MovieChat Forums > Roughly Speaking (1946) Discussion > Women's roles

Women's roles

posted 12 years ago by npaxton-3
3 replies | jump to latest

Just saw this movie for the first time. It started out as a promising story of a young woman and her friend leaving home in the early twentieth century to pursue careers and support themselves in a man's world. Rosalind Russell is a strong woman who finds someone she loves, works outside the home through four pregnancies, finds that she and her husband don't have much in common, divorces, and marries an eccentric ne'er do well helping him through many ups and downs with her optimism and hard work. Her kids, first look as spunky and determined as she and her new husband are but as they grow up the boys attend Yale and Harvard, the oldest girl marries a "dependable young man", and the poor crippled younger girl remains at home to help her parents because, presumably, who would want her as a wife. I thought why weren't her children - especially the two girls - just as adventuresome as she was in growing up and being their role model. Disappointing!

[–] lindalinn28 11 years ago

I just wanted to say that this movie was based on an autobiographical story. Of course, not all source material is followed in a screenplay. However, your complaint that the daughters were not as adventuous as the mother does not take into consideration that this story was supposed to be true. Adventuous daughters might be expected if the story were fiction. Also, because the daughters had to make do in the depression and war years, they opted for security in their own marriages. Since we do not have a follow-up, we are not privy to what those marriages might have been in real life. Often we are too critical of women in bygone days in the movies when we compare them either to modern times or fictional stories. I read on IMDb that Frankie Pierson became a part of the film industry. Also, another quibble--Jack Carson's character could not be called a ne'er do well as he attempted all kinds of jobs to make a living for his family. Evidently, they never heard from or received help from the first 4 children's father. I found this movie quaint and homey--a slice of life from the 20s-30s-and 40s--the hardships that our parents and grandparents endured at that difficult time in the US.

[–] sherryangl 11 years ago

A very good response, lindalinn28. I remembered this movie from my childhood,( I am now 58). I was glad to find out what the name was and to see it again all these years later. I could only remeber Jack Carson and the rose rush time before seeing it again. I always liked Jack Carson and he is still one of my favorite actors. I just watched on TCM a couple of days ago.

[–] liscarkat (16543) 2 years ago

Exactly. Carson's character was anything but a n'er do well. He worked his ass off, and even when his vacuum cleaner sales job didn't work out, he got busy as a pool shark and was not doing too bad.