MovieChat Forums > Old Joy (2007) Discussion > I think it's good to make films about th...

I think it's good to make films about the obvious

posted 16 years ago by nick-1036
6 replies | jump to latest

Mostly because the quality of life for 98% of the US population is so god awful, and, for some inexplicable reason, no one talks about it, or confronts it (not cool to complain I guess, or tell everyone you are living on credit). I guess everyone believes there is nothing they can do and it's too late to fix it and it's only going to get worse. Read "This Land is Their Land" if you want to understand why we are all in this mess; it's really too much to get into here but suffice to say, the American middle class has become slaves to the super rich, and they like it that way.

[–] lizard666666 16 years ago

When you say, "and they like it that way" are you referring to the middle class? If that's the case I don't think it's so much that they like it that way it's because they're in denial. They like to think they are middle class when in fact they're living from pay check to pay check. And yes, I agree we are becoming a two class society, rich and poor. It used to be a mortgage was 15 to 20 years now most are 30 years which means the earliest a person could be out of debt and own their home would be at about age 55. But, the usually doesn't happen due to buying and selling not to mention other consumer debt.

[–] nick-1036 16 years ago

No, I meant the rich like it that way. For my friends, who flirt with real money, and while they do they risk everything they have and live on credit, it's hard for them to admit that their only solution is to become one of the rich. I have friends who for 20 years refused to believe all of their problems were growing because of lack of meaningful work and lack of money, but now, even the hard core holdouts believe that getting serious money is the only way out of their misery.

I think this isuue is a little beyond the scope of this film, I think this film was not reaching for this, I just felt like it was a kind of metaphor for the problem I'm talking about. The problem that the rich have squeezed everyone dry and worst is yet to come. if that wasn't happening, I think there would be less aimless people, and people who don't believe in thier future anymore or are confused by their present, like the people in this film.

[–] Slim_Pickens_bastard_son 16 years ago

Excellent point nick, im gonna look up the book you mention. canyou suggest any other movie that touches this very underused theme?
THE SWIMMER comes to mind.

[–] nick-1036 16 years ago

The Swimmer is a great film, but ignored in it's time as too depressing. I think The Ice Storm hit it perfectly also, "it" being the lost upper middle class holding on to their sanity by a thin thread. There isn't much about this issue these days, I think it's too close to home and people are really disturbed by their "quality of life", or their lack thereof.

Listen to this interview with David Foster Wallace, this is my generation he is talking about and he's correct:

Press: Listen Now, it's a great interview

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94626723&ft=1&f=13

[–] Slim_Pickens_bastard_son 16 years ago

I WILL,thanks for the heads up , nick

btw, The Arrangement by Kazan, touches upon the same themes.

[–] scarletminded 9 years ago

Old Joy had nothing mentioned above. It was a stoner and ex-stoner taking a trip and basically talking about nothing.