MovieChat Forums > One Day (2011) Discussion > Too much like Sliding Doors and very dis...

Too much like Sliding Doors and very disempowering!

posted 11 years ago by OliviaF
5 replies | jump to latest

This movie reminded me of Sliding Doors - American actress playing dowdy British girl who has difficult relationship with emotionally unavailable man. She goes through some sort of makeover where she cuts her hair short and becomes successful in her job. Then she gets hit by a truck and dies.

I use the word disempowering because movies like these do not show female characters being in control - as soon as they take charge of their life, something horrible and tragic happens to them.

Very uninspiring movies indeed.

[–] littlekaren 11 years ago

Well, u have a point although I thought Emma did put Dex in his place when he needed it...and although I really did love both movies.

[–] shadenelewis 11 years ago

Read the book, you will realise how strong a person Emma is. Her death is significant because it shows you how much of an influence she was on Dex and how she made him a better person. It hits home more so when she is gone.

[–] Prelude-in-C-maj 11 years ago

It also echoed City of Angels, for me, a film I like more, however.

[–] Hecate-3 10 years ago

** SPOILERS **

I think Emma took charge of her life long before the truck came along. (BTW, spoiler tag, please?) She ditched Ian instead of taking the easy road and marrying him. She started a dual career as teacher/published author instead of the waitress/wannabe author she had been for so long. She even moved to Paris and had a fling with a gorgeous musician. She didn't enter into a romance with Dexter until he had 1. Quit sleeping with every reasonably attractive female he saw. 2. Quit doing crap shows for an empty life of fame and fortune. 3. Sobered up. 4. Realized that finding someone to love was what mattered most in his life and ceased being emotionally unavailable.

If I remember correctly, they had a year between when they finally hooked up in Paris and when they were planning their wedding and Dexter was starting up his cafe. Then they had at least one year of married life before truck. So they had at least a couple of years together as a couple after Dexter reached the point where she was willing to take a chance on him as a partner, and their hookup in Paris came after Emma had taken charge of her life. The tragic accident did not come as soon as she took control.

[–] DeniP 8 years ago

Americans really need to get off this empowerment/disempowerment *beep*
You are looking for movies to 'empower' you? What the F? Bad things happening to somebody who you identify with because s/he is a member of a group you consider yourself a member of is disempowering for you? You need some serious emotional/mental growing up to do. That's just infantile.
This smells so much like an attempt(excuse) to shift responsibility for one's life to other people/things.