What does he mean with the story about the shoes??
i dont get it!
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I just watched the movie again tonight and I remembered reading your question the other day so I watched that scene thinking about you!
What I got from it was that at first the shoe salesman acted like he didn't think Meredith could afford the shoes, which cost 440 quid.
Meredith says the salesman was standing really close to him at first, right up to his chin. This could be construed as being a threatening or challenging stance. But Meredith explains he pushed the guy away with a little flick and then offered 500 quid for the shoes. By offering more than the price I think he was showing the salesman he had money to burn.
The salesman agrees to 500 and says he'll go get the box for the shoes. And then Meredith tells him not to bother; just put them in a paper bag and he'll take them. I think that was Meredith's way of saying he not only could afford to pay over the price of the shoes, he also didn't need to be ostentatious about them by showing off the box with the designer name on it. By taking them in a paper bag he wouldn't be showing it off to anyone as he had no need to impress anyone. He himself was the only person who mattered and he bought the shoes purely for his own pleasure; nobody else's.
So I believe this shoe story was one way Meredith illustrated his self worth.
Remember, an important scene in the film had to do with Meredith helping Colin out of his panic attack when he couldn't breath. He helped him realize that he was a worthy human being, and that nothing was wrong with him. He'd done nothing wrong, he was a perfectly normal human being who was reacting normally.
Throughout the film it was very clear that Meredith's character was totally alright with himself and everyone else; nothing fazed him; he was totally comfortable in his own skin; and he wanted Colin to feel that way, too, because he was his friend.
Democrats see the glass as half-empty. Republicans see the glass as theirs.
I completely agree with your take on the shoes. This was my initial understanding of this scene as well. Despite all the comments made by Peanut about his lifestyle and choices, Meredith just exists and seemingly cannot be bothered with anyone's opinion of him.
Meredith was far and away my favorite character. With his cheer-up story about taking Tippi for $60k to the shoe story, to the "Five Fs", he was brilliant. He made it clear to Colin that though he lives a "give a damn" life, he understands Colin's pain and encourages him to embrace the anger and express his feelings about being done wrong. You get the feeling though Meredith is all about living life in the moment, he isn't immune to heartbreak.
The things you own end up owning you.
You get the feeling though Meredith is all about living life in the moment, he isn't immune to heartbreak.
That's a good point. Meredith was human, after all, and surely wasn't always so self-confident.
One of the things I really enjoyed about the characters was, even though they could be harsh, their affection for one another was very obvious. And I especially loved at the end when even Old Man Peanut softened and agreed to go to the gay bar with Meredith. He was up for a good time and new experience!
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There must also be a link between this story and the lighting of Liz's cigarette by Mal.
In this scene Liz is standing very close with her head against Mal's chin. After this Meredith starts his story.
It revealed an intimacy that to Colin and the viewers was inappropriate.
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My take on the whole movie was that each of the characters (other than Loverboy and Liz) were personifications of seperate elements of Colin's own personality.
I believe Colin has had a homosexual encounter with Loverboy and is trying to come to terms with his wife's discovery (she says "there's someone else" - not "I'VE met someone else"). This is shown by Loverboy's tenderness when Colin breaks down and also the fact that Liz is unharmed when she appears in the room. My contention is that Colin himself has kidnapped Loverboy. When Colin needs to address him directly, his alter egos leave the room and it is just Colin.
When Colin first comes home, he is carring flowers and chocs - a family man, much like Archie. When he hits his wife he is displaying Peanut's fury. Meredith is his homosexual side which acts without thought to the consequences and Mal shows his professional side - willing to do the job for a price.
Insofar as the story about the shoes fits in, this demonstrates Meredith's (or Colin's) cool reactions, willingness to pay highly for sensual pleasure and his scant regard for the opinion of others - be those opinions good or bad. This is why Meredith is able to calm Colin out of his panic attack.
Interestingly, Peanut also lights Liz's cigarette and at the same time, Colin is having difficulty remembering his 'friends' names. Too much jumping between characters...? A story of madness and regret - really well performed by McShane, Hurt & especially Winstone.
Of course, I didn't write it so could be whistling arias to the deaf, but this was the most inclusive explanation I could come up with!
"Dancin' with the Daisies"