The Garden of Eden???

There are many references to the Garden of Eden and temptation in this. I am not sure that Matthew and Nimi are meant to be Adam and Eve though, for the most part. Matthew could even be the serpent at times bringing temptation to Nimi!! Perspectives shift a lot in this, it is partly about how differently things can be seen by different individuals and groups.
I think John and Jenny walking on the flowerbeds is a mixture of rudeness, destructivenes, disrespect and the fact that they are quite simply out of place there and never want to fit in. They are sophisticated, but uncouth which Matthew is not. Jenny and John are a now a couple as are Matthew and Nimi whatever they may think or say, they already really belong together like that. There is a social and emotional union as well as the physical one.and the beginnings of a spiritual aspect, at least in Matthew and Nimi's case. They finish each other's sentences and trains of thought. All that's missing is the committment and they are taking steps towards that. Their loyalties have already transferred. They may lose confidence and pull back and try to re-establish their previous relationships but it is already too late. It is just a matter of time, it cannot be precipitated or prevented. The tomatoes are nearly ripe!

The right to free speech stops short of shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theatre. Mark Twain

Well, I think that Matthew and Nimi are eating forbidden fruits so to speak. He's married, she's engaged. They have an interesting discussion imagining the garden to be the garden of Eden. "What would you leave out if this were the garden of Eden," Matthew asks. Nimi answers: "Shame and judgement" and when Nimi asks Matthew the same, he answers: "Fear and self-loathing." It's quite symbolic for their relationship, I think, apart from the fact that the garden is uniting them because Nimi is re-arranging it (symbolic in itself) and Matthew is the owner.

I believe that his wife steps on the plants deliberately to a) sort of humiliate Nimi and b) to show her that it's hers and she can do with it what she likes, as with Matthew... at least that's what she thinks at that point in the story.

Makes sense? :)

Renée

That's why I love having these discussions. Others see things that you don't. I loved your responses...very beautiful and enlightening. I really didn't think about the pairing aspect, as far as Jenny and John's relationship; and the part about the forbidden fruit of their relationship, very noteworthy. I also noticed how Matt and Nimi ball up their papers and throw them away...I think I've seen this movie too much!...but it kind of shows a similarity in their personalities, probably of impatience.

Could the garden be representative of Life or Love itself? and John and Jenny's stepping on the plants a disregard for commitment and love in relationships? Matt gives Nimi this stare of concern when Jenny picks the unripe tomatoes, and when he stared at Jenny he seemed to be saying "what are you doing? don't do that, don't destroy Nimi's work." How sweet of him!

I didn't notice the garden name, but I will go back and look at the movie again. I think that Jenny noticed that her husband Matthew cared a little bit more about his woman then he had previous ones (since they had an open marriage). Because Matthew kept Nimi's garden gloves in his bedroom as if he needed something of hers close to him. And since Jenny knew that Nimi was the one to design their garden I think that she did not care that she was walking on the plants or breaking off tomatoes that were not ready. She somehow knew that Nimi was important to Matthew.

Also, I noticed that when John suggested playing a game and Jenny quickly agreed, that Matthew looks at Jenny with an angry look and suggest Truth session as if he needed to know something from her.

As much as I love this movie, I think it's a little heavy handed in the symbolism department. I mean, here we have a woman who designs gardens. She is tending property for a man named 'Field.' His property is named Eden!! He tells her that Eve was tempted by a tomato. Nimi plants tomatoes. Jenny rips the tomatoes off the vine in an obviously symbolic attempt to take temptation out of Matthew's way, while throwing Nimi a look of daggers and saying 'shouldn't waste time on the weaker strain'.

Obviously, Matthew and Nimi will end up together. I just wish the writer had spent more time developing the reasons why Matthew and Nimi are into each other so much. She could have also made the lines less repetitive.

Although I think getting hammered over the head with all the symbolisms was a little distracting, I did enjoy the flick.