MovieChat Forums > My House in Umbria (2003) Discussion > Why do you think he let her stay? What's...

Why do you think he let her stay? What's with the liquor?


Why did Aimee's uncle let her stay?

1. He really didn't want the resposibility?

2. He felt Mrs. Delahunty loved her and could take care of her?

I tend to believe he just didn't want the responsibility for selfish reasons, no way would I have left her with what seemed like an alcoholic.

What in the world was all the liquor about???? I really liked her, but it seemed a little freakish and out of place.

1. I understood that she was trying to loosen his tounge and make him talk, but after a while, she just kept drinking herself -- I know she was nervous and distraust, but man!!!

I also understand that in other countries, a small drink at any time of day is not unusual, but she was out of control!

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When I visited Puerto Vallarta, I stayed in a condo for a week. The woman in the unit next to the one I stayed in lived there full time, and seemed a lot like Ms. D. The man who rented it to us said she usually starts up around 10:30 or eleven.

There must be something about living in a pristine locale that makes a person want to imbibe. Maybe it enhances the daydreaming one is prone to do in such surroundings.

Plus she was kinda lonely. She probably hardly ever got visitors, and thus was completely unclear on the concept of propriety!

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As for why he let her stay, it probably just hit him that he had an "out" and could alleve himself of the responsibility. In a weak moment his conscience got the better of him and he did what was best for her.

I don't think he was a compassionate enough person to put it together in his head about the alcoholism and the girl being there. He might have just chalked it up to her being nervous and flirty.


KAKISTOCRACY (n.)--a society governed by its worst citizens.

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I believe the real reason he let Amy stay was due to the fact, that as Mrs. D establishes, was that he knew that he was taking Amy only due to the fact he felt guilty about having the poor relationship with his sister, Amm's mother.

He wasn't being selfish at all, on the contrary, he realised that he was quite unfit to look after Amy and the only reason he was going to was due to the guilt factor, which is established in the movie during the scene when Emily enters his room and wakes him up, while intoxicated. He was also well aware that Amy was happy living in Umbria.

The liquor was clearly because of the 'drowning your sorrows' theory. She was abused as a child, then became a prostitute, he parents sold her and as well as that, died. I think she's entitled to her drinks. As well as this, it is not frowned upon, in areas like that, it's perfectly normal to be drinking at all times of the day, from breakfast, but the real reasons is her hiding of the past and the comfort and solace she takes in drinking and writing happy stories that were never a part of her life.
The reason she was offering him alcohol is because she was wanting to find out about him and his story, in particular with his sister, which we do find out about, partially...and I believe she was partly attracted to him.

Watch the movie again a few times, it'll sink in.

I grew up in hell! My grandmother has more attitude than you!

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No, she was a low level, or high functioning, alcoholic, and a deeply flawed personality. But she had warmth and intelligence, and she had the maternal instinct in spades. Chris Cooper's character left her there because even with his appraisal of Mrs D.s flaws, he felt that the household would be more nurturing for the child than his own, and because he honestly didn't want to be bothered with a child who he feared was going to in depth psychological care.

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May I suggest that you don't have a brain. 'My House in Umbria' is not the most difficult of films to grasp. Perhaps you should try something a little easier, perhaps Lilo and Stitch!

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hahha good comment .. i loved this show and with the liquor well thats just italians

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drink away as much aas you want, but i hated the way she kept forcing it on aimy's uncle. If she had woken me during my sleep at night, I would be so angry. I wouldn't have left Amy with that old tart, but since others were actually looking after amy, the maid, doctor, assistant, I suppose the unlce opted that this would be good for the child despite the old drunken witch also being there.

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Now this may not be right but..i think the uncle let amy stay because maggie smith(sorry forgot name) did a mind trip on him. when she came into his room she told him that amy should stay with her and that people like him go to hell. i think even though she was drunk that sunk into his head, and maybe made him realize that he wouldnt be that great of a parent. Now as for her drinking i think that she drank out of stress, because her life was pretty messed up and over time sometimes people devolpe habits maybe hers was drinking. I think prob. after the little girl came back i think her drinking might have slowed or stopped, because maggie smiths charcter reminded me of someone who was whole, who was missing a piece. SO i think the amy filled that missing piece to her.

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Well i'm not crazy, an alcoholic, or messed up. But if i had the money to live the life Emily did in that nice house i would take advantage too. Besides, she's a grown woman. If she wants to drink HER OWN grappa in HER OWN house then so be it! I'm going to do that too!

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QUOTE
by JackieBlu (Tue Jun 26 2007 14:42:29) Ignore this User | Report Abuse


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No, she was a low level, or high functioning, alcoholic, and a deeply flawed personality. But she had warmth and intelligence, and she had the maternal instinct in spades. Chris Cooper's character left her there because even with his appraisal of Mrs D.s flaws, he felt that the household would be more nurturing for the child than his own, and because he honestly didn't want to be bothered with a child who he feared was going to in depth psychological care.
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Yeah I agree! I saw this film yesterday evening, and she definitely had alcohol problems. Then again, it's the whole meditterenean thing init, they apparently drink constantly. Yet my Dad was Greek, and he hardly touched the stuff, even though he was a barman.

Personally though, I don't think Aimee was much better with either of them. Of course, she was better overall with Mrs D because of the gorgeous life in Italy, like the outdoors and the general simplicity and lovelyness of it. Yet Mrs D evidently had underlying problems that needed to be discussed with a counsellor itself.

Anyway, mint film!
<<3 x.

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•°o.O[ å.g.ë.l.ï.k.í ] x

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oh yes, right, all Italians drink all day long and it's totally normal for these parts of the world to get drunk every day!

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He knew she was happy there and the only future he could probably offer would be one (eventually) in an institution. Her drinking bothered him, it would bother anyone. She was a pathetic character but had real dignity too, and played beautifully as so many were in this movie. And the setting is SO beautiful, imagine how peaceful it would be there. The child would be happy but I did think her remaining caretakers might not be able to be there for her all the years she'd need them, 2 being elderly. But she would be provided for most likely.

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He saw that taking the girl with him was just a way of making it up with his deceased sister, and that this doesn´t justify taking her away from a place that is essential for her mental healing.

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Oh my God, I can't believe this idiot generation. Godalmighty. Alcohol, shmalcohol. Grow the he** up. Read Graham Green (the author not the actor.)

This is how your parents and grandparents lived, if they had the slightest bit of sophistication, breeding and luck.

Stop being so damned judgmental, take a broader view of life, accept that there are better ways of living than the current "American Dream" -oh, and discipline your children while you're at it.

I'm constantly amazed at just how insular and dumbed down this society has become. What the heck happened? So, that is called social commentary spurred by your idiotic fetish with the alcohol aspect. As for the movie, this is a silly movie, regardless of how great it is to watch Maggie Smith.

Go to Europe, Asia, anywhere - don't breed until you do.

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Oh dear! Do we have to communicate so very unpleasantly and critically?

Can we please just remember (or realise) that there are people of a wide age range and very diverse experence who make comments and leave questions on this website. That includes young people (and perhaps older ones) who have no experience with alcoholism whatsoever.

The question that was asked here is a perfectly valid topic of discussion and no-one (particularly a young person) ought to be made to feel foolish for asking it.

About the drinking- Yes, she is almost certainly alcoholic. It is not accurate to imply that she drinks heavily simply because she is in Italy. Or to say that Italians are drunk all the time. While Italians probably do consume wine more frequently than English and American people, it doesn't mean they are all drunkards. What it reflects is that wine is a major food product of the country, and is drunk at most meals. Emily starts at morning tea time.

The reason why she keeps pushing drinks at him is because it is a response to her own guilt. She knows that she has a drinking problem, so she covers it by trying to make it look like a merely social thing. If he drinks, they are drinking together, so that's OK. She's not actually thinking about it, or registering what he says. It's like a triggered response in her because she cannot simply get drunk in front of him.

As for why he leaves the child.... well, Emily really does give him plenty to think about. We have to imagine what is going on in his mind, without ever being shown the turmoil of his thoughts. There's a sort of parallel with another movie-

....in "Love, actually", we see Keira's character visit her husband's friend to pick up a video of her wedding. He is embarrassed about its content and walks out. We then have a protracted scene in which he argues with himself about what he should do. We don't hear him speak. We merely see him walk back, walk away, turn around to go back, walk away again... The actor shows us his indecision and his state of mind....

In this present movie, we don't get to see the uncle's waverings, but to understand his ultimate action, we have to imagine the thoughts and fears, the worry and the guilt that are churning around in his head... The poor little girl is probably standing there with a face as long as a wet weekend... He leaves his decision right to the very last minute. And then does what is happiest for everyone.

He will go home and tell Francine how beautiful it was. They will come back, because he will WANT to come back. He will want Francine to meet this crazy woman for herself, and see the countryside, and the ants' nests. and Emily will sit there with a glass of wine in her hand and watch Francine doing her exercise routine in a skyblue tracksuit and pink joggers and think "How Amazing these Americans are!". and they'll buy Aimee new dresses, and a doll and a computer, but they won't take her away.








"great minds think differently"

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He let her stay because he was smart enough to recognise that this was by far the best solution for ALL concerned..............as, of course, it was.

When being critical of the amounts of alcohol consumed, it is necessary to first take into account the lifestyles and careers of the characters. Apart from the fact that an Irishman (as portrayed so marvellously by Tomithy Spall ) would never pass on the opportunity to have a convivial drink with anybody,he, in his capacity as major domo to Mrs. Delhunty, lived in an artistic, creative and literary minded environment, and this, happily, often revolves around the consumption of fine wines, innumerable glasses of sherry, as well as iced gin and tonics or whisky and sodas as pre dinner aperitifs. Needless to say, more wine will be consumed with dinner, as will either a port or brandy afterwards.............and long may it be so, since I, as a successful author of non fiction history books, would never have gotten even a paragraph published in the absence of copious amounts of whisky and claret.

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"...a successful author of non fiction history books..."

You sound like a lush... what are your titles?

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