I don't understand...
It certainly seemed to me like Ray loved Mirabelle, even though he made a few mistakes. What was it that kept him from being with her?
shareHer age.
share
MovieChat Forums > Shopgirl (2005) Discussion > I don't understand...
General commitment phobia? Plus, he was divorced so maybe he just didn't want to ever be in a relationship again (but merely have "fun").
shareI've always thought it was her age as well. He knew there would be things about him that would eventually bore her.
shareJust a bloke who didn't trust himself. A self destructive guy who knew exactly how it would end up. Hence the lying to his shrink about how clear he had made the situation. He knew he was being deceitful to her then, but was pretending to fool himself. I think he loved her, knew it wasn't an ideal situation and knew that he would have to give a bit too much of himself up if he were to admit it. Much easier to be the rich unhappy guy than allow himself to be happy or in love. Some people just think they don't deserve it.
Cheers.
Mike
You wrote: "Hence the lying to his shrink about how clear he had made the situation"
Funny, i took it as a he said-she said misunderstanding where she understands one thing and he understand another. Remember, steve martin gave his speech: 'i wasn't really looking for anything permanent right now..i like seeing you but i'm traveling so much..maybe we should just keep our options open..do you understand' and she says 'i do'. Their different versions of the story made me think that she really didn't understand (or didn't want to understand) what he meant and that they were on different wavelengths. it seemed clear to me that he was pushing her away.
i love the voiceover statement at the end: 'how is it possible to miss a women he kept at a distance so that when she was gone, he would not miss her'
it made me think he was scared she would leave him (because of his age), so to avoid that potential future hurt, he kept her at a distance.
one thing they never explain--remember their first date when they ask all the relevant first date questions, the voiceover says: but she forgets to ask the most important question: 'why me?'
so why did steve martin focus his attention on mirabelle? she wasn't the prettiest girl in the store, so why did he pick her?
thanks,
Ray was a predator pure and simple he could never be happy with anyone he is never hapyy where evere he is(all the traveling) He could tell she had a good heart and could take a vantage of her Ray=creep
shareRay was a predator pure and simple ... Ray=creep
That's not true at all because in a big city like that there are plenty of girls that he could prey upon and likewise girls that would enjoy it. Yes there are girls do like that, the experience of an older man, the money, the attention, etc. and so on. He spent way too much time, money ($40,000 student loan!) and more importantly his emotions on her for it to be a "pure and simple" predator motivation.
Ray did love her and that's why he let her go. He did not want her to suffer through her youth being with a man that would out age her and leave her a widow and lonely. He made a sacrifice and instead of being selfish to be with a younger woman in his old age he would rather her live a happy, healthy and full life and that's what the ending scene is about when he is content that Jeremy is holding her and she is happy. Ray wanted her to be happy, pure and simple.
...OR, you could just listen to the closing monologue in the last scene and the Ray character actually tells you exactly how he feels.
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If I've never seen it before, it's a new release to me! share
In the Book, He kept saying he wanted to be with someone, but needed to break a few hearts, and have his broken a few first before he could find "the one". He never got to be a boy cause he got married young, and needed to just be that way. (This is pretty much what the book says, its not my opinion).
It was just his subconscious that was keeping him from her.