MovieChat Forums > Revolutionary Road (2009) Discussion > Shep And April... Soilers

Shep And April... Soilers

posted 11 years ago by lamont-hard
14 replies | jump to latest

I just did not get this part of the movie,

Did she also love him secretly, I just did not understand why she cheated with him of all people. She and his wife were fiends and just because her husband had an affair should not have meant she should hurt her friend.

After the sex was over it seemed as if the writers just let it go. I mean it could not have been all that considering how and where it happened.

The writers seemed to say Shep was secretly in love with her, but I just got the feeling he knew she was vulnerable and drunk then uses this to get her to have sex.

The film never showed much of them being alone and/or sharing intimate moments so i was wondering what he loved about her. Again maybe it was her sex appeal he liked can any one else enlighten me on the two characters, Maybe I misread them.

[–] monajaved 11 years ago

I agree with you. They should have shown more about this part of the story not particularly about shep and April but about her and her husband. She didn't even confess about it and that scene had no consequence at all. It could have been easily edited out to be honest.

[–] La_Marseillaise 11 years ago

I don't think she had any romantic feelings for him at all. She was depressed and wanted to feel alive, and a spontaneous sexual escapade was her way of handling it at that moment. He seemed to be attracted to her all along, since early in the film, he was looking toward their house, longingly, and was upset when they first announced their Paris plans. I think Shep would have given up everything to be with her, and he wasn't even a blip on her radar.

[–] andraniki 11 years ago

^This. I agree 100% it has nothing to do with 'she loved him too and the writers messed up that storyline'. He loved her, she didn't love him. She was depressed, probably had an inkling of her husband's affair, and drunk. 'Why the hell not?' she probably thought lol

Maybe she thought that she could feel something for Shep, but either it just wasn't there, or the fact that he came in less than 30 seconds (lol literally, I checked) probably turned her off completely.

[–] BethieBumface 11 years ago

I think the Shep/April thing goes pretty deep, actually. Milly is the subservient, stereotypical wife and I think Shep loved how much more lively April seemed to be. I feel like Shep and Milly envied Frank and April and thought, from the outside, that their relationship was perfect and were living the life that Shep and Milly wanted. Of course, Frank and April were miserable too but I think, in a way, April was Shep's Paris.

[–] rockethulsey 11 years ago

she did go wait outside on his lawn, i think she knew his feelings

[–] lamont-hard 11 years ago

After watching the film a second time I saw it more clearly. Shep was lusting after April and just as i had suspected the first time I saw the film as he wanted her sexually. Films tend to shy away from this but as a guy I could see it more easily. We all sometimes in movies take caring for a married woman or being sensitive about her needs as proof positive when in real life the guy just wants to bang her. If a woman shows any weakness men will go at them full force and that was exactly what he did and it worked. Of course he would have gave up on his wife because the sex and her woman's sexuality was better than what he was getting but she simply/clearly saw it for not only what it was but also what he was really about. She knew what he wanted and gave into giving him, giving him what he was really persuing her for.

He certainly did not wow her as after it was over she regained some self respect and was through with being used by him. Besides she was truly in love with her husband but confused, feeling down about what life has dealt her.

[–] puplover 11 years ago

This is taken from the novel (which I HIGHLY recommend.) In the novel, Shep has been in love w/ April for quite a while AND they had even been together a few times (it's hazy for me as it's been a few years since I read it.) But, a good bit is devoted to Shep and his perception of HIS own life: he walks into a room and sees his kids which startles him because he forgot he had kids, for one. Another that stayed w/ me is he describes the smell of April compared to Millie; even when April is sweaty, she smells like lemons, while Millie has an unpleasant odor ALL the time.

The book was fantastic and like most, blows the movie away. May go re read it!

[–] lamont-hard 11 years ago

You may be correct in that the novel was not translated very well into a film. because I did not guess they were having sex before the film shows they did. I am curious how she felt about him in the novel? It seems that in both adaptations he did not mean a lot to her. Also did her husband and his wife ever find out about them. Just one last point was the child actually by her husband or Shep.

[–] puplover 11 years ago

Lamont- You are correct, she was like the "guy" in this instance; she used him for a quickie. Part of her possible (undiagnosed bipolar disorder, for example.) In the novel, it was quite plainly stated that Shep was madly in love w/ April; in the book Shep thinks something like "to go to Paris w/ APRIL WHEELER!!!!" He would have left Millie in a sec for April had she wanted it.

No, neither spouse finds out about them; compared to everything else that went on, it was almost irrelevant.

Also, she announces to Frank that she was pregnant BEFORE she and Shep had their quickie so the baby could not have been Sheps anyway.

[–] Princess_Ashmi 11 years ago

Did she also love him secretly, I just did not understand why she cheated with him of all people.

W...what? Because you have to be in love with someone to have sex with them?
Does that mean Frank was in love with his bit on the side too?

She was upset, she was drunk, they danced and got turned on, she let him *beep* her quickly(REAAALY quickly!) and then told him to drop her off home. She didn't even know at the point that her husband had an affair. So no, I can safely say it didn't seem like she loved Shep

Ashmi any question

[–] RyanCShowers 11 years ago

He loved her, she didn't love him by any stretch of the imagination. Her flirting and consent to have sex with him was just a big FU to Frank. She was pissed about not going to Paris, so she was acting wild and rebelling against the caged life Frank was making her stay in.

Feel the Films: A Blog by RCS - http://feelthefilms.wordpress.com/

[–] IcingOnTheCake 10 years ago

She didn't love him, he was just there. She knew he was attracted to her and enjoyed the attention. He didn't love her either, she was just more glamorous than his own wife. It was a case of the grass is greener for him.

[–] robfwoods 10 years ago

Shep was dropped from a helicopter into the movie - they just hid the chute very well.

[–] fromsincity 9 years ago

April was so depressed.She was in such situation that didnt care about anything,she didnt care hurt herself or anybody else,she just wanted to hurt,to do somthing big to forget.