MovieChat Forums > Smashed (2012) Discussion > I was very disappointed in this movie...

I was very disappointed in this movie...

posted 11 years ago by subana
3 replies | jump to latest

I wanted to see this movie for a couple of reasons. First, Aaron Paul is in it. I've liked him every since I first saw him on Big Love. And second, I was interested in how a former drinker might relate to a spouse who still drinks & how they try to solve that problem as a couple. (I was addicted to alcohol for years & gave it up 22 yrs ago)

Sadly, this film didn't live up to my expectations. I was disappointed that they focused primarily on the wife. In this situation, I think both sides should have a story to tell. Certainly the wife does go through more struggles since it's primarily her life that changes but the spouse's story should also be told! A couple involves 2 people so why focus only on the wife? They should have shown how both people were having a difficult time dealing with the change in the wife & how they adapted to the changes.

As I said, I was very disappointed in the film. There was so much more they could have explored that they did not!

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] subana 10 years ago

thank you! I agree, there was so much more they could have done with that film that was basically ignored. One of the reasons why it sounded like a good plot is because their relationship was defined (at least in the early days) by their enjoyment of drinking. And what happens when one person in that relationship makes a commitment to sobriety while the other person hasn't? There was a whole spectrum of issues they could have explored & yet they chose to ignore all of them & focus only on one person!

[–] Screen_Queen 10 years ago

OP and streets, I completely agree with you regarding what the movie could have been. The tagline was certainly a bit misleading, I was expecting a deep character study of how a marriage breaks down when one of them decides to get sober, but what I got was how one of them gets sober and how this person reacts when their marriage breaks down. It would have been much more interesting if they'd made it a two-sided story. This

It seems as soon as she got sober her husband got pushed to the background or became a silly set piece for her sobriety to play against.

is accurate. That said, I don't regret watching this movie, but it definitely had the potential to be much more profound.

P.S. streets, this is the third time I've seen you on a board for a movie I've just watched in as many days, we must have similar tastes haha.

You heart me? What is that? Is that like I love you for pussies?