MovieChat Forums > Radiant City (2007) Discussion > Film dated and behind the current times.

Film dated and behind the current times.

posted 13 years ago by jmars35264
3 replies | jump to latest

2006 when this film was made the false economy and housing boom that now in 2011 has changed 180 degrees is over. That life has become homes worth half what they were then and the people that have been able to stay in them are in watered down mortgages. Alot of these type housing developments are either half empty or half bulldozed under. I live on the west coast of Florida and see it every day with entire neighborhoods of new finished homes empty and peoples lives in ruin and turmoil. Homes here in Florida that were selling in 2006 for 450000.00 to 650000.00 now listed at 230000.00 to 300000.00 and they still won't sell. This film is a history lesson only because most of it as far as now is concerned is gone.

[–] delusionn 13 years ago

I disagree. The entire tone of the movie is that these are socially artificial cocoons which are not tenable in the long term. The fact that they were ground zero for the housing crisis doesn't take away from the movie, it vindicates it.

Personally, I think Kunstler's a bit of a crank, so while he's amusing, I can't take him too seriously.

The mother of the family, though, what a soulless, terrible person.

[–] jmars35264 13 years ago

My point was that the people as portrayed in this film fit the mould of living beyond their means both socially and morially. If the movie were made today both the plot and the outcome would be entirely different.

[–] saturnjwl 12 years ago

I see your point. The average family today has to deal with having less money and more debt than they did before. For the story to work as that of an average family of 2012 they would probably need to be moving I into their home from a rental, it would have been a short sale, and would not be a brand new home (built in 2008 at the latest).

Furthermore, with gas prices climbing higher and higher, that house in the suburbs would be looking a lot less appealing. That feeds into house prices out there falling even further and maybe even bringing in more crime. Not knowing your neighbors it would be impossible to tellwho was selling drugs or whatever, though. And hopefully your car doesn't get stolen because you can't even safely walk to the grocery store.