MovieChat Forums > Breathe In (2013) Discussion > This opinion won't be popular (I'm warni...

This opinion won't be popular (I'm warning you)


I don't blame the wife for shutting her husband down. He seemed incredibly solipsistic and immature. It was like she was raising another teenager. The wife is painted as a villain, but seriously she was being the only adult in the household. How many people would drop everything, sell the house, and move to Manhattan of all places so their almost 50 year old husband could pretend he was was young again and be a musician. She said grownup things like: we won't be able to afford living in Manhattan (most people wouldn't); we have a house and we won't get much if we sell (most people would be concerned about that); what about our daughter (again, this is something most adults would think about). Not to mention, they've lived outside the city for almost 20 years. It would be a major change in their lifestyle. And what does he do when he doesn't get his way, he runs off with a teenager. How cliche.

Let's flip this around. If the woman had intended to run off to the city to pursue modeling or whatever it was she did 20 years ago, and she ran off with an 18 year old boy she would be called selfish and a whore. Films have a great way of making us forget that this isn't the tired midlife crisis cliche that we've seen done to death in film and in real life. We have slow camera work, drippy music, longing gazes, and suddenly his ridiculous half-baked plan (and predatory advances on a vulnerable 18 year old exchange student) are described as love.

Puh lease.

reply

I totally agree with you------on all of it, except modeling is a really bad analogy. I would use acting or singing or stand up comedy or something. Being a middle aged or older wokring/professional musician is actually incredibly realistic. Being a 50 year old working/professional model (as a woman) and I HATE to admitting that as a woman, but it's the cold hard truth is even more of a ridiculous pipe dream. But if she were to want to go into the city and say I want to act again instead of teach it, or sing etc etc that would make more sense. And it would be realistic for her husband to say "that is irresponsible...sure you could probably get work, okay maybe you got in that broadway show but it's not going to be enough for us to be living in Manhattan" but modeling would just be absurd. For a guy or a girl. I'd laugh in their face.

reply

[deleted]

I guess I'm not a female since I'm the exact opposite of how you've described females with your "expertise"; either that or you're just a misogynist mansplaining what I want to me--since you clearly understand women better than they do.

reply

[deleted]

[deleted]

I'm with you Gary Lee - it's not like they had any more kids to raise after their daughter went to college.

He got a job in the city, it's not like he wanted to go to the city and try to get a job - he got one, a classy one. I felt the wife cared more about the material possessions like their house and being around their friends who were super materialistic too - rather than her husbands happiness.



keep calm and bill murray

reply

He was accepting a job that paid more. The details of which weren't discussed as she wasn't interested in discussing it. What I liked about the film was it wasn't one party at fault so to speak. It was both parties that could and should have been doing more in there relationship. He was clearly unhappy and she didn't seem to be interested in showing any interest (if my partner had me listen to music and clearly cared about like he did, I wouldn't just take of the headphones immediately). It's the little things.


Film Reverie: http://filmreverie.blogspot.com.au/
My film diary: http://letterboxd.com/filmreverie/

reply

I agree with you, the husband was a complete dope.

reply

cmon...the guy was an artist, not a child. the wife loved china pots. If you really love your soulmate, you go together with him/her no matter what. Wife WAS a selfish PITA, period. Even my own wife thought the same. Had a nice talk after the movie...and our conclusion was that the guy had no cojones at the end...with that fake photo smile closing everything. Great movie btw, loved it....7.3 but gave it an 8.

reply

i disagree. people wanting different things is main reason for divorces. if you dont like and want the same thing as your spouse (no matter how crazy it sounds, its not crazy for them) then one of you is going to live unsatisfied life. we have only one life and its too short to live it unsatisfied. thats what people think when they cheat. so do whatever your spouse wants to do or if its too crazy for you then separate. no need for forcing them to be more mature or whatever you want them to be. thats the way they are so love them as they are because changing them is not an option

reply