MovieChat Forums > Daisy Kenyon (1947) Discussion > So frustrating!

So frustrating!

posted 14 years ago by Regina_Giddens
10 replies | jump to latest

She picked the wrong man.

That's the frustrating thing about these production code romances, you always know how they are going to end. Daisy was never going to end up with Dan, because he was married during their relationship and that just didn't cut it under the code.

Obviously Daisy was going to choose the nice soldier even though Joan and Henry Fonda has absolutely NO chemistry and despite the dialogue at the end, it seemed obvious to me that Daisy loved Dan a lot more than Peter.

But you are, Blanche. You are in that chair!

[–] HillieBoliday 14 years ago

I understand your frustration....but Daisy deserved more than what Dan could
or was willing to give her.

She was sooooo weak, and soooooo gullible!
It was just plain scandalous for a man with Dan's professional, social,
and economical position to leave his wife and children for
another woman.....WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN...he would have lost too much!

Dan just wanted an "extra piece" on the side.....his intentions
were not honorable!

I am not in favor of adultery, but I figure if you are going to put
yourself through all of that emotional pain....you better get something
more out of it than just a good feeling of being in love, and a lot of
empty promises!

"OOO...I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"

[–] katesgram2000 14 years ago

I disagree whole heartedly Into-Dust. She picked the right man. You finally saw past Dan and what he was and would probably always be. A man who is never satisfied with what he has.
If he cheated on his wife he would eventually end up cheating on her too.

She correctly came to the conclusion that Peter was the better man.

I do not think she was in love with Dan at the end. She said "It's a funny thing about love. Sometimes it's easier to tell when you are than when you aren't. I stopped being in love with you a long time ago. But the memory kind of lingered on and kept me mixed up".
She also said "What you call wanting me wasn't anything more than wanting to run away from responsibility".

What she had with Peter was a deep true love. What she had with Dan was just lust.

[–] Tina-37 14 years ago

I'm very torn about the ending and it wasn't what I expected. Part of me figured that if Dan had actually won Daisy, as time went on, he would have been dissatisfied and started casting a wandering eye towards someone else. Part of me didn't know what to think of Peter either -- I liked him, but his tactic of not "over-reacting" to Dan's attempt rape of Daisy left me somewhat troubled; okay, yeah, there was a bit of me that wanted him to punch Dan's lights out, but then I realized that it was likely not in Peter's low-key character. The commentary right now is saying that Peter plays the game in the shrewdest way so that he ends up winning the girl, but *sigh* I'm still frustrated about it all. (I'll give Preminger credit for making me think).

Honestly, I had thought the ending would be for her to tell both of them to head back to New York, get out of her life, and she was going to start from scratch (memories of Olivia deHavilland ascending the staircase in "The Heiress" with Montgomery Cliff's sniveling character uselessly banging on the front door). We almost saw that when she tells them BOTH to go back to NYC, and deep down I was like "Go Daisy." Independent woman who will eventually find the right man.

So not really surprised it ended the way it did, considering production moral standards, but can't say I was feeling overly romantic when it was over. Suffice it to say, I can't say I totally disagree with anyone who has commented on this thread.

[–] the sphynx 13 years ago

Nope. She loved both in different ways, but she picked the right man, the one she could respect as well as love.

As I said in another thread just now, "I consider Dan's mishandling of the situation with his daughters, especially the younger one who's already being abused, to be crucial to understanding why Daisy didn't pick him. It wasn't just that Peter was a good man. It was that Dan was a shortsighted louse. He'd rather spare Daisy a few days of painful testimony and a few months of newspaper notoriety--for which she was clearly prepared--than be there to save his daughters. A man who would make that choice in my favor is not being romantic. He's being a complete something-that-rhymes-with-stick."

And I disagree that Daisy and Peter had no chemistry. I thought they had plenty.

[–] Jalea 13 years ago

@the sphynx

Your post hit the nail on the head! Peter knew about Daisey and Dan. But he also knew that the relationship with not satisfying for Daisey. Dan wanted to "milk the cow for free." Which was symbolized by his drinking from Daisey's milk bottle the night he apologized for his horrible behavior (total lack of etiquette) and sauntering off. He had no intention of marrying Daisey before his wife decided to divorce him. He was a total heel - he cared nothing for his wife's feelings about being in a loveless marriage. He cared nothing about Daisey feelings about being in an adulterous relationship in which she rarely saw her lover (he canceled more dates that he kept). He felt guilt about his wife's abuse of her daughter, but was perfectly willing to let her daughter continue to suffer because he felt guilty about what Daisey would have to go through for him.

Furthermore, at the restaurant, he was so disrespectful to Peter, ordering Daisey's drink for her, underscoring their intimacy to Peter. He was very arrogant, assuming that Daisey would pick him over Peter. And, he assumed that Peter's low key behavior was indifference, as a lawyer, he should now when he is being played. However, he was clueless about Peter's passive-aggressive tactics. NOTE: I knew Daisey chose Peter for two reasons; one, when Peter asked her is she wanted a divorce, she did not answer him and two, when Peter walked out she kept staring at the door after him. I was surprised that Dan did not notice -- but he is so self absorbed it should not have come as a surprise.

Why would Daisey want such a selfish, immature person versus a steady man who loved her very much and would not seek to force himself on her? They were in fact happy together. That kind of love grows stronger down through the years. I was laughing at the end of the movie, because the nice guy finished last! Yay!

[–] generalusgrant 13 years ago

Any woman that thinks the Dana Andrews character was the "right man" to choose obviously has the self-esteem of a grubworm. So a rampant womanizer is the right choice for a husband? What a joke! He wasn't faithful to the Crawford character when he was having his fling with her. He would NEVER have stayed faithful to her after marriage.

Fonda was dull but steady and faithful.

For my money, she could have done better than both of them, but if you had to marry one of 'em, it's Fonda.

[–] npaxton-3 13 years ago

Toward the end of the film, I was hoping that she'd dump the both of them. It was so contrived when they all sat down to discuss their dilemma. Having seen Mildred Pierce just before this one on TCM, it runs circles around Daisy IMHO.

[–] matthewwave-1 13 years ago

She chose Peter because she finally grew up.

Matthew

[–] gribfritz2 13 years ago

Seems to me that she just finally GAVE up. This guy, that guy, my wife, the other woman, etc... Just pick a freakin' pony and ride already.

[–] matthewwave-1 13 years ago

I don't know... It's been a coupla months since I saw it, but I don't remember coming away with that impression. It seemed to me that the film was crafted as if it was suggesting she had learned some life lessons by the time she made that choice. What you suggest is a completely, like, believable, human scenario for someone in the character's position (or something like it) in real life, but I think the movie was fashined to say otherwise.

Again, I may not even be remembering it perfectly. I'm lucky when I can remember where my feet are these days...

Matthew