This horrible, self pitying, selfish woman finds a man who looks just like her dead husband, strings him along for her own selfish reasons, breaks his heart, he dies, she goes to his posthumous art show and grins happily and triumphantly when she sees the tragic portrait he painted of his broken heart. I hated her.He deserved better.
shareI totally agree!
"Don't get chumpatized!" - The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
I was trying to find the word for "insanity caused by grief" and I grabbed this because I didn't feel like searching any longer.
"Complicated Grief Disorder, also known as traumatic or prolonged grief. The new diagnosis refers to a situation in which many of grief’s common symptoms—such as powerful pining for the deceased, great difficulty moving on, a sense that life is meaningless, and bitterness or anger about the loss—last longer than six months. ...In essence, it is the inability to adjust to life without that person..."
Nikki wasn't cruel or leading Tom on, she was suffering from a form of insanity. It was very evident that she was slipping in and out of reality. She desperately wanted and needed him to be "Garrett". Her loss of touch with reality showed in her inability to call him by his name, avoidance of her friend and neighbor and her hostile attitude towards the child she clearly loved, prior to her first sighting of "Tom". As long as she kept the outside world away, she could live in her fantasy world. Selfish yes, but people suffering from grief induced delusions - like a parent that has lost a child and tries to turn another child into the one they lost - are to be pitied not reviled. It's not that the behavior is acceptable, but it is understandable.
And, she did tell "Tom" that she loved him too. He seemed to forgive her and understand. And the movie doesn't tell the viewer what happened between them after the Mexico trip. Also, Tom was hiding a truth from Nikki also. Imagine having someone you loved dearly die tragically and then finding a new love, only to have that person also die shortly afterwards.
"Arguing with idiots is like trying to play chess with a pigeon..."
She loved Tom for what he was, a man whom looked like her ex, you don't think he stayed around do you. I believe she was contacted by Tom's ex, meaning she was not around when he passed. He was enjoying himself before he found out the truth. I think he forgave her as she realized what she did was wrong. I'm pretty sure she will decide to be alone after what happened, after all Tom's death won't cure her mental state.
share"Complicated Grief Disorder, also known as traumatic or prolonged grief.Exactly what this movie left me with.🐭 share
^ HA OP while your description might be on the harsh side, it totally made me laugh out loud.
The main thing I disagree with is, I'm not sure his portrait showed a broken heart as much as maybe some weird acknowledgement (without resentment) that he was just a "face" to her lol. And the fact he showed her in the water I think was some veiled way of trying to get her to get over her trauma, hence the "triumph" when she swims again at the end.
But still, as for the rest of your post, basically spot on. I know it was grief-induced but Tom got shafted. I felt sorry for him and really only him.