I've heard a lot of mixed things about William H. Macy's role as Jack's grandfather. Many have criticised him for not accepting Jack, yet at the same time people are stating that he is fully aware of Jack's dark origins (AKA being concieved during the rape of his daughter). What do you feel about him?
shareAs I'm sure you know, the actions of Joy's father have been commented upon many times on this board:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3170832/board/thread/259745953
But I see what you're saying -- how do people feel about his actions?
From all the postings I've seen, people seem to view him pretty negatively.
45 Years: 9
Son of Saul: 10
The Witch: 8.5
Bridge of Spies: 8.5
Many have criticised him for not accepting Jack, yet at the same time people are stating that he is fully aware of Jack's dark origins (AKA being concieved during the rape of his daughter).
I think the implication is that they get why he wouldnt accept Jack because being around Jack would constantly reinforce that his daughter was kidnapped and raped
shareI think the implication is that they get why he wouldnt accept JackWho is "they" in your response? Do you mean Joy, Leo, and Joy's mother all understand why Joy's father wouldn't accept Jack? If so, we don't see much evidence in the movie for that one way or the other. share
Im talking about OP. You were questioning their sentence and I was explaining how it was meant to be interpreted. They were saying that since we all know that the dad knows about the circumstances of Jack's birth, that at least everyone should understand why he acts to Jack the way he does.
shareIMO, it says a lot about the difference between men and women. the mother accepted him fine, just like jaycee dugard's mother accepted her children, but the father couldn't get past that he represented her daughter's rape. i don't understand why people are so harsh and judgmental on the father. Joy wasn't the only victim, her mother and father had their own trauma too.
shareI agree. The film doesn't delve into the trauma that the parents would have also experienced, save for one outburst by the mother. If we allow ourselves to imagine the story from the father's perspective, we could have a better understanding of his inability to accept his new life circumstances as readily as his ex-wife does. When his daughter disappeared, his life went into a downward spiral. His marriage crumbled and a long-time family friend moved in to take his place. He moved away under the pretense of professional obligations but perhaps moreso to isolate himself from the horrible realities of his life. His daughter spent all those years in unwanted isolation, but he imposed emotional isolation onto himself. His drinking is noted in the film, perhaps hinting at functional alcoholism. And,yes, of course everyone deals with difficult situations differently, and one can hardly blame him for being slower to accept the boy.
But, the story is less about the father and more about Joy and Jack. The father's adverse reaction is more for us to see the ongoing difficulties Joy and Jack have integrating into their new lives - not everyone had open arms. Being outside Room was supposed to be a welcome miracle, but it came with it's own obstacles.