I always thought it was a romantic story. A platonic, never gonna happen romantic story (being who they are) between Tess and Doug. Him with his white knight complex and her with her need of someone who isnt afraid of her.
Anyone else thinks the same?
Hawkeye: Insanity is just a state of mind
[deleted]
Well, then maybe it is just me then. :)
Hawkeye: Insanity is just a state of mind
You notice that what triggered the warming in the relationship between them (the scene at the bar) was the collapse of Tess's relationship with her own son.
Obviously, her son only comes to see her when he wants to use her. Only when he wants to use her as the pigeon in one of his scams. When Tess said no, she was forced to face the fact that she cannot trust her son.
I like your point about the 'white knight complex'. It explains the disastrous marriage, his trying to 'save' someone who was no damn good.
yeah, i agree with you there. I think another turning point was when she saw Dpug crying at her husbands funeral and realises that he does/ did actually care about the family- far more than her own son did.
"I lurk"- Angel in Buffy
The answer is..YES..it is just you!
shareI thought it was a parent child relationship and the changes that it entails. Her erratic behavior could be blamed on her brain tumor and her impeding death. She struggles to maintain her dignity which includes a bit of power.
I just watched this movie for the first time (was bored looking for a movie,found this and I actually really love it)and I totally agree with you. When they were in the helicopter I wanted him to tell her I love you so much Tess and I'm so sorry!. I didnt want them to make out or anything but I definitely felt love between them.
shareNear the end Tess very clearly and plainly says to the president, "When I am gone I want this young man taken care of, he is like a son to me".
A huge turning point (or realization) for Tess was when she was watching the old film of her husband's funeral and saw how deeply affected Doug was by her husband's death. The turning point for Doug is a bit fuzzier to me, possibly when she let her guard down and went to him in his car and they had their talk. It was made deeper when he discovered that she really did have an inoperable brain tumor - She is just as human and vulnerable as anyone else, but stays strong in the face of great adversity and sometimes great embarrassment.
Is there "love" between them..I think Yes, there are many types of love, but it is a part of the great respect and deep friendship that developed between them.
I absolutely agree.
It's not a conventional romance (although I would argue that we have watched HOW MANY STORIES of this same age gap with real romances among older men/younger women??).
But I do think there is something to this story --in a really lovely, touching way -- that Tess and Doug love each other, and that, in a different time, they might have fallen in love romantically.
I don't think it's coincidence for instance that Tess is the only woman in Doug's life. Or that Doug is the only man in hers.
The conventions of movie-watching mean that we have to assume that Tess and Doug only love each other as family. But I don't really care about that. Because by the end, romance or no romance, the movie convinces me that Doug and Tess really love and care about each other. Doug's fear and sadness over Tess's kidnapping are gorgeously presented and really moving -- most of all because of their previous antagonism, and because he has no one else. And all her other kids have let her down -- including her own son, who we see cold at his Dad's funeral and who further tries to use Tess for his own interests later on (sadly).
So ultimately, I don't add a label to it. Doug absolutely loves Tess. Tess absolutely loves Doug. Do they want to have sex? Not exactly, no. But do they love each other more than anyone else? Yes, they do.
It's a beautiful and sweet little film, and I think it's way better than its rating here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I keep thinking I'm a grownup, but I'm not.