once-again,
You're right that many couples don't fair well after the death of a child - in fact, a whopping 80% end up splitting up, no matter how good their relationship was prior to the death.
However, that wasn't exactly the point I was making in this particular case. Indeed, Caren and Phil's relationship was already strained, when their son died. And while I wasn't TOTALLY surprised that the mother would take her son's 'friend' as a lover (almost as a not-so-healthy 'replacement' for her son), they (the parents) barely showed their grief in any believable way (and sure, people grieve differently, but it was 'business as usual' with these two within just days or weeks (so I don't think you missed anything, sammarie87!!), after their only son's funeral.
For example (and OMG), remember when Caren's friend was talking to her by the pool about her (Caren) and her husband's sex life?? It was probably only a few weeks after the death. Now, I'm not saying that those who lose children don't (or shouldn't) have sex in any given time frame - I would NEVER be so judgmental. However, it's just something that's usually the furthest from their minds, as parents feel 'guilty' deriving any such pleasure (and are often unable to feel even emotionally intimate) sometimes YEARS after the loss of a child. Now, they may go thru the motions, as a release, but it was if the loss of Brandon was 3rd or 4th on their list(s) of concerns...
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SataiDelen
9 years ago
I get what you're saying. It was odd for the woman, though to be honest, I wasn't that surprised to see the husband being so cold and back to his old routine. Sometimes, I think men think they have to just jump back into things as though nothing had happened because they think society expects it of them.
And I was actually surprised to see that they were still married. I came into this movie about a half hour into it (so just before the kid's death), and when the husband/father came home, and acted the way he did (not coming in the kitchen to say hello) I thought they were divorced, and he'd only returned to the house because his son had died, and maybe she was being nice/cordial by offering him a place to stay while in town. Imagine my surprise when it's revealed that they're still married. They didn't act like a married couple at all. Or at least, he certainly didn't. He repeatedly gave off the impression of a very cold fish.
EMOTICONS ARE BACK! YAY!
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nutsberryfarm
8 years ago
the old guy was quite the yeller!
"Hipness is not a state of mind, it's a fact of life!" - Cannonball Adderley
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