he was getting into. He's not happy, and he knows that he's not making her happy. She's not going to change for him, or for the sake of the relationship, so he does the honorable thing, and ends it.

While he is not a very good husband, she is a terrible wife.

They should have just skipped this whole sub-plot.

[–] joedogboy68 11 years ago

The film would have been better if it had left out that subplot, and spent more time on the students, and maybe even shown how success in her class helped them to succeed in other classes.

[–] kirx 10 years ago

What other classes? They had her for all for years of high school.

[–] JGAS 10 years ago

You're thinking they didn't have a math, science, or social studies class in their four years of high school?

[–] matthew-cowell 9 years ago

I've been EXACTLY in his situation before, and came out of a 7 year relationship in much the same way.

I was totally neglected, she was too busy in her own world and i wasn't a part of it. In a relationship, you need to make compromises, and in the movie, Erin didn't. The husband was patient and understanding for what... almost 2 years or her not being there for him? The statement he made about her being in love with the idea of him was spot on. She loved her class more, and it was best for them to move on apart.

[–] reegan01 9 years ago

I'm in the same situation with my job. My situation is on a much smaller scale though. I work for a company that used to pay by the hour during this time I invested 60+ hours per week doing my job, and getting payed OT. Now I get payed a salary which is smaller than the average pay that I used to earn but invest the same amount of time to execute my job correctly.
The difference in pay, and no extra home life has caused my wife to push me into seeking new employment. I have 20 years with the company and like what I do. At some point there may be a decision to make.

[–] MusicLover3889 (314) 5 years ago

Erin and Kevin (his real life name) also didn’t communicate. They were both at fault.