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Disturbing Undertones in Australia Flashbacks

posted 10 years ago by conor-007
99 replies | jump to latest

I saw the movie for a second time today. Love it but I was never keen on the Aussie flashbacks to begin with, they slow the movie right down.

But for some reason I felt that Colin Farrell's character and performance was deeply disturbing.

His relationship with Ginty is borderline incestuous. I felt like he was in love with her--

He hardly ever shows any interest in his wife.
He practically ignores his other daughter.
Almost everything he says is dedicated/focused on Ginty.

Look at the horse riding, the drunken speech and the "how do you like being kissed" scenes. Uncomfortable to watch.

Obviously Disney would never allow these kinds of implications to end up on screen but they're hard to ignore. I think Farrell and the writers got the character all wrong.

The point of the flashbacks is to show that Mrs. Travers loved her father, but her dad's relationship with her is borderline obssessive.

Anyone agree? Or am I crazy?

[–] jmdforsmg 10 years ago

I actually got the same impression! It was kinda weird, but I did like Colin in it

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[–] 10 years ago

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[–] delmoki 10 years ago

I think you're crazy. The scenes are Ginty's memories, so they wouldn't show the father's relationship with the two other girls. Parents kiss their children. Any inappropriate implications you are reading into the scenes say more about you than the writers.

[–] Gromit26 10 years ago

Agree

fact: 87.3% of IMDB users belong to the secret society of cynics.

[–] schmidtkenn11 10 years ago

Exactly.

"He carries illegal weapons, drives fast cars & wears clothes obviously designed by a homosexual."

[–] rongan 10 years ago

"Any inappropriate implications you are reading into the scenes say more about you than the writers."

If this wasn't a Disney movie, I would definitely believe there was incest based on that final scene on the horse.

Several members here noticed and thought the same.

I DON'T know, I do question what the film makers were trying to convey. You didn't notice for whatever reason - that's fine.

Some of us did notice and are not crazy or perverted for seeing WHAT was on the screen and wondering why.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] bcheever 10 years ago

No I don't agree with this thread at all. I'm guessing you are not a Dad and don't have a daughter? She was his princess and he was her king. I think that was the whole point of the flashbacks, to really show how deep her love was for her father and how devastating it was for him to die when she was seven years old. And I actually think the flashback scenes with Thomas Newman's heart wrenching score are what really made this film the great work that it is.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Eddie_Riggs 10 years ago

Plus one. Try for less creepy next time, OP.

[–] jfitz_returns 10 years ago

Completely agree. What an odd OP.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] mikehillxd 9 years ago

I also agree.

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[–] itsahoverboard 10 years ago

I don't think that's what the filmmakers intended at all, but I did get that vibe too. The shaving scene took me off guard especially, even though in my mind I knew they were only talking about father daughter type kisses.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] casablnka 10 years ago

In terms of the point of view of the story I agree with delmoki. Keep in mind this is the POV of a young child with a close relationship to her father. Too close only in the sense that she becomes an enabler to him which is one of the ghosts that haunts her. The only person besides her father that seemed to have any real impact on her was her Aunt.

In terms of the Australia flashbacks how would you have told the story without them. They are totally relevant in every way in that they give us a perspective on Travers' motivations in protecting her story and characters as well as insights to her character. Also her whole reaction to the the movie at the end would be negated without the flashbacks.

As to the sexual character of her relationship to her father I will only say with sadness that our times have destroyed our ability to look any any relationship or human interaction innocently. I also find the threads about her bi-sexuality depressing because - who gives a *beep*

Ric

[–] kittyhasclaws 10 years ago

As to the sexual character of her relationship to her father I will only say with sadness that our times have destroyed our ability to look any any relationship or human interaction innocently.

Unfortunately, society's insistence that we look at all human interactions innocently is the reason why children and women never reported molestations, abuse and rape in the past. The predators always told them that their interactions were "innocent" and "normal". So glad things are different today! (And no, I was NOT molested when I was young!)
I thought the scene when he was shaving sort of came out of left field, and combined with the longing, loving looks he gave Ginty, was sort of creepy.

[–] GinaRenee 10 years ago

No, I don't think that's true. There are lots of reasons why these things weren't reported in the past -- because victims were intimidated, because their attackers had power, because the culture discouraged talking about abuse, etc. I don't think a desire to look at all human interactions innocently had much to do with it at all. After all, there was such a thing as gossip back then, and gossip is all about the presumption of guilt, not innocence.

[–] augustbloom 10 years ago

Absolutely.

[–] velcronewsletter 7 years ago

things haven't changed then

[–] 7 years ago

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[–] Amari-Sali 10 years ago

I disagree.

To me, she was remembering her father as she saw him, not as he was. When it came to not having interest in his wife, it was because she wasn't focused on their relationship, especially since the mom hardly seemed interested in her. Then, as for ignoring the other daughters, again the story isn't about them, much less they are still young and under their mom. Meanwhile, Ginty was his first daughter and seemed more attached to him than her mother.

As for the drunk speech, I can barely remember it, but the kiss part he explained. He shaves to not scratch her cheeks, and the reason he asked how does she like to be kissed is to know whether she minds the beard or not.

And really, considering how much she wanted to be like him, and he wanted anything but that for her, I think the obsession was mostly so that she wouldn't be like him for he saw that he put himself in a rut of which he would likely never recover.
--
Writer at http://amari-sali.blogspot.com/ featuring Overview/ Reviews (with Spoilers)

[–] Nomad310 10 years ago

There are disturbing undertones, but they don't strike me in the least as sexual. Rather, the alcoholic father is leaning too heavily on his daughter for emotional support, which is a tragic but common occurrence in alcoholic families. Her childhood was very much stolen.

[–] Amari-Sali 10 years ago

It does make me wonder though, what was the dad's relationship with the wife? I mean, yeah they had kids, but it seems like she was in it for the good times and nearly lost her mind when things got hard.

--
Writer at http://amari-sali.blogspot.com/ featuring Overview/ Reviews (with Spoilers)

[–] drxcreatures 10 years ago

Amari, what good times? Do you really think when she lost her mind was the FIRST time things were hard? You call yourself a writer and you don't see....

http://www.cgonzales.net & http://www.drxcreatures.com

[–] Amari-Sali 10 years ago

When he had money and a stable job. From what it seemed, what we saw was the beginning of the family's downfall.

--
Writer at http://amari-sali.blogspot.com/ featuring Overview/ Reviews (with Spoilers)

[–] RRuin 10 years ago

Nomad310
» Sat Dec 14 2013 19:15:39
IMDb member since March 2006
Post Edited:
Sat Dec 14 2013 19:49:13
There are disturbing undertones, but they don't strike me in the least as sexual. Rather, the alcoholic father is leaning too heavily on his daughter for emotional support, which is a tragic but common occurrence in alcoholic families. Her childhood was very much stolen.

Exactly! He can run away from his responsibilities when he's with her. He acts less like a father and more like a child. And she ends damaged by the emotional pressure he exerts on her like when she gives him the bottle of alcohol.

The Wizard Has Spoken

[–] Tomatish 10 years ago

There are disturbing undertones, but they don't strike me in the least as sexual. Rather, the alcoholic father is leaning too heavily on his daughter for emotional support, which is a tragic but common occurrence in alcoholic families. Her childhood was very much stolen.

It reminded me a little of the Ryan Gosling's character's relationship with the daughter in Blue Valentine. The girl is so attached to him and he seems to think that what he's doing is good parenting, but he's really using her as an emotional crutch.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] velcronewsletter 7 years ago

youre right, especially with the first point. it was only to do with those 2 and not the other members of the family

[–] BackroadJunkie 10 years ago

He hardly ever shows any interest in his wife.

Well, he had to show some interest. They had three children...

Almost everything he says is dedicated/focused on Ginty.

Most of the 1906 timeline is from Helen's POV. Do you remember your dad from your brother or sister's point of view? You don't have specific memories of, or special moments with your dad that didn't involve siblings?

Of course, within the context of the movie, it is her obsession with her father that's the whole conflict between Travers and the Studio, so to focus on those aspects in her childhood intensifies the break down she has in the rehearsal room when the 1961 and 1906 timelines converge.

That said, I do think Travers was a bit disturbed, and had a major father fixation. She even took her father's name when she became an actress.
--
Blu-ray is the reason I don't go to theaters anymore...

[–] siobanphotogirl 10 years ago

She became an actress?

[–] BackroadJunkie 10 years ago

Yes. She was supposed to be a pretty good Shakespearean actress about a dozen years before she wrote Mary Poppins.

It might have been the impetus for her to move from Australia to England.
--
Blu-ray is the reason I don't go to theaters anymore...

[–] jaynekranc 10 years ago

That might have something to do with the fact she thought Olivier was the best actor ever...

[–] gcarras 10 years ago

NEVER should ANY parents love for a child, or uncle's, in my case, or aunt's for a child, especially in the family be seen as ANYTHING sexual just off the bat, even today.

My only complaint would be that it should have been all shown as scenes before the 1961 ones, though using them as flashbacks added a lot...

Sarah Silverman Is Magic

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[–] schmidtkenn11 10 years ago

If the flashbacks were not intercut into the '61 scenes, not only would you spend half of the movie just waiting for the later scenes, but they would not have the same power and influence/resonance in relation to the '61 scenes. It was done exactly right.

"He carries illegal weapons, drives fast cars & wears clothes obviously designed by a homosexual."

[–] Htos_Drol 10 years ago

If one is looking for incestuous behavior, one will find it, I guess.

I never got the impression that Colin Farrell played the character as a father who desired sexual relations with his daughter, nor did I believe that Travers Goff actually felt that way.

[–] rongan 10 years ago

"If one is looking for incestuous behavior, one will find it, I guess."

You guess wrong. I wasn't looking and DO question that final horse scene.

What's your take on the girl's legs being spread, up and out? That was shown after a scene with them in that position without showing below their chest.

Someone would ride a horse in that position?

I DON'T know, but others saw what I saw and question it.

You have your OPINION. That's okay. But to insult others for being confused by what was on the screen is childish.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] buffyMove 10 years ago

That's the safest way for her to ride with him bareback. If she was on the back he couldn't keep her from falling sideways or backwards with his arms.