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What was the point of the subplot about the inlaws?

posted 13 years ago by JaneSchmo
9 replies | jump to latest

Why include Vera's husband's brother and his wife into the film?

What was the point of showing them trying to get pregnant? And then eventually getting pregnant? Why spend time on that?

I thought that it would later somehow tie into the film. Maybe the sister-in-law would not want the baby and attempt to get an abortion from Vera.

Or maybe it would be a contrast to the scenes of unwanted pregnancy. Maybe the point of the film would be that while many babies are unwanted, pregnancy can be a wonderful thing too and therefore Vera's actions are morally ambiguous and at least somewhat questionable.

But, no, nothing like that happens. The sister-in-law gets pregnant, is angry when Vera's actions are revealed and then the movie drops her and the brother alltogether.

Why include them if nothing is later done with them?

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[–] marbleann 13 years ago

I guess just be PC. To show the other side that people even in her own family want to have children, while she is helping people get rid of unwanted pregnancy's. It would of a better subplot if Vera was involved with unwanted babies being sold to rich people who want to have children. While people in her own family could not afford it.

[–] taylorje 13 years ago

I think the brother and his wife were included just to give the audience an idea of Vera's family, and to show that these two people would not be supportive. The brother would want to be, and he was for the most part, but the sister-in-law was ready to hang Vera on the spot. I really disliked the character of Joyce. It was so obvious that she had little affection for her husband, who was much older, but probably married him for his money. Not that he had a lot, but he did own his own business.

[–] Errington_92 13 years ago

The sister-in-law gets pregnant, is angry when Vera's actions are revealed

There is a reason for the subplot, once Joyce learns about the abortions she feels disgusted because she is with child. This causes conflict between her and Vera, although in this case its a one way street.

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[–] thatsNOTreal 12 years ago

you are wrong in this assessment of Joyce's character when Frank tells her of taking in Reg off the street and giving a cup or tea to come to dinner. She dismisses Vera as nothing more than a busybody. There was disdain from the start for her, whether it be jealousy of the affection her husband shows for her, like another mother; or this is just her personality(materialistic, selfish....)

[–] Saltstorm2000 12 years ago

I thought she existed as an opposite to Vera for the audience.
Stan and Frank in the film refer to Vera as a golden-hearted character, something we see in practice. Joyce would like to think she is just as saintly, but she obviously isnt in the way that she tries to get her way with her husband, and her comments about Vera from the very start of the film.

Joyce is the sort of woman who would try to appear nice to society, yet criticises others behind their backs, whereas Vera just is who she is.

[–] Cheena71 12 years ago

I agree with you on the sister-in-law. She was extremely selfish. She made the comment about not going to Vera's, right before crying, saying they won't ever get to have a Christmas alone. I think this situation was just an excuse for her to convince him not to go.

I wonder how behavior would've changed if the husband said, "if you can't support this family, maybe you shouldn't be a part of it!" There goes her money!

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[–] Noir-It-All 11 years ago

If everyone is class conscious perhaps the sister-in-law just doesn't want to go to a lower-class home?

I thought that she may resent Vera because Vera is happy in her own skin.

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[–] smoko 10 years ago

@JaneSchmo Maybe the point of the film would be that while many babies are unwanted, pregnancy can be a wonderful thing too and therefore Vera's actions are morally ambiguous and at least somewhat questionable.
That's what I thought too, so I'm not sure why you dismissed that idea in your next paragraph. Frank and Joyce make their last appearance in the Christmas scene, which is less than 10 minutes before the ending - I wouldn't call that dropping them altogether.

[–] taylorje 10 years ago

Joyce didn't know that Vera was an abortionist until she was arrested. With her "equipment' in the hands of the police, Vera wouldn't have been able to "help" Joyce, even if she had wanted to.