Was Eleanor redeemable?


I know the story arc is for Eleanor to be an impossible bitch. Polite though, for the whole film only to come around and do the right thing in the end. But there is a limit.

We are introduced to her in bible study and then that phone call to Nick. We hear that one of the richest families in Asia cannot put up one visitor, one who is coming thousands of miles. What did she expect? Nick to stay with her while Rachel is alone in a hotel room in a strange country? OMG!

Of course it is stupid that after a year of dating Rachel would never speak to her on the phone at least some and they would not know something about each other. Eleanor makes it so obvious she is not welcome. So Freudian to me. Nick is around 30 working as a college professor. He's not 12 years old.

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In the book Eleanor is never really redeemed at all. She drives her son and Rachel apart and only comes around when she finds out who Rachel's real father is. Still not redeemed though.

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Just watched it again and that scene is so incredibly egregious.

When Nick says he and Rachel will be together and his mom lies, blatantly lies that there is no room available for her. Room for him but not her which is a massive diss. If Nick had any credibility at all he would have had it out with his mom right then and there.

Rachel is not welcome in the Young family home? His mom is treating Rachel the way to English hotel guys tried to treat her at the beginning of the film!

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