MovieChat Forums > Think of Me (2013) Discussion > This movie's sole purpose must be...

This movie's sole purpose must be...

posted 11 years ago by DasMaedchen84
4 replies | jump to latest

to make single mothers the world over feel like they are mother of the year, compared to Angela.

I am a single mom to a child close to Sunny's age. When I saw this movie show up in my Netflix recommendations, I was instantly intrigued. I decided to watch it.

Now I wish I could unwatch it.

I saw no purpose for this movie to even exist (other than the aforementioned "making other single moms feel like super-hero parents by comparison!)

Angela was selfish, stupid, and incredibly childish. I find it hard to believe that Sunny made it to 2nd or 3rd grade without DSS stepping in in some form, and without the school doing something about the dyslexia. That aside, I hated Angela. I really hated her. You don't have money to feed your child, but you can afford cigarettes? LOL really? I guess many of the scenes were for shock value - the leaving Sunny alone all the time, giving the dog away, entertaining the ultra sketchy proposal from Max (?), etc.

This movie hit a nerve. I am a single parent who does everything by myself. I have one income and a very limited budget. We are not rich, but my child always has nice, clean clothes, a clean house, and food in the cupboards. Know why? Because I'm a grown up who is able to put my own wishes and desires aside for my child. My shoes have holes in them, but hers are nice. I go without things so that she can have all the things she needs, and a lot of the things she wants, too.

What bugged me is how unkempt Sunny looked, while her mom was made up, wearing OK-looking clothes, and could afford all these "extras" she was wasting her money on.

Was the carwash scene supposed to make me feel something? Was I supposed to find that endearing? I just saw a sad child who was so neglected that she found immeasurable joy in going through the carwash with her mom.

The whole movie is sad, left me feeling sad and angry. I know it is "just" a movie, but there are children all over the country and world who really do live this way. No, her mother shouldn't have sold her to a new family or even considered it, but she probably should have considered placing her up for an adoption early on, through a legitimate agency, because she was absolutely failing at her job as a mother.

Also- who leaves a little kid home alone? At night or any time? I just can't imagine. The system fails children like Sunny in real life, every single day.

[–] danieldaylewis 11 years ago

you're obviously not the audience the filmmakers or the film's genre had in mind. the purpose derived is what you wanted to see ("i'm a great single mother"). sounds like you want something a little more hollywood...

you don't have to like the main character to like a film. angela was a terrible mother throughout the film, but for all her faults, the emotional intensity was real and the acting was superb. and while she was misguided, desperate, foolish, imprudent, and other adjectives throughout the film, there was a palpable humanity in this tragic drama.

you wax on with this holier-than-thou judgment against the protagonist, criticizing her for her egocentricity by going on and on about how YOU lead your life, how you hate the movie for how it makes YOU feel, how the film must be made to make people like YOU feel better. oh the irony?

[–] poppyetpear 11 years ago

^^Agree

I LOVED this film with a passion. Angela did do a lot of foolish things, but there was no doubt she loved her child. I know many lower class single mothers and they don't always make the best decisions, but they love their children and when they do something foolish they almost always look at it in retrospect and know that isn't a decision they will make again. Movies that are so well written like this make me see myself in the characters. I could be Angela. My sister could be Angela. My friend could be Angela. The woman that lives down the street could be Angela.

OP, Find yourself in these characters and and I guarantee you will find a much softer place in your heart for them:)

The acting and intensity of this film left me with a red, puffy face and snotty nose at the end. 10/10 for me.

[–] daddie0 10 years ago

What bugged me is how unkempt Sunny looked, while her mom was made up, wearing OK-looking clothes, and could afford all these "extras" she was wasting her money on.

This is an interesting observation, and one I had not made. It is interesting that Sunny pretty much lives in squalor while her mother takes care of herself. She even expects Sunny to "parent" or be more mature than she should by saying things like "Help me out here, would ya?" The film was a heartbreaking look at reality for far too many kids.

Was the carwash scene supposed to make me feel something? Was I supposed to find that endearing? I just saw a sad child who was so neglected that she found immeasurable joy in going through the carwash with her mom.

I enjoyed the carwash scene. And I think the point was that it was obviously something they had done before, a kind of crazy treat. Also I think it built on the theme that while she couldn't give Sunny everything, she had learned to navigate the system to give her somethings. (The $2.99 "players" breakfast for example.)

I find it hard to believe that Sunny made it to 2nd or 3rd grade without DSS stepping in in some form, and without the school doing something about the dyslexia....The system fails children like Sunny in real life, every single day.

Your last statement is true, and why the movie is so painful. But I can say that the supposed "family support systems" we have in place are broken and more often than not do more harm than good and often do nothing with tough situations such as this.

As I watched the film I kept looking for someone who would help them out just because it's the right thing to do...but in this film everyone in her life had their own agenda. Sad.

[–] tetrahex 10 years ago

I think the correct definition of these kinds of films is poverty porn.