MovieChat Forums > Life as We Know It (2010) Discussion > Bad, Insensitive Premise

Bad, Insensitive Premise

posted 11 years ago by wainot
12 replies | jump to latest

My wife and I saw this movie as it came on TV (after midnight) a couple nights ago. We fell asleep before its conclusion, and may rent it at some point. But...

I thought that the premise was unappealing. Did the writers have to kill off Holly and Messer's respective best friends to put this plot into motion? While the movie may have acknowledged this better in subsequent scenes that we didn't see, I just thought that it was a very insensitive way to set everything up.

Your thoughts?

[–] Val-El 11 years ago

Two people die a horrible death and you're worried about insensitivity?

[–] wainot 11 years ago

What's your argument? That's exactly my point.

[–] Val-El 11 years ago

Really? How else would you stage two people getting their child? as a gift?

Something horrible had to happen!

[–] wainot 11 years ago

I'm still trying to make sense of your first post.

I'm a writer, but it's not my problem to find a solution for this. Frankly, I don't feel that the story - from what I saw - was good enough to think too hard about a solution. My point is that to introduce two characters (plus the baby) only to almost gloss over that they were killed - and not do it with black humor or sensitivity - was a turnoff to me.

People shouldn't be that expendable.

If you disagree and think that they handled this well, that's okay.

[–] Val-El 11 years ago

Watch the whole movie and THEN make your point.

[–] rizdek 10 years ago

It's not a new concept. Consider...Jane Eyre. If you're not familiar, it's about a 2-yr old who is orphaned and left to the care of a cruel Aunt and her wicked children for the next 8 years. Then she's sent to a boarding school where the abuse continues (for a while). Thousands of folks love to read that book...over and over again. They've made over 9 screen adaptations. But it has to start out with the same premise...two parents die when Jane was a little baby. But I do agree, the premise is unappealing as you think the premise of this movie is unappealing.

[–] GaelinW 10 years ago

I'm a writer too, but that's also immaterial. Anyway, I thought the deaths were handled very well. The humor was relegated to the two people coming to terms with having to raise a child together.

As another poster pointed out, how else would you expect two people who are not in a relationship to get a child without the parents having been removed from the story? As for those parents being best friends with the couple raising the child, people don't normally leave their kids to perfect strangers. So logically, the dead parents would have to be either really good friends or relatives.

"I am allowed to think everyone is stupid for 10 minutes."-- Randy Susan Meyers

[–] robbystoner 10 years ago

It was an unbelievable premise in that why would 2 people make their 2 friends who aren't in a relationship or married the guardians of their child. Also the story elements that they also gave the 2 friends the house and the scene where they wind up having Ex in the bed room as the deceased one added to the weak story line.

"Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, to be stuck inside of mobile
with the memphis blues again"

[–] theLastResortt 10 years ago

What is wrong with that grouchy poster?? Anyway..I see the OPs point.

[–] SayNoToRemakes 10 years ago

I know it's just a movie, but in real life people with small children die sometimes.

My husband died when our children were small, and I was young. The attorney who settled the estate strongly recommended I get a will and state who would get custody of the children if something happened to me while they were minors. Otherwise the state would have taken custody of them had I passed. Any relatives could have gone to court to try to get custody, but that would have been a nightmare. I'm sure the laws vary from state to state, but that's how it was in TN in 1989.

I had to think long and hard about who I would have wanted to raise them. I chose a good friend who was already a parent, but we discussed the issue at length before I made my will. That's what's missing from this movie. Decent parents wouldn't "will" their children to people without discussing it with them first. That just makes no sense at all. And again, I know it's just a movie, and I wasn't paying a lot of attention to the first part so maybe I missed something. If so, I stand corrected and would appreciate someone letting me know when these two agreed to raise this child if something happened to her parents.

[–] Val-El 10 years ago

jit123 - so sorry for your loss.

Totally agree with your sentiments! Perhaps the parents were about to discuss this very issue with our protagonists and were killed before they could.

or

They actually did this knowing that the two of them did really care for each other and that they would learn that about each other. In fact, Josh actually said as much during one of his speeches to Katy.

[–] huwdj 8 years ago

I agree. There are a couple of films that start by bumping of parents so the orphan can set the story rolling. Never feels comfortable in what are supposed to be comedies be they rom-com or dram-com.