MovieChat Forums > Ricki and the Flash (2015) Discussion > Ugh, the daughter-in-law

Ugh, the daughter-in-law

posted 9 years ago by sweetbitchness
21 replies | jump to latest

First of all, I just want to say that I really enjoyed the movie... it doesn't pretend to be more than it is, even with Meryl starring.

Anyway, the only problem I had was the daughter-in-law, Emily, I mean, talk about snob. To me, she came across very unpolite and rude from the moment she met Ricki. I know she's the fiancée, but to me she's trying to butt in a family problem that doesn't concern her... how tacky to try to justify not telling her about the engagement and not inviting her to the wedding with moronical excuses. Son and mother have a problem, let's keep it that way. And jeez those snooty wedding guests, looking her up and down. And I understand the daughter-in-law was embarrassed during Ricki's speech - she couldn't know where it was going -, but again with the attitude? I could almost see her eyes rolling to the back of her head. In the end she relented, and so did everybody else, because the mother of the groom actually knows how to rock, but I wanted do slap some sense into Emily.

I know some people feel entitled and what-not, but truly educated people never act that way, even if your significant other has a problem with said parent... You can obviously take that "You have a problem with him/her, I'll have one too" stance, but unless that person actually does something that warrants your bad side, it's so disrespectful to act as if you have a chip on your shoulder.

[–] ladybug2535 8 years ago

Playing devil's advocate here, you could easily think that Ricki was actually just trying to divert attention away from the bride and groom and steal the spotlight. while this wasn't the case I'm actually kind of surprised that no one came out and said it--especially the ones who supposedly didn't like her in the first place.

While I agree the fiance/bride and her parents came across as stuck up, I know from experience that many, many people would have considered it extremely inappropriate for her to show up at the wedding at all. That would be an easy alternative explanation for the hositle attitudes of the wedding guests towards Ricki. I got the impression that many of the wedding guests were friends of the step-mother, who obviously wasn't very supportive of any kind of real relationship between Ricki and her children. And to be fair, no one actually came out and said or did anything overtly hostile (just her son) at the wedding or reception.

True they didn't laugh at her lame jokes or otherwise encourage her, but then no one at the wedding reception actually knew Ricki after all of those years and certainly would have only known that she "abandoned" her children and husband years ago. Not many people would easily let that go even if they are on the outside looking in and certainly would have jumped to conclusions about why and how she'd been living. Probably would have thought the step-mother was a saint for even "allowing" Ricki an invitation, but "OF COURSE" (they'd believe), Ricki shouldn't have shown up. Again, I've seen this scenario play out much (MUCH) worse in real life, so I don't think the criticism is really warranted.

No one actually had any idea about Ricki was like after all of that time, or what she was going to do when she took the mike. I can imagine what those people would think: I mean, she left her family to tour with a band! Probably a drug addict or an alcoholic...! Remember what her own son said about drugs? Wouldn't you kind of hold your breath?

[–] tigerfish50 8 years ago

Expecting realism in one of these feel-good movies is a bit unreasonable. These sentimental stews are cooked up according to a formula. Streep's turn as a rock star was the only interesting element - the rest was pap - delivered by an unusually talented cast.