MovieChat Forums > Hello I Must Be Going (2013) Discussion > WPWP at its best (or, rather, worst....)

WPWP at its best (or, rather, worst....)


I love Melanie Lynskey, and she's the only reason I stayed until the end. But, seriously, what was the point of this movie? An upper-middle class woman who had a father who spoiled her and a mother who didn't is 'paralyzed' by her divorce so she camps out at her parents' sprawling house in the 'burbs and literally does nothing for months. MONTHS. And then she wonders why she's so unfulfilled.

Then she meets a young guy who 'gets' her, and she's magically rewarded with a mother who listens to her and a father who ignores her. And a trip around the world.

I just didn't get this at all.


"Falling feels like flying... until you hit the ground."-Tom McRae

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I kept trying to remind myself that there are people like this family, but I didn't find any of them very likeable either.

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Spot on! As much as I tried to like this movie I ended up hating every single character in it.

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What's WPWP?

"Passion is just insanity in a cashmere sweater!"

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"White people with problems". It's a situation where someone is complaining about their life but most of the world would be unsympathetic.



"We couldn't go to Barbados this year because of the hurricane, so we ended up going to Aspen. AGAIN. It was so boring."

"WPWP. Get the f@%k out of my face."



"Falling feels like flying... until you hit the ground."-Tom McRae

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@cuchelo1


I have to admit, the only reason I watched this was because of the older woman/younger man issue. Normally, I could give less than a *beep* about these upper-middle class WPWP films either, but what made Lynskey's character so compelling was that despite her white upper-middle-class life, this was still a woman who had never really learned how to become her own person, or had ever gained any kind of self-esteem in her life. The fact that she comes off more like a regular, insecure person instead of some spoiled rich white chick who thinks everybody ought to bow down and kiss her a** because she's white, definitely made her more likeable and relatable to me. So it was good to see her finally stand on her own two feet and get her s*** together. None of herself-discovery/examinstion comes easy at all, and she's not magically rewarded with anything---she has to work hard to get to even that level, and that's what I eventually liked about the film (that and the cute little songs playing throughout it.)

Plus, on top of that It was nice to see a film about an older woman/younger man kicking it without them being demonized/punished/hated for being together for a change.

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@activista-

I don't ever push my opinions on anyone else. I think it's great if you enjoyed the film, and I can definitely understand your reasoning. For me, it just didn't come together, despite Lynskey's incredible ability to make me care for her at all times. I definitely agree that we need more films about an older woman/younger man without the demonization attached to make up for all the films where the leading man has about 30 years on the love interest. Cheers!

"Falling feels like flying... until you hit the ground."-Tom McRae

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I, too, like stories about older women and younger men. However, this one would have been better if the woman had looked and behaved like a grownup woman of thirty-five. Instead she looked about twenty-four and was immature.

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"bow down and kiss her a** because she's white"

There are actually very few movies in which anyone expects others to bow down and kiss his or her ass because he or she is white. On the rare occasions when such characters appear they are always presented as despicable villains.

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