MovieChat Forums > American Pastoral (2016) Discussion > Dr. Sheila Smith...

Dr. Sheila Smith...

posted 8 years ago by wrbc77
8 replies | jump to latest

...aiding and abetting a criminal. Yeah, that's when you, no matter how much you love and believe in your daughter, need to call the mother f&&&ing cops, no matter how much of pigs they are. Stupid moronic parents. I'm so sure there are things, intricate and intrinsic things that the book covers and probably covers well. Ewan couldn't act it out with that face no matter how hard he tried but that is such cow sh*t. I bet it's some show of how repressed idealism can be but still. Common sense should will out and the doctor be charged for her crimes. if not aiding and abetting, then the rape and all the followed with Merry after she left town.

[–] mshollyt 7 years ago

The parents should have gotten Merry a new doctor right away. Clearly this woman's theory about the beautiful mom being the reason Merry stuttered was absurd. This crazy doctor screwed up the already troubled little girl.

[–] Dejay 7 years ago

The doctor was a piece of *beep* true, and probably got her into those circles in the first place (her "friends"). Her attitude was adversarial and condescending from the start.

BUT she probably was right about the stuttering. It was clearly psychological, a strategy like she said.

Swede CLEARLY acted "unintelligently" like that agent said. He should have dragged her back. But he didn't. Why? Because that is his character flaw. He isn't "innocent" in this either. He is weak.

He showed her too much unconditional love, let her do and think what she wanted, instead of demanding that she behaved in a certain way. Be the princess, and the stuttering was part of a rebellion. A problem that couldn't possibly be their fault because they were so perfect. At least I think there is some truth in that.

[–] brux (14666) 7 years ago

That's a good point, but you know, in the this age, psychology/psychiatry was kind of like the new witch-doctoring and people were in awe of them and really gave a lot of credence to what they had to say. I agree with you, first - making such a stretch about the mother's looks there was no evidence. Maybe that is what is meant to be true in the story, but could that actually be true about anyone. The family did not share everything, and certainly the father did not tell how his girl tried to seduce him.

This movie was a hodge-podge of baloney to me. Especially the twisted was it was told, as narrated by two men at a reunion?

[–] agentorange631 7 years ago

From the first time we saw the doctor I knew she was involved in some way with regard to what happened later. It was very clear that her ideas were firmly in line with the "progressive" teachings of the time and where her motivations lay. If I were Mary's father I'd have definitely called the cops/feds but certainly not before working her over a bit. I mean, he didn't even slap her! This woman who was likely the signal most influential person when it came to Mary's radicalisation and subsequent rape, and he did nothing?!

[–] Dejay 7 years ago

He was not a violent man. Incredible restraint. I would have kidnapped that first girl that contacted him and beat the truth out of her. But not him.

The swede is a kind of saint, but on the other hand he was weak.

He didn't even use "influence" to bring his daughter home. He could have taken her by the hand and taken her home, according to her ideology back then she wouldn't have resisted. Maybe that was all she wanted, what she never got from him as a child? That he forces her to do what is right and what is good for her.

[–] adilratyal 7 years ago

Blatantly brainwashed her at a young age through their sessions

[–] lonelydarling78 7 years ago

Blatantly brainwashed her at a young age through their sessions

This. It was all practically a conspiracy she was peddling from the start. She had very little, if any, regard to the family in the first place, and set it all in motion. Just don't know how to feel about where that leaves everybody else, or even the POV of the father. Just torn. I'd slapped that mother over a few times and THEN called the cops.

[–] brux (14666) 7 years ago

Why is everyone on this thread to so hot to slap the heck out of anyone?