Like all people (and good characters), both the women were flawed and had their positives, too.
This movie was good at showing the women's good sides, but also how their dominant vices showed themselves most when they were stressed. Diana's big vice was her selfishness/arrogance where she failed to see others' needs or think of anyone else when she had "her own thing" to worry about. Beth's big vice of uncontrolled anger was exhibited when her other lesser faults (tardiness, probably in part due to self pity, probably in part due to whatever other faults of hers contributed to her husband leaving her, etc) compounded to a breaking point. Poor Beth was in a downward spiral for some time, a bomb just waiting for the fuse to be lit. Unfortunately for both the women, Diana's arrogance and selfishness exhibited that day was the thing that lit that fuse.
We should learn something from this: even if we are having a bad day, we never know if somebody else is having an even worse day. We should be kind and thoughtful to everyone we encounter -- always! Both women would have re-acted differently if each had been thoughtful towards one another.
This is also a very good warning to all of us to work on our virtues, to be less selfish and to cultivate an attitude of thinking of others. Do we tend to be like Diana, intruding upon someone else's right, or making excuses for our own wrong deeds? Do we tend to act like Beth, wallowing in self pity rather than trying to see ourselves as we really are, so that we can begin the process of improving ourselves; if we do not, we may be in danger of placing the blame for our problems on others as Beth did, and our self delusion may push us to the point of exploding into fits of rage against others. Or, if we self-delude our own importance, as Diana did, we may cause harm to others, or worse, cause them wrongful injury or even death.
One thing is certain -- we all can be kinder and more thoughtful towards others, no matter where we are in our lives.
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gregbarnes
16 years ago
Very well put.
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16 years ago
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observer1981
16 years ago
i disagree about beth being better of dead! she was a working single mom pushed to the brink. she exploded. all she needed was a little help to get back on her feet.
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Moviegoer Dan
16 years ago
Actually, the movie was clear in how better off women are with husbands and families in their lives. Asking for the trouble that Beth got herself into by getting pregnant in her senior year in high school isn't overridden by the idea that she was just an overwrought single mom pushed to the brink. She asked for the troubles that she had, she had no business complaining about them later on.
Perhaps a look at another posting of mine, where I question what Beth's motto about keeping a close eye on one's neighbors meant, could shed some light on this issue. Beth would never take any help, she had a need to distrust people, to keep a close eye on them, but where did that nature come from? If she hadn't lived by that philosophy then she'd have kept friends, family and a husband in her life, not continually pushed them away.
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taylorje
16 years ago
If Beth had lived, I'm sure she would have faced charges of reckless driving, road rage, attacking Diana's car -- there were plenty of witnesses to that -- a good lawyer could possibly have gotten her off with a suspended sentence, community service, and anger management classes. But then she'd have that blot on her record when she started job-hunting. Most companies now do background checks.
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darrickrandallsnell
16 years ago
I'm sorry, but I hated the ending. I don't hate Diana, but I really didn't like her and to have her live in the end and not Beth is just wrong. I actually really liked Beth. She just got to the end of her leash and couldn't control herself. It wasn't all Diana's fault but she did add to it and she did yank the last lackness in Beth's rope. Diana should at least do time in prison for what she has done, she did kill Beth.
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Moviegoer Dan
16 years ago
I knew Beth was better off dead. But I didn't like it that Diana not only lived, but decided to keep the baby, too.
What do you mean by that? Diana was a married woman with a working husband and a family by her side. Remember, Scott did get that job? Either way, she was married and carrying a legitimately conceived child, where do you get this about "keeping the baby?" If anybody should have given up her baby it was Beth, who conceived an illegitimate child while in high school. Why don't more people here throw the book at Beth, who clearly deserved it most of the time?
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