MovieChat Forums > The Village Barbershop (2008) Discussion > Lazy writers ruined it (spoilers)

Lazy writers ruined it (spoilers)

posted 14 years ago by ryansassy1
4 replies | jump to latest

Many spoilers follow, so don't read if you really want to see this film.

Okay, so the main story is about these two people who have had a recent string of bad luck in their personal and professional lives. Art is the cantankerous old geezer (played nicely by Ratzenberger) who takes a chance on hiring smart, cute young Gloria to fill the shoes of his deceased barbershop partner. He is in debt, partly due to a drinking and gambling problem. Gloria takes the business in hand and makes changes which prove profitable; she also motivates Art to quit drinking and gambling. After a few false starts, eventually their business takes off and their financial trouble seem to be over, but then disaster strikes and Art is forced to close the business and lay off his bright, pregnant employee.

Art goes into a relapse of gambling and drinking, which threatens his relationship with his new waitress girlfriend. Gloria's ex boyfriend shows up and reposesses the airstream trailer she's been living in, leaving her homeless and pregnant as well as jobless. Everything seems hopeless, and the dramatic tension is built nicely. Whatever brilliant scheme will they come up with now to save themselves from their horrible fates?

Aha--just ask Gloria's brand new boyfriend to save the day by taking her in and loaning her the money to reopen the village barbershop in a new location. So Art is happy now, and he quits drinking and gambling, and his girlfriend forgives him for everything. Whew, that's a relief!

Was I the only one that thought this convenient, easy ending was utter rubbish? This has all the signs of the writers "painting themselves into a corner" and then come up with an unlikely dream ending that solves every problem neatly. Too bad, because IMO the actors were doing a fine job, and the film deserved better than that. Boo.

[–] MystMoonstruck 14 years ago

She sold the heirloom ring to raise the money, didn't she? The new boyfriend didn't come up with any money as far as I gather from my first viewing. I must have missed the part about the boyfriend making them a loan. Instead, she held up her left hand to Art and waggled it, showing that she no longer had the old, undoubtedly valuable ring.

Why wouldn't Art's girlfriend forgive him? She's known him for a very long time and undoubtedly has witnessed his grief and all of the troubles that and his bad habits brought. I think the relapse and recovery were believable.

I really didn't think there was anything wrong with the happy ending though the trashy magazines breaking up the man's marriage was overboard. Maybe they should have added to the wrapup by showing her ex and his new girlfriend with flat tires, stranded somewhere. Perhaps she could have parted ways with him, maybe with Naked Barber guy. Perhaps that would have worked by taking the happiness to a more-extreme level.

I didn't see anything wrong with the ending. It's supposed to be a feel-good movie.

~~MystMoonstruck~~

[–] foster1234 13 years ago

with all the mistakes he mentioned I don't think the OP saw the whole movie

In a world where a carpenter can be resurrected,anything is possible

[–] hon143 12 years ago

Gloria sold her ring for the money to start the new business. There was no indication whatsoever that the boyfriend loaned her the money.

Also, I don't think Art really had a drinking or gambling problem. He was in mourning over the death of his wife. So, he made it a ritual to go to that casino for a drink, lunch, and a little gambling as an homage to his wife. Apparently, they went there together a lot when she was stil alive.

The only time we saw Art wasted and drunk was towards the end when he lost his business. I don't think that constitutes a drinking and gambling problem.

[–] 12 years ago

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