This movie is about Nathan - spoilers

Spoilers -- but isn't just about everything on the Message Boards by and for people who have already seen the film and want to talk about it?

Anyway, I saw this at Cinema Sundays at the Charles, here in Baltimore MD USA. The discussion was particularly good after this film. The guest host challenged us to say what the movie is about

I believe the film is about Nathan. He's sort of the only person who tells the truth (although you could argue that Bleistein doesn't really lie, but after all, he's a lawyer -- a professional advocate). To me, the hero, the main character, is Nathan -- it's about what was happening in his world when he became a man. From that perspective, it makes more sense, the seeming pointlessness of the film. Why did the film makers spend so much time on the son and daughter-in-law? Because they're Nathan's parents. Why spend time on Jeanne? Because she helped Nathan bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood, and helped him understand mysteries of young women, and sex. Why didn't the film help us understand why Jeanne made up the story about being assaulted? Because it doesn't matter -- what matters is that Jeanne's made-up story brought her into contact with Nathan.

BTW, I was able to put myself in Jeanne's shoes at the point where she took the boat -- at that point, I suddenly was able to imagine myself doing what she did when I was her age -- wanting not love -- she was wrong when she said that's what she wanted -- but attention, affirmation of existence.

--
GEORGE
And all's fair in love and war?
MRS. BAILEY
[primly] I don't know about war.