MovieChat Forums > The Guilt Trip (2012) Discussion > boomer fantasy or boomer smear piece?

boomer fantasy or boomer smear piece?

posted 12 years ago by stdragon
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I thought this movie would be about an annoying mother and her sarcastic son learning to respect each other as human beings. It should have been cliched but sweet with plenty of opportunity for humor and pokes at stereotypes.

It wasn't.

It was about an annoying mother and her sarcastic son, and the son learning to respect his mother as a human being, while the mother continues living in her deluded thoughts that she's so great. The character development in this movie was skewed so that the son's negative aspects (from his mother's view) were "corrected" but the mother's negative aspects (from the son's view) were not. Her character development had nothing to do with her relationship to her son -- instead she learns to have fun, gamble, get her ears pierced, and start dating again. I.e. she focuses more on herself. The son, on the other hand, despite starting off as completely suppressed already, learns to focus *even more* on the mom and be *even more* careful of her feelings.

I realize the movie is either a boomer fantasy about the vitality, independence, and charisma of boomers, or a cynical criticism of boomers' narcissism and the way they act like teenagers and have to essentially be taken care of by their own young adult children (and social security/medicare/etc that young workers pay for). It's really hard to say but I feel like the movie was glorifying the mom -- she was often proven right (like her sales advice), and at the end she calls her new boyfriend instead of her son, while the son stares at his phone waiting for the call, showing that she "moved on" first so to speak.

Are there moms like this? She is so self-centered, smug, and overbearing it's sickening. She's so sickening that's why I think the whole thing might be anti-boomer, with her representing the worst qualities of the boomer generation. Nobody could like this character. Right? I mean I understand the people posting saying they lost their moms when they were kids, etc, that's obvious. But everybody else?

[–] SparkleeUnicorn 12 years ago

Really interesting take on this somewhat boring, miss the mark film. I think more of a fantasy film even though really it is bringing up negative aspects of that generation. I have to agree with you On many of the negative aspects you brought up but I can't help but question if it is because I myself HATE most people belonging in the "boomer" generation. My parents etc and people I have met from that generation all seem extremely self-serving and cannot look past themselves. They also blame society and everyone else for their problems because they realize their own life sucks. The biggest reason I hate them is because they seemed to have lost that fighting spirit they had as youths when they protested the Vietnam war. They have lost their way and lost he feelings that came along with being young in this country full of pig *beep* The movie Is exactly how you stated it. The mother is a nagging and self-serving idiot who seems perfectly content in her obliviousness to everything around her. I know this type because my mom was much like her, only meaner. All in all really let down by this movie as I am a true stoner lover of seth and also I do have respect for barbara. The only good thing I can perhaps say about her character is that she did seem like her heart was there. Otherwise pretty unfunny movie with a somewhat dragging plot with no real pay-off for me at least. I didn't hate the movie by all means but it could have been better. Good observations and way to think outside.