MovieChat Forums > Dinner with Friends (2001) Discussion > Man, this was one annoying movie

Man, this was one annoying movie

posted 19 years ago by Superunknovvn
6 replies | jump to latest

No character makes sense, everybody is wrong. Gabe and expecially the ultra conservative Karen constantly temper in their friend's decísions, which are really none of their business (as if my best friend had a right to tell me who I should be with or what my goals and principles in life should be).
Tom on the other hand is a self-righteous bastard who always thinks of himself as the victim. He loves talking about himself and doesn't accept anyone else's opinion.
And Beth, well, she's just an unbelievably annoying person. I could see how anyone would want to leave her.

A movie about failed marriages and love should show how nobody is wrong and everybody is right. The thing is, none of the four characters here is believable and the dialog is painful at times. From the first time Tom and Beth meet it's hard to believe that the two of them are even attracted to each other. It's also hard to believe that somebody as far removed from reality as Karen is living on this planet and happily married.

"We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school"

[–] bremertown 18 years ago

"Gabe and expecially the ultra conservative Karen..."
Haha, expecially. That's funny.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] zekmenzudwigII 18 years ago

This was an extremly boring movie.

"Eraq-Nu-Shad!"

[–] artistathome 17 years ago

You just explained the whole movie and what it's about. This is exactly how people are! And this is what happens in real life. But I did think the dialogue was long-winded and self-serving at times... I think the writer liked hearing his own thoughts out loud! However, the idea of the movie is valid and happens in real life all the time!

Some people are like Karen---intolerant and judgmenta--and others are artistic and quirky like Beth. Can you imagine that Tom and Beth would have ever gotten married if it had not been for Karen wanting it to happen?

Finally the facade that they are all "good friends" cracks. Each person is very different from the other. The couple relationship is what was real not the individual friendships. The women are too different to be individual friends.

It is a perfect example of "fragile couple friendships". If there is a divorce, the couple friendship does NOT change back into separate friendships.

The couple that stays together goes on their way and the broken-up-couple find new people to marry...that is why Gabe doesn't like Tom anymore. He can't relate to someone giving up on marriage.

But Gabe married the RIGHT person and Tom didn't. So it makes sense for Gabe and Karen to stay together.

Nina

[–] ls299 17 years ago

That's a really good analysis, I love that phrase "fragile couple friendships". It's almost as if, not only the individual friendships, but also the marriage was based on Beth and Tom being together. To begin with, Gabe was a slightly inappropropriate friend when he was single, then he got married to Beth, everything was great. Then they break up: the friendships AND the marriage are in trouble: Gabe and Karen's marriage was only really 'successul' when their friends' marriage was successul.

Even though each of their friends had moved on, they were both unable to accept that, because it would be a reflection of how their marriage had becom stale. I especially loved the moment where one of them (can't remember who) says "they both look great... probably because of all the great sex they're having" and then, for a full few minutes, they both go back to reading their books.

[–] FuzzySparkle 15 years ago

Great points, artistatrest and Is. I hadn't thought about it in terms of "couple friendship." I also agree that the confidence of Gabe and Karen's marriage seemed to depend on the success and happiness of Tom and Beth's marriage, almost like it was a marriage of 4.

Maggie