What a strange and ultimately demeaning message this films sends out.
This film is billed as a delicious romantic comedy but I couldn't find any comedy and virtually no romance. Moreso it seemed to send out the strangest of messages.
This waitress lives with an abusive, dominating husband that she hates – Just leave him then.
I’m sick and tired of these stupid women who hook up with a ‘bad boy’ assuming they can change/tame him and then are surprised when they can’t. If he hits or verbally intimidates you for the first time, you decide your course of action. You give him another chance or you leave him. If he does it again and you don’t go then you’ve only got yourself to blame.
Why do these women play the goddam victim all the time? You choose who you date/marry. Your choice of partner reflects on you as a person. Maybe you should have put a little thought into it beforehand. I’m so tired of the “Oh it’s not my fault, he changed” response. This hand washing of responsibility for your plight is bollocks. The signs were there but you probably chose to ignore them.
She then gets pregnant by him, which when she does the pregnancy test is praying it comes in negative. It comes in positive but at no point does she consider termination. “The child won't have a dad but I'm going to have it anyway” is the sentiment.
Why couldn’t she terminate? She can’t stand this man yet she wants to have his child? She wants to be free and not tied down anymore yet is going to be lumbered with a child. Why have a child that is going to grow up without a father? Why can’t she think of the child’s future? If you know from the get go that it won’t have access to its father then you are affecting the child’s upbringing from the beginning. Abortions are there to correct mistakes. Granted they should not be used as contraceptive but they are there so you don’t have to go through with the birth.
She then has an affair with a married man (even though she's still married) creating a strange situation that 'she thinks nothing wrong with having an affair' but it so traditional that she couldn't entertain a termination.
I’m not comparing an affair with an abortion but again the film gives no reason as to why abortion is such a complete no-no. One makes the assumption it’s because of her moral code, religious beliefs or something else. Although the film synopsis describes her as sassy, maybe she has traditional values. The point I’m making is that her morals/values/religious beliefs don’t impede her having an affair with a married man yet prevent her from even considering an abortion.
Some will say that ‘just leaving him’ is overly simplistic but in the film she can't do this when she is without child but finds the strength to once having had a baby. Therefore implying that a baby will resolve all of your problems.
The film sends out an awful message. Basically a woman on her own isn’t strong enough or independent enough to stand up for herself but having a child and becoming a mother makes everything ok. Get out of an abusive relationship by having a child with aforementioned man, then raise the child without the balance of a fathers input. Christ, is this is the rallying call for a host of council house, single mum slags?
I find this film portrays a ridiculously old fashioned ideal that a woman is only complete when she is a mother. In my mind this is utter *beep* and couldn’t be more demeaning or un-PC to women.
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