MovieChat Forums > Life During Wartime (2010) Discussion > Irresponsible flaw

Irresponsible flaw

posted 14 years ago by ddk999
15 replies | jump to latest

The characters in the movie continually appear to equate pedophilia with homosexuality, when these are entirely different sexual makeups. One could argue that Trish, as a lay person, might not really understand this difference, although I find this hard to believe (even so, her handling of this issue with Timmy, who was understandably confused and terrified, was beyond atrocious). I cannot buy that Bill, who was a psychologist, does not understand this difference during his conversation with Billy. If Billy, in fact, were gay, this would in no way imply that he was at greater risk to be sexually attracted to or commit sexual offenses against children than anyone else.

[–] sisterdebmac 14 years ago

What you say is true. But the fact that these people are so clueless is, I think, part of the story. These are not "good" people.
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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] ddk999 14 years ago

I agree with this. I just think that a psychologist should know the vast difference between homosexuality and pedophilia. Perhaps Bill was so fearful of Billy being affected that he lost site of the science and the differences. It was just emotional.

[–] ddk999 14 years ago

[–] ec247006 14 years ago

nonsense. the father is afraid the son will have the same problem as him, an insuppressible attraction to little boys. if he does not like boys period, than he will not like little boys. he is just trying to make sure there is no chance.

he is not afraid of his son having an insuppressible attraction to little girls, because he himself did not. the father does not equate pedophile to homosexuality. he does not even consider it a sign. he is just looking to be 100% sure that the boy does not have the same sexual taste as him.

[–] Goyish-Goodlooks 8 years ago

if he does not like boys period, than he will not like little boys.

You do realise that the father was attracted to adult women yet also attracted to little boys, right? He did not have a hint of attraction to adult males but was attracted to underage males. I think you missed a major point made in this movie (as well as the prequel Happiness) that a man attracted to adult women (but not at all to adult men) could still be attracted to underage boys; that you did not have to "like boys period" to "like little boys."

[–] Personhead 13 years ago

I didn't see this as a flaw at all. Bill experienced these impulses first hand and so is probably only asking about things he himself has experienced. He also questions Btlly regarding rape, which Billy denies, but it's not necessarily implied that rapists are also pedophiles.

[–] usernumber655321 13 years ago

this thread is hilarious.

What would you have had him say; "do you have any uncontrollable urges to *beep* little boys"?

He is fishing for clues in any pathetic way he can.

[–] giant-can 12 years ago

it's strange though. almost as if bill was implying that it's okay to touch little girls but not little boys.

[–] usernumber655321 12 years ago

Bill didn't have urges to touch little girls. I don't get what is so confusing about it. I mean, the material is grim, but it isn't confusing.

[–] cornflakeboy20 12 years ago

Yeah, who attacks all those women and girls? This is a case of projection taken to the extreme. And why is Solondz constantly obsessed with pedophilia. It's creepy.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] zolazona 10 years ago

So much time, so little wisdom

You are creepy

[–] XCopoutX_16 9 years ago

Todd Solondz uses characters to speak about human ego and fear. Almost all of his characters are either delusional or bigoted in some way.

[–] Goyish-Goodlooks 8 years ago

Thank you for articulating this. I've been looking at thread after thread to see if this issue was addressed.

I found it noteworthy (and disturbing) how the characters associated negative qualities (like child molestation & cowardice) with homosexuality even though it was the heterosexual characters who were actually guilty of having these qualities.

For example, the homophobic kid in Timmy's class (I believe his name was Ari), Trish & Timmy all appeared to think that Bill was gay for molesting little boys. However, Bill was sexually attracted to adult women and (unlike actual gay men) not at all attracted to adult men. He also specifically stated he was straight and had consensual sex with a woman. He wasn't a gay man at all.

Also, Timmy associated running away from a fight with being gay. However, he was a straight kid and it was him who ran away from a fight/confrontation in a cowardly manner, not a gay kid.

So despite the straight characters having the aforementioned negative qualities themselves, they still associated those qualities with gay people. I guess they didn't see the irony.