MovieChat Forums > The Gift (2015) Discussion > Robin marriage commitment seems so fake ...

Robin marriage commitment seems so fake (or weak)


I am not sure if it was mentioned before, but it seemed extremely unnatural that a loving wife who just had a baby with her husband would leave her husband because of these reasons mentioned in the movie

I've witnessed a lot of couple with a lot bigger issues, and still the couple stayed together nevertheless

Come on, you love someone not because of something but in spite of something. So her husband was a bullie on school, so her husband beat the crap of this annoying guy who barged into their lives and was screwing with their heads and caused a lot of discomfort.

And would anybody believe a loving woman would leave her man because of those ridiculous reasons.

So the guy is a bullie, but she married him that way, she loved him that way. They've been together for a decade or so. She knew exactly what kind of person he was. That was the way she accepted him.

The guy wasn't cheating on her, the guy wasn't abusive, he provided a good life style for her, he loved her, and she is leaving him because he was a bully in high school and because he was not honest about something toward someone else

This is just unrealistic, or she never loved him, and the guy should be happy he doesn't have this wife anymore

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I think it's those thinfs that made her realize he wasn't the person she thought he was...at all. He's a pathological liar, a bully (still) and kind of a narcissist..I don't see why she would ever trust him again. Also, he didn't even care about the impact it had had on Gordo whatsoever

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I understand, all those things are mentioned in the movie, but my point is that a LOVING woman would never leave her man because he is a liar/bully.

Women forgive much greater sins than the aforementioned lying and bullying. If that happened that means she never loved him, or she is just a plain stupid idiot (which was pointed out more than once in this board)

The guy never betrayed her, he provided for her, he loved her, he wanted to have a future with her, but she is leaving him .... because he lied and because he has beat a crap out of a stranger (who clearly deserved it)

Come on, did you ever witness it in real life?

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the person she "loved" didn't exist...Maybe she could have shown a lot more devastation form her side
, or maybe the fact she was "disgusted" by him or anything but I probably wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with a person like that either.

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Women live with the drunks, women live with the couch potatoes, women live with the criminals, women forgive men a lot (in the real life)

Are you saying you would leave a successful career oriented man without any bad habits or criminal background just like that?

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Well, yes

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Then it probably means you never loved this person :-)

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No. Simon gaslighted Robyn, made her doubt herself and think she was crazy. Made her leave her career, friends and family, and geographic region. Abusers isolate their victims.

Simon had been abused by his own father ("but look at me, I turned out okay, people get past these things!"). Abuse is learned, and generational. Robyn never admitted the real Simon was abusing her to herself, but now she has to protect this baby from Simon. What kind of man manipulates a stranger into being fired in shame, just to eliminate a competitor for a job? What kind of man encounters someone he was cruel to 25 years prior, and gets in their personal space with a fake 'wolf grin'? What kind of husband keeps secrets locked away from his wife, lies to her, and when she tries to talk about it shouts at her "this conversation is over!" What kind of father do you think Simon will make? Exactly.

Robyn isn't the problem here.

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Simon didn't make her leave her friends, family and job to move. It seems like Robin made the choice to move with him. It's a bit ridiculous to call Simon abusive.

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Liberal women have no sense

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Leaving an abusive prat makes no sense?

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he didn't abuse her so no it doesn't make sense

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He was clearly a manipulative bully. Gaslighting a partner is abuse.

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I agree with jdikj. You're assuming that women are all the same and that they live with drunks or abusers or whatever. Sure some of them do, but obviously the wife in the movie didn't want to do that and was disgusted with Simon, which is understandable.

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I get what the point is actually but I blame the writing; Robyn left her husband because he was far less than she originally thought but COME ON. You've been married to this man how long? And she's so shocked by his actions in the past? Was she was just the pure, naive, little snowflake that we are supposed to believe and she truly never saw the bad in him, or did she chose to ignore everything up until the film? Maybe batemen really did change when he met Robyn and she only knew who that person was. I'm not saying he was ever a perfect guy (he was clearly wasnt) but I blame Robyn for being dumb enough to never see the truth sooner. It just seemed like she was "oh we are young and in love! Oh you were a bully ? You're still bullying people ? We done. " they could have fleshed out her character a bit more.

Sorry. Just finished the movie and I'm all heated up lol

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by mpodol1 » Wed Oct 5 2016 09:44:04

Women live with the drunks, women live with the couch potatoes, women live with the criminals, women forgive men a lot (in the real life)

Are you saying you would leave a successful career oriented man without any bad habits or criminal background just like that?
You say that as if ALL women in real life settle with drunks, couch potatoes, criminals, etc. Some women in real life do; some don't. Robin simply belongs to the latter group. She had no tolerance for it.

The man she thought she loved did NOT exist. She discovered he was a pathological liar, a manipulator, a bully, a narcissist -- among other things. It's easy to exit from a relationship once you realize the other person is not really the person you thought they were.

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I think you missed the part where Simon tries to blame everything on Robyn. It was the scene just after she uncovered the PI files, and just before Simon went to administer the beatdown on Gordo.

If you look at the earlier conversations in the movie, they don't seem all that damning/bad at the time, but when you look back at them given the context that is revealed later on, you start to see exactly how controlling and manipulative Simon really is towards Robyn... he's just really good at it because he's had his entire life to perfect it and become really slick when delivering it all.



I do agree though... when you evaluate all of these things/conversations as one-off's it makes no sense for Robyn to leave. No one of sane mind would leave their spouse for doing any one of the individual things Simon did. Everyone has moments of weakness where they make bad judgment calls.

When you mesh it all together though, it makes some sense as to why Robyn would want nothing to do with Simon.


He's manipulative, he lies, he deflects, he is violent, he is ruthless for his own self interests, and while he's never physically beat up Robyn (that we know of)... he's shown that violence is always on the table as a solution to whatever temporary problem is in his way.

This isn't something that has manifested itself later on in life either... he's constantly been this way for decades. It just took the events that transpired for the revelation to occur within Robyn's head.


He also constantly tried to throw Robyn's own safety and well-being under the bus in order to avoid what might have led to very minor setbacks in his life/career. He put her and their child in significant danger by not being forthcoming about Gordo and the past incidences surrounding Gordo. Ditto with Danny.


The early parts of the film also lead into how manipulative Simon is (though subtly)... specifically the discussion about Robyn returning to work. Re-read it and you can see how self-centered Simon actually is. He gives her the illusion of his support, but then follows it up with the backhand of "I mean, if you want a family though... you probably shouldn't do that, but who am I to tell you anything?"

He's being very manipulative... even if it's in a very subtle/under the radar way.


Again... taken out of context and viewed as a one-off conversation, he's not doing anything terrible. Mesh in with everything else he's done/does, you can tell what a scumbag he is. It just took Robyn a really long time to put the pieces together.


http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=the-gift

Robyn: Very nice. Isn't it?

Simon: Yeah. You should see upstairs. You should see Kevin's office. That's nice.

Robyn: Uh-huh.

Simon: But this is, it's pretty great. Yeah. Here they are.

Robyn: I cannot believe these guys are your bosses.

Simon: You are my boss, honey. Let's be clear. These guys just run the billion dollar company I work for. You know they've been multimillionaires since they were teenagers?

Robyn: Mmm-hmm. Crazy.

Simon: Yeah, once upon a time, the crusty old men ran the companies and the teenagers were down in the mail room. And now it's the total opposite. But I'm going to make it upstairs before I'm too old, as long as Kevin sticks to his plan of moving on at the end of the year. Then I get a little bit of consulting expertise from you, I'll be all set.

Robyn: Keep growing the beard. Start wearing sneakers to work.

Simon: Maybe get a tattoo.

Robyn: Yeah.

Simon: All good ideas. I'd look good in those glasses, I think.

Robyn: Hey, do you really not want me to go back to work? Are you still worried?

Simon: That's not what I said.

Robyn: No?

Simon: No.

Robyn: You know, we moved to the suburbs and... Yeah. For a fresh start.

Simon: Honey, I want you to do whatever you want to do. As long as you stay healthy, you can open an office in every major city in the world. I want you to start rebuilding the business. You know, what do I care? I just don't want you to be stressed, honey, because that's when those other things can happen. Yeah? Especially if you really want to start a family.

Robyn: Okay.

Simon: Did it sound that bad?

Robyn: No. No, I'm just being silly. Let's get back to the party.

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How is this hard to understand? Robyn spent who knows how long with Simon believing he was a kind and caring person and then found out that she was completely wrong. Simon was a manipulative monster who had no remorse for anything he had done and who ruined who knows how many lives to get to where he was. Anyone with a shred of common sense would of done exactly what she did.

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Definitely! She had her eyes opened to the fact he wasn't a very nice person and even though she hadn't realised it at the time his bullying and manipulation of her was probably the reason she'd been relying on pills when they lived in Chicago. From what was said she was obviously more of a Gordo at school than a Simon which has made it easier for him to manipulate her over the years.
After everything was revealed about what he'd done to Gordo and also to the guy up for promotion against him,I think she's now realised he's a nasty bully who would do anything to get what he wants.That's not really the person she fell in love with and remember she's got the baby to think about now. Did Simon not reveal at one part that his father had bullied him? There was a good chance he'd have gone on and done the same to his son.
Ok enough! I'm getting carried away now lol.

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Robin is a mother. When I had my first child, everything in my world is dedicated to protecting that child. It doesn't make her an unloving person to sever their relationship after birth.....it makes her a fiercely protective mother. Simon is a predator, in the animal kingdom, female lions have to protect their cubs from the father....who will kill the cub. Simon and the male predatory lion are in the same class.

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I really feel sorry for the man who married you, offered you a home and allowed you to be a mom.
Little delusional selfish bitches like you disgusts me.

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You can be with someone for a few years then one day in a certain situation you see a very ugly trait and it shocks you, have you ever looked at someone you thought beautiful then they behave atrocious and their appearance seems to change in your eyes, can you still make love to that one maybe not. Her child is her focus.

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Not gonna lie, I think Robyn was a *beep* idiot. I will explain why later, but I just finished the movie and I'm still steaming with how much I hated how innocent or pure Robyn was. Was she a good person? Yes. We get it. She is. But she was stupid for barely figuring out just how deplorable her husband was (had always been), and even more of an idiot for trusting Gordo after all the creepy *beep* he did. I know Gordon went through a lot and never deserved what happened to him growing up, but his actions in the present was just beyond unsettling. I get he "had a point" but if I was Robyn and this man was stopping by unannounced and giving gifts, stopping by to my hospital bed after I gave birth after proving he was kind of off , I would have screamed for someone to come and remove him. She gave Gordon a ridiculous amount of the benefit of the doubt and it just completely left me unsettled all around.

That being said, the movie was very good. Bateman in a drama was just amazing.

9/10

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I should clarify, I don't mind her purity. Just that I felt it was shoved down our throats. Made me roll my eyes a few times. We get it. She's a good person.

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But, he WASN'T just a bully in high school! That's why we have the scene with McDonald to prove that he was STILL a bully. Plus, the scene beating up Gordie. I think the Gordo back story would have fizzled out and she would have forgiven Simon if it ended with just the high school story. But he proved he was still the high school bully all those years later.

"What would you like to see on your honeymoon, Mrs. Cord?"
"Lots of lovely ceilings."

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The OP is obviously made by someone that thinks it is socially acceptable to crap all over your wife and then blame her for "not loving" when they decide that they are worthy of being treated like a decent human being. This is a very sad mentality that is usually owned by sexist men who have no real value of women, other than to serve their own selfish needs.

That said, lets get started dismantling the ridiculous statement about the movie character...

"She never loved him". Did you watch the movie? She flat out says that she doesn't know who he really is in the end, which should spell it out for you. She DID love him... She loved the man he PRETENDED TO BE. Lying about who you really are is as bad or worse than cheating.

"He loved her". Um, you don't do the *beep* he did if you love someone. That sword swings both ways, but you only want to apply it to the wife for some reason.

In the end, Simon's disguise is lifted to reveal a very selfish man with zero compassion or morality... You really expect someone to stay with a man like this out of loyalty? She took an oath to be with someone completely different, not this pile of crap.

Lastly, not all women stay with drunks, abusers and cheaters. This isn't the 50s anymore.

And for the record, I'm a man. I just happen to value women in this world.

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i feel in the only way he knows how to the love someone he loves robyn.it just might be a bit bit messed up kind of love pretending to be someone your not in order to keep your wife or whatever he was doing and he seemed in his own way concerned about her.

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