MovieChat Forums > Amreeka (2009) Discussion > Whingeing sister

Whingeing sister

posted 14 years ago by nick suess
11 replies | jump to latest

I didn't get the character of the sister at all. Been in USA 15 years, all but her eldest child must have been born there, but still feels homesick. And yet it seems she has never been back to visit mum and family in all that time? And speaks far better English than you would expect?

I reckon once people get a good life established as migrants (and I know because I am one myself) they settle down within well under 5 years and reckon it has been a great move. Just look - her husband is a doctor, they have a very nice house, big car, the lot. Prior to this current downturn in his business they are very successful migrants indeed, when what they could have had in Palestine was ... well we saw it!

I found her a grating annoyance in an otherwise good film, and really pitied her long-suffering husband.

[–] flimflamsam 14 years ago

raghda was definitely the most annoying character, she treated everyone like dirt, especially her husband, but i suppose it was to contrast with Muna's character

laughs are cheap, I'm going for gasps

[–] canadamelody 13 years ago

She was not annoying she had responsibilities she had to keep things together and was going through a patch with her husband that happens to most couples.

[–] cpiliotis 14 years ago

Actually she reminds me of my parents. They immigrated to Canada 30 years ago and still believe the grass is greener on the other side. It's a delusion, and one this film eloquently points out. Some of those who immigrate to America forget the reasons they left home in the first place. This film subtly shows the turmoil that immigrants face when moving to a new country, and why they create their little microsocieties within. It creates a comfort zone that isn't enjoyed through assimilation.

It's a very powerful film if you look at it in that context.

[–] drakes-5 14 years ago

Agreed. My mom came to the states for love and now that she's divorced, she HATES it here, but she won't go back because my sister and i are still in school (she'll probably never go back)...So I can understand how someone can be that way.

[–] maxloh-1 14 years ago

Wow whingeing is actually a word; I learned something new today.
Edit: it's actually spelled whinging. not as weird now but still learned something new.
http://www.maxloh.com/

[–] dagaul101 13 years ago

You are right, that many immigrants could have had it worse in their native country, but human nature is never to be fully satisfiedSource:Amreeka Moviehttp://moviereviews.noskram.com/2010/01/amreeka-movie

[–] bite_me_loser_86 12 years ago

I don't understand the mentality that immigrants should be eternally grateful and never complain or feel unhappy with their lives. That they should just put up with anything, no matter how measly they are paid, or how badly they are treated... how will things ever change for the better if people don't speak up or do something?

[–] bite_me_loser_86 12 years ago

I don't understand what was so strange about her sister.

Didn't you pay any attention to the movie at all? They were receiving death threats in the mail, and her husband was losing all of his patients due to people discriminating against them and not wanting to go to an arab doctor. They were behind on their mortgage payment and might end up losing their house.
So while you saw wealthy, successful immigrants, I saw people that were about to lose everything because of stupid prejudice and hate, and who might even have reason to fear for their lives!

You sound like the type of ignorant person whose first reponse to any immigrant complaining about everything is 'well, go back where you came from if you don't like it here, it's not like your country is any better!'.

Clearly her sister had good reason to be unhappy with their situation.
I'm not saying they would have been better off in Palestine, but it makes sense that her sister would become nostalgic and homesick and long for her family.

[–] pfarnell 11 years ago

yes, she was a bitch,
her behavior to her docile civilised husband outrageous,
she seems to have preferred she was married to a Hezbollah/Hamas gunman thug,
apart from the bit where she gets to drive around in a Mercedes being a doctors wife..

but it was ok to cast her as such.

A lot of their financial problems, you get the sense, were magnified by her probable desire to "live the dream" loading them up with debt buying expensive crap to make her look and feel good, so that when they hit a speedbump at the practice, they were then quickly crushed by debt.

[–] cristalle1 11 years ago

I agree much of her behaviour towards her husband was intolerable. She really seemed oblivious to her sister's feelings for much of the movie. I only saw her display decent behaviour at the end of the movie.

[–] at7000 10 years ago

A man will put up with and tolerate much bitch-i-ness when the wife has double D cups. Did you see that 8 point rack on her????????

I found the sister highly erotic, MILF material.